Florida currently ranks third highest in the nation for human trafficking cases, just below California and Texas, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The high tourism specifically in the Central Florida area and the I-4 corridor are two of the main reasons experts say the area sees such a high number of cases.

In fact, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families Annual Human Trafficking Report, there was actually an uptick in cases from the previous year's report.

The department cites the Florida Abuse Hotline, which has seen nearly 400 more calls compared to the 2020-2021 report. 

Officials say the numbers are concerning to see, especially for local groups working to end human trafficking.

Christine Commerce, with Catholic Charities of Central Florida, said the group currently operates a human trafficking task force. She said the area could see an increase in numbers after initially seeing them decrease at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“As far as the pandemic goes, what we've seen initially was a decrease in the number of reports locally, but I know Polaris, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, saw an increase in the number of reports and calls to the hotline," she said. "However, local law enforcement saw that initial decrease, just like other cases like child abuse, because those children weren't in school we saw that initial decrease. But now we are seeing an increase in some of these reports and requests for survival assistance." 

Officials with Catholic Charities say the current increase is most likely due to the amount of traveling and tourism that is returning to the area as the economy begins to recover. 

To see those cases rising is worrying to not just people with Catholic Charities, but many others as well — groups like Bikers Against Trafficking.

The adrenaline rush Patrick Nave says he gets when he fires up his motorcycle, is one he's experienced for years. A lifelong motorcycle aficionado, there are few things that bring him more joy than riding on a sunny day, except maybe for his wife Rainey.

His wife who affectionately gave him the biker name “Doc” when they first met, a name dedicated to his Doctorate in American Family Therapy degree. 

That's also another one of his passions, counseling and helping those in need, especially those individuals benefiting from the nonprofit he co-founded with his wife, Bikers Against Trafficking. 

"We’ll present to all DCF employees about human trafficking this fall, about how to heal and recover.”

That healing path, unfortunately, is something Nave says he knows all too well. He and his wife were both trafficked in their younger years.

Thankfully they escaped and received the support they needed to heal, and Nave said that inspired them to go on to share their story and help other victims across the state. 

“We always know we've made a difference, and it is the most exhausting, challenging, fulfilling, and altogether rewarding thing we've ever done," Nave said. 

Part of their work relocating survivors into homes around Central Florida and taking time out of their lives to make a difference for the kids and young adults they take in.

On the day Spectrum News was with them, Patrick and Rainey Nave, and their entire team, were creating Easter baskets for the more than 150 young adults and children Bikers Against Trafficking is currently housing.  

“We really just want to support these kids and let them know they matter and someone does care," Patrick Nave said. 

Since founding Bikers Against Trafficking, they've partnered with more than 500 individuals who have been sex trafficked. So, with the rise in the number of cases being seen in the state and within Central Florida, Nave knows organizations like his are an important part of the work to eradicate sex trafficking. 

“When we started, we had no idea if this would work, it was just a dream and a hope and we wanted to make a difference," Nave said. "But never knew if we could outside just the two of us." 

Currently there are a number of different state and national organizations that run statistics and data for the number of individuals that fall victim to trafficking. Because of the volume of different database information, solid statistics can be difficult to come by. 

Spectrum News spoke with the State Attorney General's Office and officials there said the most recent efforts to centralize reporting have been through the statewide tip line. That line, which is operated via a partnership with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, officially got up and running in December.