U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, moderated a forum at Illinois State University Tuesday night on the issue of human trafficking. (Joe Ragusa/WJBC)

By Joe Ragusa

NORMAL – Hundreds of thousands of American citizens fall victim to human trafficking every year, a number that may surprise many Americans. That's why U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, hosted a forum on the issue Tuesday at Illinois State University.

"When you hear 'sex trafficking,' you probably think somewhere overseas, you think of another country, you think of another continent, maybe you even think of a different time in human history," Schock said. "But the sad reality is there are more people enslaved today in the world than at any point in human history."

Schock said 5,042 cases of human trafficking were reported in the U.S. in 2014 and about 140 of those cases were in Illinois. Illinois ranks ninth on the list of states with the highest amount of human trafficking cases.

Tamara Guy, a prevention specialist with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, said 40 percent of the cases in Illinois are outside Chicago.

"Imagine if this were your child, your niece, your nephew, or someone that's very close to you," Guy said. "What would you do?"

Schock asked Shamere McKenzie, a student at Loyola University and CEO of Sun Gate Foundation, a human trafficking survivor-led organization, to speak at the forum about the 18 months she was forced into sex trafficking.

"When I was in 'the life,' I always thought no one cared," McKenzie said. "Sadly, that is still the truth for many who are still enslaved today."

McKenzie said even the smallest bit of information can help authorities track down human traffickers. The National Human Trafficking Hotline number is 888-373-7888.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].