AG Van Hollen wants to fight child trafficking

Initiative included in budget request

MADISON, Wis. — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen wants to fight child trafficking in the next year.

He told the State Journal he wants to hire five full-time employees, including three special agents and two criminal analysts, who would work to fight child sex trafficking.

In addition, he said he wants to hold more training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim and witness coordinators and to work with lawmakers to draft human trafficking-related legislation.

Van Hollen asked for more than $900,000 as part of his department’s two-year budget request.

Gov. Scott Walker’s spokesman Cullen Werwie said the governor’s office is reviewing it.

Van Hollen’s spokeswoman Dana Brueck said the department doesn’t have statistics on the scope of the problem in Wisconsin. But she said it would naive to think it isn’t happening.