DOJ taps prosecutor to coordinate human trafficking, child exploitation cases

Washington — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday appointed Alessandra Serano, a longtime federal prosecutor, to serve as the Justice Department's national coordinator on human trafficking and child exploitation cases. Serano has worked in various roles at the Justice Department on and off since 2003, including as a prosecutor in the Southern District of California, the Virgin Islands and, most recently, the Eastern District of Virginia. She has been serving as a senior counsel to the deputy attorney general, and recently completed a temporary assignment with the Senate Judiciary Committee. As national coordinator, Serano will be responsible for overseeing efforts across the Justice Department and other federal agencies to investigate and prosecute human trafficking and child exploitation crimes. The role also entails working with the Office of Justice Programs, which awards grant money to victims services organizations that work directly to assist crime victims and local law enforcement. "Ending human trafficking and the exploitation of children has been and remains one of the highest priorities of the Department of Justice," Acting Attorney General Blanche said in a statement. "With today's appointment of Ali Serano, we are sending a clear and unmistakable message to predators: we are coming for you," he added. Human trafficking and child exploitation cases are prosecuted out of the Justice Department's 93 U.S. Attorney's Offices. …