For safety’s sake, it’s important to know the signs of sex trafficking and for parents – especially – to ensure that children take charge of their own security. That’s what investigator Chandra Cleveland-Jennings told the Capital Rotary Club at its April 17 breakfast meeting. Cleveland-Jennings (shown in photo with Rotarian Frank Rutkowski) heads Columbia Private Investigations & Consultants. She’s also an ambassador for Shared Hope International, helping to improve sex trafficking laws and to train community, business and law enforcement personnel on combatting this type of crime. She noted that Richland and Lexington counties rank first and third, respectively, for sex trafficking in the state. Victims are lured into commercial sexual exploitation by traffickers using force, fraud or coercion. The trauma can be so great that many of those exploited don’t see themselves as victims or won’t ask for help. Cleveland-Jennings began her law enforcement career at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and was the first female to be named “Deputy of the Year” in South Carolina. She’s a graduate of Benedict College and of the SC Criminal Justice Academy.
Apr 172019