The Human Trafficking Institute has released its 2020 state report tallying federal human trafficking cases that are underway in the D.C. region.

As of 2020, among the 33 active cases around the D.C. region, seven sex trafficking cases were in the District of Columbia involving 12 defendants.

Maryland had 16 sex trafficking cases, 21 defendants and one forced labor case with one defendant. Two people were convicted for sex trafficking and one person was convicted for forced labor.

The count in Virginia was eight active cases of sex trafficking, involving 24 defendants and one case of forced labor with three defendants. There were six people convicted of sex trafficking in Virginia in 2020.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was enacted in 2000, making human trafficking a federal crime.

The Fairfax, Virginia-based institute reviews federal criminal and civil cases to come up with the number of human trafficking cases, including sex trafficking and forced labor.