Human trafficking is something that most people do not think about in Florida, but the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said it's a real problem.

?It's a terrible term, but common in trade,? said Lt. Mike Eson, of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. ?They target 'throw away kids,' repeat runaways who made bad decisions, (and) get hooked on drugs.?

Human trafficking is a huge problem in Florida and in the United States. Kids that society cast off get abducted and exploited often sexually, seemingly with no way out of the lifestyle. It's a crime that the public might not hear a lot about because the victims often tend to be forgotten.

?Those are the ones that society as a general rule would not go after like the Haleigh Cummings case,? Eson said.

Eson and Crystal Freed chair the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force that's hosting a large gathering in San Marco Saturday to let the community know that this type of thing happens, and what to look for.

?If you see a large number of people confined to an area, led by one person, and no one can have contact, that would be an indicator,? said Eson.

Sometimes these young people are forced into prostitution, and often when they're arrested, JSO looks to see if there's more to the crime.

?They know not to prosecute these things as prostitution,? Freed said. ?Look beneath our surface and help protect our victims.?

Marvin Madkins made headlines in 2008 in Jacksonville when he was indicted for bringing two minors to Jacksonville from Virginia. Prosecutors say the children were going to be forced to be child prostitutes when they came to Jacksonville.

Many times kids who have been molested as children are easy targets. Another group tends to be young people from other countries.

?If they are international, they're isolated, don't know our culture or how to get help,? Eson said.

The first-ever Stop Child Trafficking Walk in Jacksonville will start at 8:15 a.m. in San Marco Square with a news conference by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the FBI.