Revd Dr Carrie Pemberton-Ford from the Cambridge Centre for Applied Research on Human Trafficking was speaking on Premier's News Hour after the National Crime Agency revealed the number of Britons identified as victims of human trafficking soared by more than 50% last year.
The report showed that social media and smartphone apps were being used by traffickers to recruit British nationals to sexually exploit them, while some victims were being "controlled" by drugs and alcohol.
A total of 3,309 people, including 732 children, were identified as potential victims of human trafficking in the UK, a 21% increase on the previous year.
They included 300 Britons, up 55% on 2013, while the UK remained the most prevalent country of origin for potential child victims of human trafficking with 116 cases.
Revd Dr Carrie Pemberton-Ford told Premier's News Hour: "We reckon as a research institution we're talking about anything around 15,00 to 20,000 people caught in the nexus in Britain today who go under the radar.
"People are being groomed and coerced through mobile phone use and the internet, and I think .... it's important they're [parents] aware their own youngsters are aware they could be caught up."
Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speak to Revd Dr Carrie Pemberton-Ford here:
