Volusia County lawmaker aims to fight human trafficking

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - High-profile events like the Daytona 500 and the Super Bowl are magnets for thousands of fans every year.

They also bring more sinister activities.

"The trafficking gravitates to large events like the Super Bowl, racing and PGA tournaments," said U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, of District 6.

Human trafficking was the topic at the center of a roundtable discussion hosted by Volusia County Congressman Michael Waltz.

"In the middle of all of that, these traffickers tend to bring girls in, many of them against their will that are being trafficked and they are taken advantage," Waltz said.

He says the crime is adapting to technology as apps like "OnlyFans" get more popular, even with minors.

Waltz wants to get ahead of all of that with legislation.

He also wants to mandate a nationwide study that could change the strip club industry in the area.

"There's really not national data on how much trafficking occurs around adult entertainment sites," Waltz said. "We're going to gather that data with an eye-looking to raise the age from 18 to 21 to be able to participate in adult entertainment for the girls, themselves"

A similar ordinance was passed in the City of Jacksonville last year, but it never went into effect. It's being challenged in court.