An Indiana child advocate says the state doesn't have a strong enough network of services to help victims of sex and labor trafficking.
Indiana Youth Services Association CEO Robin Donaldson headlined a forum hosted by the Indiana Youth Institute in Greenwood on Thursday.
Donaldson says there were 40 child trafficking investigations in Indiana last year. So far this year, the state has surpassed 30.
Donaldson says about 90 percent of child trafficking cases involve young people under the age of 18 who are being taken and exploited by a parent, guardian or someone they know.
"The real case scenario for many cases in Indiana is youth who is trafficked by a family member," Donaldson says.
She says only 9 percent of such cases involve kids being abducted by strangers.
She says more services are needed to help young people and that signs of a young person in trouble include: kids who have an excessive amount of money or newly bought items, long school absences and signs of physical abuse.
She adds the state needs to continue to punish those who purchase trafficked children and that sentences need to be more harsh.