By HEATHER WALTERS
Two new people have been appointed to the Lowcountry Human Trafficking Task Force.
JoJo Woodward and Michelle Fraser will now lead the task force, which is one of nine regional task forces under the S.C. Human Trafficking Task Force. The state task force is lead by the S.C. Attorney General’s Office.
The Lowcountry Human Trafficking Task Force includes Colleton County and other nearby counties, including Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton and Allendale counties. The task force also includes active members from the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and other area agencies, including clergy, victim service providers, non-profit groups, healthcare professionals and civic organizations.
“Our No. 1 goal is to be a useful and valued resource for our community,” said Woodward, who is an investigator for the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitors’ office. The solicitor’s office is the chief prosecuting agency for several area counties, including Colleton. “We want to aid in the prevention of, protection from and prosecution of those who profit from human trafficking,” he said.
Woodward has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience and is a member of the Solicitor’s Office Career Criminal Unit, according to information provided by the solicitor’s office.
Fraser also oversees day-to-day operations of the solicitor’s office Victims Services Center.
She has been a solicitor’s office Victim Advocate for more than 15 years and is also a veteran with the U.S. Marine Corps.
According to data from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office, there are no current human trafficking cases in Colleton County.
Horry County is listed as the number one county in South Carolina for human trafficking.
