West Central PA News

During a special Saturday morning Anti-Human Trafficking Conference held at Mifflin County High School, Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) highlighted an AI-driven tool called Transaction Intercept (TI), which he is working with Street Grace and Pastor Nick Lembo to introduce to Pennsylvania law enforcement.

“It’s really no secret that the Internet is an unparalleled hunting ground where criminal human traffickers savagely prey upon innocent children and minors,” said Dush. He is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 44, unanimously advanced and signed into law as Act 39 of 2023, ensuring sexually exploited child human trafficking victims have access to necessary services for recovery. “Already implemented in 25 states and nearly 80 cities, absolutely free of charge, Transaction Intercept is empowering local law enforcement to shut down the demand side of human trafficking like never before.”

Transaction Intercept identifies potential buyers or “johns” and communicates with them through an artificial intelligence chatbot named Gracie. Developed using predator and victim transcripts from ongoing investigations, text chats from students at local universities, and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Gracie can disrupt tens of thousands of conversations using various adolescent personas.

Once intent to purchase is confirmed, Transaction Intercept sends a warning message to potential buyers and informs them their information has been stored in a permanent file with local law enforcement. Later, it sends links to trauma and therapy resources to aid buyers in seeking help.

“One of our strongest and most gracious allies in combatting Human Trafficking for several years now is Pastor Nick Lembo,” said Dush. “After joining Street Grace, his CEO Bob Rodgers approached Microsoft to develop more powerful AI technology against human trafficking. In approximately six months, with help from around 100 engineers globally, Microsoft delivered a $2 million tool for all levels of law enforcement to crack down on sexual predators via the Internet.”

Dush noted that Transaction Intercept and Gracie are free tools empowering both rural and urban areas to handle threats young children face online daily. A retired law enforcement officer himself, Dush played a key role in securing dedicated state budget funding for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section. He pledged continued support for bipartisan anti-human trafficking initiatives including providing safe harbor for victims and defining pornography as “child sexual abuse materials.”