About


Background & Purpose


Human Trafficking Data (HTD) is an open-source, searchable database of federally prosecuted human trafficking cases in the United States that fills an important empirical gap in research on human trafficking. HTD represents a valid and reliable data source on human trafficking that:

  • Makes available the full corpus of federally prosecuted human trafficking cases in the U.S.;
  • Codes each case; and
  • Analyzes the aggregate data

Principal Investigators


Vanessa Bouché, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Texas Christian University. Dr. Bouché has been a principal investigator on several federally-funded human trafficking projects from the Department of Justice and USAID totaling over $800,000. She has developed databases of human trafficking prosecutions in the U.S. and India, conducted public opinion research on human trafficking in the U.S., Moldova, and Albania, and designed and deployed trauma informed surveys with survivors of human trafficking in the U.S. and Honduras.​ Dr. Bouché has consulted for the National Opinion Research Center, Thorn, McCain Institute, Amber Alert, Justice Research and Statistics Association, among others. She has been an invited speaker by dozens of organizations locally and globally, including the United States Consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata. She serves on the Board of Directors for two anti-trafficking organizations in the DFW area and has published research in a variety of scholarly outlets.


Professor Bridgette Carr is the founding director of the University of Michigan Law School's Human Trafficking Clinic, the first clinical law program solely devoted to addressing this issue comprehensively. The clinic has provided free legal services to victims since 2009, supporting the wide-ranging needs of all types of individuals victimized by a range of trafficking crimes. Professor Carr is working with university partners around the world to develop similar programs, and has helped establish university law clinics in Mexico, Ethiopia, and Brazil. She is the lead author of the first casebook on human trafficking law and policy, which examines the cross-section of criminal justice, civil and human rights, immigration, and international law that frames these issues. Professor Carr regularly provides human trafficking training to law enforcement, government officials, and healthcare providers, as well as consultations to state and national authorities on the issue of human trafficking.

Research Analysts


Dr. Tomi Grover directs TraffickStop, an initiative to educate, advocate, and engage people on human trafficking. She is a certified instructor for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and provides advanced human trafficking training to various law enforcement and government agencies. Dr. Grover has served on the Office of the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force in Texas since January 2010. She currently serves as an adjunct professor for Dallas Baptist University and LeTourneau University.


Ushree Roy has over fourteen years of experience in international development. She has worked on a number of research projects related to human trafficking, capacity development, child protection, women’s empowerment, and renewable energy. Roy was a co-partner of a non-governmental organization in India that helped NGOs design plans to implement social programs and evaluate success. She spent almost a decade in working with Indian government agencies at various levels, including as the District Child Protection Officer for the Government of West Bengal. Roy has a MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and an MBA in personnel management from Jadavpur University in India.​