DALLAS — Dallas County District Attorney candidate Eric Reed is calling for a coordinated response to human trafficking that targets those who recruit, control and exploit people while strengthening the support survivors need to escape abuse. Reed’s priorities include investigating sex trafficking and forced labor, building cases against those who knowingly profit from exploitation and improving coordination among prosecutors, law enforcement and survivor-service organizations.
“Traffickers profit by stripping people of their freedom, threatening them and their families and making them believe there is no way out,” Reed said. “We must follow the money, dismantle the operations and prosecute everyone who knowingly profits from forced labor and sexual exploitation. Our response must be relentless in pursuing those responsible and equally committed to protecting the people they exploit.”
Build Cases That Reach Beyond the First Arrest
Reed would emphasize early coordination between prosecutors and investigators to identify the people directing trafficking operations, handling their finances and knowingly facilitating abuse. Investigations would examine financial transactions, digital communications, business records and other corroborating evidence. Cases crossing jurisdictional boundaries would require coordination with neighboring counties and state and federal partners. “An arrest should be the beginning of the investigation into an operation, not the end,” Reed said. “We need to establish who is exercising control, where the money is going and who else is being exploited.”
Reduce the Burden on Survivors
Reed would prioritize building cases supported by independent evidence rather than placing the entire weight of a prosecution on a survivor’s testimony. His approach would include appropriate interview practices, consistent communication and coordination with advocates to reduce unnecessary repetition of traumatic accounts. Prosecutors would assess threats, coercion and safety concerns throughout a case. “Survivors should not have to carry a prosecution on their backs,” Reed said. “We must do the investigative work, explain the process clearly and take threats against them seriously.”
Connect Safety With Housing, Treatment and Practical Help
Reed would support partnerships that connect survivors with safe housing, medical care, counseling, legal assistance and help obtaining identification and other essential documents. Traffickers typically confiscate their victims’ identification documents, making it harder to escape, secure housing or employment, and rebuild their live He would also emphasize access to qualified interpreters and services responsive to a survivor’s age, circumstances and needs. “Getting away from a trafficker can mean leaving behind shelter, transportation and every source of financial support,” Reed said. “A referral alone is not enough if a person has nowhere safe to sleep. Our partners must help turn an offer of assistance into an actual path to safety.”
Distinguish Exploitation From Criminal Responsibility
Reed said prosecutors must carefully examine whether someone accused of an offense acted under a trafficker’s coercion. Charging decisions should reflect the evidence and the person’s role, including whether that person was being exploited. He would also support training to help prosecutors recognize trafficking indicators in cases initially presented as other offenses. “We must identify the people directing and profiting from abuse while recognizing when someone in front of us is a victim of that abuse,” Reed said. “That requires judgment, preparation and a willingness to examine the full circumstances.”
Make Accountability a Leadership Responsibility
Reed would expect clear responsibility for trafficking cases, supervisory attention to delays and coordination with investigators and service providers. “Human trafficking cases demand sustained work,” Reed said. “I will expect prosecutors to pursue the evidence, communicate with survivors and build cases strong enough to hold traffickers accountable.”
About Eric Reed
Eric Reed is a declared write-in candidate for Dallas County District Attorney with more than 30 years of criminal-law experience as a prosecutor and trial lawyer.
Media contact: press@writeinreed.com