Human trafficking remains one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, and North Carolina is among the states most affected, according to local officials and advocacy groups.
Cumberland County has reported some of the highest numbers of human trafficking cases in the state, a problem officials attribute to its location along Interstate 95 and the presence of nearby Fort Bragg, which brings a large, transient population to the area.
“Cumberland County is a hotbed for human trafficking, and there’s a number of reasons for that,” said John Webster, executive director of the Child Advocacy Center…