• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Digital News Updates
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business

Gianforte, Knudsen Highlight Efforts During Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January 4, 2025

Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Governor Greg Gianforte marked Human Trafficking Prevention Month by urging Montanans to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report any suspected activity to combat the crime.

Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, involves traffickers—often tied to organized criminal networks—exploiting adults or children for labor or commercial sex.

In 2024, the Montana Department of Justice tackled 129 human trafficking-related cases, opening 21 investigations and submitting many for prosecution. The department also conducted four targeted operations in Missoula, Miles City, Helena, and Bozeman. These operations resulted in eight arrests for patronizing a prostitute, two individuals charged with sex trafficking and money laundering, and the recovery of several survivors.

Progress in combatting trafficking has been bolstered by House Bill 112, legislation drafted and supported by Knudsen’s office during the 2023 Legislative Session. The law increased penalties for traffickers and those purchasing sex, expanded the definition of human trafficking, and provided prosecutors with additional tools to pursue cases. It has also strengthened efforts to combat the sexual exploitation of children and other vulnerable victims.

Attorney General Knudsen has also prioritized awareness and education. In 2024, his office launched a human trafficking prevention curriculum aimed at Montana students, featuring insights from survivors and investigators. Additionally, Knudsen has enhanced training for county attorneys, Montana Highway Patrol officers, and cadets at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.

In 2025, Knudsen will co-host the GRIT Conference in Bozeman, bringing together experts from across the Rocky Mountain region to address rural challenges and discuss strategies for combating trafficking and exploitation.

Governor Gianforte also proclaimed January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month and January 11, 2025, as Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Montana. The proclamation underscores the state’s commitment to ending this “despicable crime” and holding traffickers accountable.

Montana officials continue to call on residents to remain vigilant, educate themselves about the signs of human trafficking, and report suspicious activity to help protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.

By: DNU staff

Filed Under: News

Related Articles:

  • Max Baucus Institute Announces 2025 Baucus Leader Scholars
  • Flathead Lake to Peak Below Full Pool This Summer
  • Montana Ranks Third Nationally for Lowest Unemployment
  • Commerce Awards $23.7 Million in Coal Endowment Grants to 39 Communities
  • Brown Announces New Executive Leadership Appointments in Auditor’s Office
  • Gallatin College MSU’s online courses expand to meet nontraditional student needs

Primary Sidebar

Digital News Updates Logo

Recent News Posts

  • Zinke Nominates 15 Western Montana Projects for Federal Funding Totaling $64.6 Million
  • Wyoming DEQ Releases 2024 State of the Environment Report
  • Brown Announces New Executive Leadership Appointments in Auditor’s Office
  • Commerce Awards $23.7 Million in Coal Endowment Grants to 39 Communities

Recent Politics Posts

  • Little Appoints Brendon Taylor as District Judge for Idaho Seventh Judicial District
  • Daines, Zinke Lead Bipartisan Effort to Combat Drug Trafficking in Tribal Communities
  • Sheehy’s Bipartisan Wildfire Bill Heads to President Trump’s Desk
  • Knudsen Praises SCOTUS Unanimous Ruling for U.S. Gun Manufacturers

Recent Business Posts

  • Clearwater Properties Honors Top-Producing Agents of 2024 Across the Mountain West
  • Bridger Aerospace Inks $46 Million Sale-Leaseback Deal t
  • Stock Market Rides Wave of Tech Gains and Trade Hopes Amid Weekly Swings
  • Poll: College not preparing students for workforce, managers avoid hiring them

Copyright © 2025 Digital News Updates, All Rights Reserved.