TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would require public school students to undergo screenings aimed at identifying children at risk of human trafficking, starting as early as fifth grade.
State Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) introduced the proposal, House Bill 431, which calls for schools to implement a questionnaire designed with help from the University of Toledo. The tool asks students about their lives inside and outside the classroom, with the goal of flagging potential grooming or exploitation.
“It’s unfortunate that we continuously rank in the top five in the nation for juvenile sex trafficking recruitment,” Williams said. He added that Ohio often ranks among the top states nationally for trafficking cases…