Waco Reporter

Heart of Texas Human Trafficking Coalition (HOTHTC), based in Waco, is one of 23 human trafficking victims' advocacy groups in Texas listed in a strategic plan by the Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council.  

HOTHTC is among the "community collaborations" in partnership with the Office of State Attorney General Ken Paxton to combat human trafficking, according to the report.

"Texas already has a multitude of community collaborations across the state addressing human trafficking, some formal, some informal, but all doing important work," the plan says. "These multidisciplinary collaborations capture the entire human trafficking spectrum from prevention, to investigation, to prosecution, and to the support services necessary to provide a comprehensive perspective."

Texas AG Ken Paxton | File Photo

The 23 human trafficking victims' advocacy groups represent "the usefulness of partnerships" and "have regular participation by prosecutors and law enforcement," the plan says.

HOTHTC was formed in 2015 as a collaboration between area professionals and agencies to fight human trafficking, according to the organization's about page.

"These agencies include local, state and federal law enforcement, state and federal prosecutors, victim service providers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups and more," HOTHTC's website says. "The six counties included in the Heart of Texas are Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone and McLennan Counties."

In 2016, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the formation of a new unit with a particular focus on combating human trafficking.

"While trafficking is often associated with people from other countries, the victims of trafficking can and do come from anywhere, including right here in Texas," Paxton said during a press conference at the time. "Fortunately, through this new unit and through recent changes to the law, Texas is in a great position to make headway in the fight against trafficking, and we will take the fight to the doorstep of traffickers at every opportunity."

Other human trafficking victims' advocacy groups listed in a strategic plan are Alamo Area Coalition Against Trafficking in San Antonio; Southeast Texas Alliance Against Trafficking in Beaumont; Montgomery County Human Trafficking Coalition; C3ST in Collin County; North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking in Dallas; Texas Coastal Bend Border Region Human Trafficking Taskforce in Corpus Christi; Rio Grande Valley Human Trafficking Coalition; Freedom in the 806 Coalition Against Trafficking in Amarillo;  Central Texas DMST Roundtable in Bell County; North Texas Anti-Trafficking Team in the Dallas-Fort Worth area; Sex Trafficking Allied Response Team in Lubbock; Brazoria County United Front Coalition; El Paso County Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and El Paso JPD Human Trafficking Task Force; WilCo Human Trafficking Coalition in Georgetown; Denton County Human Trafficking Coalition;  Tarrant County 5-Stones Task Force; Central Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking and Central Texas Human Trafficking Task Force in Austin; and Houston Area Council on Human Trafficking, Houston Rescue & Restore Coalition and Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance in Houston.