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Council recognizes Human Trafficking Prevention Month; Uprising presenter details local trends
Summary
Council read a proclamation designating January 2026 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Terry Markham of Uprising described non‑familial, familial and online trafficking patterns in Wyoming and urged education and reporting; a public commenter linked a local suicide to online exploitation.
The City Council recognized January 2026 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month and heard a detailed briefing from Terry Markham of Uprising on trafficking trends and prevention efforts.
Mayor Bridger introduced the proclamation and Terry Markham read its text, noting that trafficking occurs in both labor and sexual exploitation forms, affects victims regardless of background, and that youth are especially at risk. Markham described three common presentations seen in Wyoming: non‑familial trafficking (demand-driven online ads and circuits), familial trafficking (family members exploiting relatives), and online-based exploitation including sextortion. He said Uprising has reached "over 7,000 youth" and conducted more than 1,000 awareness events and trainings; he also cited that the state's Internet Crimes Against Children task force had over 1,600 cyber tips in 2025.
Markham cautioned that sextortion is widespread among youth and said from a sample of about 4,000 youth surveyed through Uprising "it's 1 in 10 have reported experiencing sextortion already." He urged community conversations, training, and use of local resources, noting that Uprising uses GPET funds for youth prevention in Sheridan County.
During public comment, Mindy Garner said a nearby 16-year-old neighbor had committed suicide and that the death was "computer aided," urging the city and community to address related harms. Garner also raised street-maintenance and police-interaction concerns.
Council thanked Markham for the presentation and had no further action on the proclamation beyond recognition and encouragement to continue prevention work.
