How AI Can Strengthen Nebraska’s Fight Against Sex Trafficking — If Used Wisely

I had the opportunity to publish an op-ed in the Nebraska Examiner addressing a critical and often misunderstood topic: how artificial intelligence tools can strengthen law enforcement efforts to combat sex trafficking.

This conversation matters, not in theory, but in real time. Trafficking is happening in Nebraska communities right now, often hidden in plain sight. Survivors rarely come forward immediately. Cases are complex, digital, and increasingly sophisticated. Law enforcement needs tools that can keep pace.

What the Op-Ed Addresses

In my Examiner piece, I focus on how AI-driven tools can help law enforcement identify trafficking patterns that traditional methods often miss. These tools can analyze massive volumes of online ads, financial transactions, travel data, and digital communications, surfacing connections that would otherwise remain buried.

This is not about replacing investigators. It is about equipping them.

When used responsibly, AI can:

• Identify trafficking networks more quickly
• Connect victims to help sooner
• Reduce investigative backlogs
• Strengthen evidence collection for prosecution

Time matters in trafficking cases. Every delay can mean continued exploitation.

Why This Matters for Nebraska

Nebraska sits at a geographic crossroads. Trafficking does not stay confined to large cities or border states. It moves through rural communities, interstate corridors, hotels, online platforms, and temporary housing.

Law enforcement agencies across our state are already under pressure, balancing limited resources with an increasingly complex array of crimes. AI tools can serve as force multipliers, helping officers focus their time where it is most needed.

But technology alone is not the solution.

The Survivor Perspective Cannot Be Optional

As someone who has spent over a decade walking alongside survivors, and as a survivor myself, I want to be clear: technology must never come at the expense of humanity.

AI tools should be paired with:

• Trauma-informed interviewing practices
• Survivor-centered diversion and support pathways
• Strong privacy protections
• Clear ethical guardrails

Data may help identify exploitation, but healing happens through people, safety, and trust.

Without survivor-informed policies, even the most advanced tools risk harming.

Accountability, Ethics, and Oversight Matter

AI in law enforcement raises valid concerns about privacy, bias, and misuse. Those concerns deserve serious attention, not dismissal.

That is why transparency, training, and oversight must be built into any deployment of these tools. Communities should understand how technology is being used, what safeguards are in place, and how rights are protected.

Responsible innovation strengthens trust. Unchecked technology erodes it.

Moving Forward

Nebraska has an opportunity to lead with balance — embracing innovation while remaining grounded in justice, ethics, and the dignity of survivors.

AI can help uncover what traffickers work so hard to hide. But it must always be guided by trained professionals, informed by survivor voices, and anchored in accountability.

If you haven’t yet, I invite you to read the full op-ed published in the Nebraska Examiner here:

Article Here, 👉 AI tools strengthen Nebraska law enforcement’s fight against sex trafficking
https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/20/ai-tools-strengthen-nebraska-law-enforcement-fight-against-sex-trafficking/

These conversations are not abstract. They shape policy, funding, investigations, and ultimately, lives.

At Innocence Freed, we will continue advocating for approaches that protect survivors, strengthen systems, and pursue justice with wisdom and care.

Op-ed and blog written by Julie Shrader, Founder and CEO of Innocence Freed