The Zone 7 Hall of Fame! Maurice Edwards on Fighting Human Trafficking: The Victim-First Approach

Human trafficking investigations rarely look like abduction stories, and the biggest failures often start with a single mistake: mislabeling the victim. In this Hall of Fame Series installment of Zone 7, Sheryl McCollum is joined by Maurice Edwards, a 2023 National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame inductee. Together, they clarify what trafficking looks like in the United States, explain why prosecutors and victim advocates belong in the earliest stages of an investigation, and challenge the language and assumptions that can derail a case. Sheryl and Maurice emphasize a victim-first standard: when a child is being bought and sold, the work begins with protection and recovery. Highlights: • (0:00) Sheryl McCollum introduces Maurice Edwards and his career in missing-child and child sex trafficking investigations • (2:15) Maurice’s current role supporting child sex trafficking investigations at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children • (3:45) What drew Maurice to trafficking work through missing-child cases and pattern recognition • (6:45) The first trafficking case, first convictions, and the task force model that followed • (9:00) Why prosecutors must be embedded early to build cases that survive court • (11:00) Legal precision at the scene, and why Sheryl insists a teamwork mindset makes cases stronger • (13:45) Misconceptions that derail trafficking cases and why language shapes how  victims are treated • (18:45) The cases that stay with Maurice: child deaths, coercion, and forced substance abuse tied to exploitation • (21:25) Carrying the work home: Maurice on emotional boundaries and staying steady in child sex-crime investigations • (28:30) Technology’s role in trafficking and the investigative reality of criminals adapting to new tools • (32:15) Practical ways the public can support prevention and a victim-first response • (33:15) The comparison that exposes the double standard in how minors are treated in commercial sex settings • (38:00) Closing reflections on service, humility, and credit not being the goal Guest Bio: Maurice Edwards is a law enforcement leader specializing in child sex-trafficking investigations and missing and endangered child recoveries. He is currently a supervisor with the Child Sex Trafficking Team at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, supporting agencies with analytical support, operational planning, training, and investigative awareness. He has received multiple professional honors, including the Polaris Star Award, Florida Intelligence Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, the Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Award, and 2023 induction into the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame. Enjoying Zone 7? Leave a rating and review where you listen to podcasts. Your feedback helps others find the show and supports the mission to educate, engage, and inspire. Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a Metro Atlanta Police Department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than 4 decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023. Social Links: • Email: [email protected] • Twitter: @ColdCaseTips • Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum • Instagram: @officialzone7podcast Preorder Sheryl’s upcoming book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Lessons in Life, Justice, and Joy from a Forensic Scientist, releasing May 2026 from Simon and Schuster. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Swans-Dont-Swim-in-a-Sewer/Sheryl-Mac-McCollum/9798895652824  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.