Contact: Nathan Lederman 508-584-8120
BROCKTON – This past year, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office helped victims and victims’ families across our community with its specialized units and task forces centered on persistent issues like human trafficking, domestic violence and child abuse.
“While my office is built on its ability to prosecute criminals and bring justice to victims, our commitment to Plymouth County doesn’t begin and end inside a courtroom,” Plymouth County DA Tim Cruz said. “We are focused year-round on combating societal ills through office task forces and units specially designed to aid victims and stamp out crime at its source. I am proud of my office’s efforts in 2025 to fight against heinous acts like child abuse and human trafficking and promise we will continue that fight in the new year.”
The Plymouth County Human Trafficking Task Force (PCHTTF) is a multi-disciplinary coalition of local and federal law enforcement, victim service providers, and community organizations that are dedicated to improving the response to human trafficking in Plymouth County. The Task Force seeks to combat human trafficking through multi-disciplinary collaboration and coordination, community education and outreach, comprehensive victim services, and offender accountability.
This past year, the PCHTTF hosted 16 trainings with nearly 550 people in attendance. Those who received training to spot signs of human trafficking include members of local chambers of commerce, Greater Brockton Health Alliance members, ESL adult students, local emergency department nurses, juvenile probation employees, and members of the Commonwealth’s Department of Children and Families and Department of Mental Health. The PCHTTF also had 30 referrals in 2025 to service providers specially trained to handle human trafficking cases.
Another coveted resource of the PCDAO’s is our office’s Children Advocacy Center (CAC). Housed in Plymouth, the CAC focuses on helping children who have been abused
navigate the traumas and difficulties that come from victimization and works to help them, and their families, move forward while also aiding them in their pursuit of justice. In 2025, the CAC served 734 victims and handled 201 child sexual exploitation cases (CSEC) — a 27 percent increase in CSEC cases from the year before. Professionals at the CAC noted they have seen a rise in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases, particularly a rise in AI generated CSAM and sextortion.
In an effort to combat child abuse, the CAC hosted 32 training events in 2025 where over 800 individuals attended sessions focused on spotting signs of child abuse and handling these sensitive cases. Attendees included law enforcement personnel, Department of Children and Families staff, teachers, community service providers, parents and students.
Our office also aims to combat domestic violence through our Domestic Violence Unit, which is one of three separate units within the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office’s Family Protection Division. This unit works with several local agencies including the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Children and Families and hosts regular meetings throughout the calendar year. In 2025, the PCDAO Domestic Violence Unit reviewed the cases of 42 defendants and compiled an active list of 40 persons of interest in alleged cases of domestic violence with the goal of preventing further abuse.
DA Cruz said, “The PCDAO is committed to its continued battle against heinous crimes like Human Trafficking, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. We are proud to help our community fight back against those who prey upon our neighbors, and we are committed to maintaining the vigilance and drive we had in 2025 throughout this coming year.”
More information about the PCDAO’s specialized units can be found on our website at PlymouthDA.com.