Candlelight Vigil Held At OK Capitol For Human Trafficking Victims

Dozens of people gathered at the state capitol for a candlelight vigil on Friday. Their mission was to raise awareness and shed light on the dark and sinister world of human trafficking.

They gathered at the south steps of the capitol, holding battery-operated candles and donning blue ribbons in a show of solidarity. They want the public to know that human trafficking doesn't just happen in other places. It happens right here in Oklahoma.

Jaray Wilson and Carina Saunders are two of the young women recently linked to the disturbing world human trafficking. But there are many faces we will never see.

Some girls are lured into this world of forced prostitution by a friend or family member, even their own parents. Many at the vigil say human traffickers are targeting younger and younger girls; some as young as 12 or 13 years old.

Now a task force has been created here in Oklahoma to fight the problem, and many of those task force members came out to the gathering to educate people on what they can do to help.

The SkyDance Bridge over Interstate 40 is blue in honor of Friday-night's vigil. January is human trafficking awareness month.