Special Investigations Detective awarded for work combating human trafficking
NORMAN, Okla. (KFOR) - A Cleveland County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Special Investigations division has earned national recognition for work combating Human Trafficking.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Austin Buonasera was awarded the 2023 BE THE ONE award at the North American Human Trafficking Conference in Las Vegas. The honor, which is presented by the Human Trafficking Training Center (HTTC), is inspired by what investigators and HTTC educators have learned from survivors of trafficking. Named in honor of Meghan Connors, the award’s purpose is to inspire law enforcement to be the positive change, or the one who makes a difference in the fight against human trafficking.
“I had the honor of standing beside Meghan Connors to present the BE THE ONE award to
Detective Buonasera,” said Dan Nash, Founder of the HTTC. “Detective Buonasera was
instrumental in the identification of five human trafficking victims so far this year, ages 12-15,
and the arrest of several suspects. When we talk about being the one, he definitely represents
who that is.”
Cleveland County Sheriff authorities applaud Detective Buonasera, who pursued a position in the special investigations division because he felt he could make a significant impact there, said the award, for him, signifies an appreciation for a collaborative effort to seek justice.
“This award brings recognition to the hard work our team is doing to combat human trafficking
and child exploitation in Cleveland County and the state as a whole,” he said.
Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason, who recently initiated an online Human Trafficking
Awareness Campaign for December, expressed pride in Buonasera's diligent efforts and
commitment to addressing this critical issue.
“I’m extremely proud of my detectives for their dedication to combating human trafficking,
which poses a significant and escalating challenge, right here in Oklahoma and beyond,”
Amason said. “Since Detective Buonasera completed this training in 2022, he has led a number
of investigations into human trafficking, resulting in the successful rescue of multiple victims.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking “involves compelling or
coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion
can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is
human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.”
Trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to more than 20
million people worldwide.