A 17-year-old human trafficking victim was rescued by authorities in California earlier this month after she texted 911 asking for help. The unidentified woman texted a dispatcher at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center around 3am on Thursday 9 May.

The California county began allowing people to reach 911 dispatchers via text in 2021, making emergency dispatch services more accessible to people with speech impairments or who can't make phone calls.

( KTLA) – The sheriff’s office in Ventura County, California is highlighting the relatively new ability to text 911 after a Spanish-speaking teen used it to save herself from human trafficking. The girl, 17, was rescued in Casitas Springs in unincorporated Ventura County at about 3 a.m. May 9, officials said in a news release.

The platform was developed by USF researchers as part of its Trafficking in Persons - Risk to Resilience Lab, or TiP Lab. In 2023, the TiP Lab was named the main storehouse in Florida for data related to human trafficking as part of a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — A 17-year-old girl was able to save herself from being trafficked by texting 911. The teenager, who authorities said was a victim of human trafficking, began texting the emergency number with “pleas for help” around 3 a.m. on May 9, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is highlighting the relatively new ability to text 911 after a Spanish-speaking teen used it to save herself from human trafficking. The girl, 17, was rescued in Casitas Springs in unincorporated Ventura County at about 3 a.