Ohio Senator Rob Portman met with members of the Northeast Ohio Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Local Law Enforcement and Mercy Health officials in Boardman Friday afternoon.

Portman discussed ongoing efforts to help end the practice of human trafficking in the state.

Recently, Portman and another U.S. Senator introduced bipartisan legislation called the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.

This act is to ensure justice for victims of sex trafficking and ensure websites such as Backpage.com, which knowingly facilitates sex trafficking, can be held liable and brought to justice.

As founder and co-chair of the Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking, Senator Portman has a long record of fighting these types of crime.

Portman authored five federal anti-trafficking laws signed by former president Barack Obama, each designed to make a real difference in better serving victims and helping law enforcement to combat human trafficking. 

Portman says in the last five years, sex trafficking has increased dramatically.

"It's the dark side of the internet. The internet has a lot of benefits. One of the dark sides is that it's incredibly and tragically efficient," said Portman. "So a girl may be asked to perform, 10, 15, 20 acts a day, and it's all because the internet is so efficient. This has changed the dynamic."

A report released at the beginning of this year showed nearly 600 potential human trafficking cases reported in Ohio, making it the fifth highest among all states.

The State Patrol is hoping all citizens will become more aware of human trafficking signs and not hesitate to make a call and report when they see or hear something that doesn't seem right.