“Across the globe, hundreds of thousands of children are sexually exploited yearly.<\/p>\n
Locally, forensic experts work behind the scenes to combat those crimes. One example is an ongoing partnership between the West Virginia State Police Digital Forensics and Marshall University Forensic Science teams and Operation Underground Railroad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In 2017-18, Marshall students helped with the rescue of nearly 40 child trafficking victims and the arrest of 10 suspected traffickers in Latin America, the Caribbean and southeast Asia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
While the partnerships have been successful, the growth of the forensic field in the area left employees of the West Virginia State Police Digital Forensics Lab, located at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center\u2019s annex, packed into a 600-square foot space while trying to save lives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
That is until Operation Underground Railroad \u2014 a team that brings together former CIA, Navy SEALs, and Special Ops agents to help combat human trafficking and exploitation \u2014 donated $150,000 toward an 800-square foot expansion of the lab. The expanded space will help accommodate Marshall students completing internships with the state police.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n