Child Trafficking: What You Need To Know

January 29, 2022 Riley Sandrell

Originally published: August 2020

Some statistics may have increased or decreased, check out the resources at the bottom of the article to view the most recent statistics.

Human Trafficking is a 150 billion dollar industry.

Only 1% of victims are ever rescued. Out of an estimated 40.3 million victims, 25% of those are children. 2+ million of those children are specifically sex slaves.

Trigger Warnings: Human Trafficking, Slavery & Sex Trafficking, Grooming, Child Abuse, and Rape.

I will warn you that this is a heavy article as the topic is heavy. But we cannot turn away and act like this isn't happening. There is no room for indifference. I encourage you to read this whole thing and to dive into the resources and videos, but I promise you that once you start to learn you will never be able to look back and unsee any of this. I encourage you to take your time and process each section as you can. If you'd like to chat more about this or if you have any questions, I'd me more than happy to have a conversation. This is a subject I am extremely passionate about and my desire is to reach as many as possible. There is so much hope if we choose to fight this one person at a time.

What Constitutes As Human Trafficking?

Sex Trafficking which is defined as the forcing, deceiving or coercing of a person to perform a commercial sex act.

Forced Labor which is defined as forcing a person to work in captivity for little or no pay.

Bonded Labor which is defined as forcing a person to work for low wages to pay back an impossible debt.

Involuntary Domestic Servitude which is defined as forcing a person to work and live in the same place for little or no pay.

Child Soldiers which is defined as forcing a child (under the age of 18) to participate in an armed force.

My Involvement

For those of you who don't know, August 30th was the World Against Trafficking Day. I believe that we need to be talking about these things every day of the year until there aren't any more children or humans at all being trafficked, not just a couple days a year.

Before I dive into some of the statistics and the ways that you can get involved in raising awareness or contributing to the cause itself, let me give you a little background into my story and how I came to be so passionate about ending human slavery.

I have been passionate about this topic since I first learned about the realities of trafficking in high school. I had started research on it in my junior year of high school during one of my first college classes I took when I was pursuing a career as a social worker. It was the first class they have you take and I learned about trafficking, specifically in the foster care system and I read a lot about the stats of trafficked teenagers who run away from the foster care system. It absolutely broke my heart and I couldn't unsee any of it.

My senior year of high school I was approached by a friend of mine who was interested in starting a non-profit organization that would be dedicated to educating high school students on the dangers of trafficking, how easily you can fall prey to it and the realities of the evils in their own neighborhoods. We focused not only on education, but getting high school students involved in educating the community and raising money for organizations doing active work in the communities around us.

During the time I was working with him we hosted several events, participated in community events, held weekly meetings with high school students and raised around $4,000+ for various organizations in our community. We were also able to reach a few groups of middle schoolers because really, that's when online predators really start to come out of the woodwork. It was an incredible time in my life where God broke my heart over and over again with the truth of what was happening in the world, specifically to children. I was able to attend several trainings and coalitions with local government agencies and had a few 1:1 meetings with federal agents who educated us on how to educate the students around us. After we graduated high school, we attempted to pass the work on to younger students who had been training with us, but it eventually died off because we brought a lot of the passion to the table. It was hard to see, but it ended up making a lasting impact on our church groups and there are other organizations that got to step into that role of education when we stepped out, so it truly worked out for the best.

I didn't have many opportunities after high school to get involved and I am still looking for a few, but for now I continue to educate myself and raise awareness where I can. Being pregnant I have specifically been focused on educating myself about the dangers of children being trafficked and the various ways that happens in this day and age. Traffickers are cunning and they are constantly evolving new ways of getting ahold of kids. This isn't just about protecting your children but it's also about being a voice for the children who are hiding in plain sight.

A Few Facts About Trafficking

(Source: O.U.R.'s founder Tim Ballard - former DHS agent)

Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.
There are more people enslaved today than any other time in the history of the world - even when slavery was legal.
There are 30 million slaves in the world. 10+ million of those are children.
17,500 women and children are trafficked INTO the United States every year.
Americans are the #1 producer and consumer of child pornography.
The average trafficked child is victimized 5.4 times per day in the United States.

Examples of Child Trafficking

You see, trafficking isn't just like what you see on TV. Sure, there are evil people that kidnap kids and hold them in basements to be used as sex slaves or to be filmed for child pornography. But let me give you a few examples of real life happenings that you wouldn't necessarily think of.

First you need to know that the average victim enters the sex trafficking industry between the ages of 11 and 14. The lifespan of that victim is usually no more than 7 years upon entering.

There are children who are groomed and molested by teachers, friends, family, coaches and doctors- people they are supposed to be able to trust. It is estimated that 90% of child abuse victims know their abuser. They have pictures taken of them and sold on the internet or shared in groups of pedophiles. These children often do not know how to speak up because they have either been threatened or their family is threatened, they are in the foster care system without anyone advocating for them, they are neglected at home, they are brainwashed into thinking that this attention is "love"- the list goes on. One of these stories is from Theresa Flores who was repeatedly sold and abused by schoolmates. It all started at 15 because she fell head over heels for a boy. A boy her parents banned her from seeing. She lived in a normal house, in a normal neighborhood, went to school and she climbed out her window every night to be brutally raped by groups of men because they threatened to harm her family if she didn't. There were so many red flags and nobody did anything to help her or dig deeper. She was just a child. This was in Michigan, not far from where I grew up. This wasn't some third world country. Just a middle class family in America. This is going on in your backyard. You can read the rest of her story here in her book or watch the video below about the torture and blackmail she endured for two years and how she has now gone on to be an advocate for rescuing trafficked women and children. (Keep in mind that the stats shared in this video are from 2011 and do not reflect current numbers which are exponentially higher 9 years later.)

There are children whose parents, sometimes in the system, sometimes biological, will take photos and videos of them and sell them on the internet. They will sell their children out to parties and for groups of people to molest, rape and torture. Oftentimes the children are so unaware or numb to it that they don't have fear anymore. They shut down. They are given ice cream, treated kindly in public and public drops are made at pools and amusement parks where nobody is going to notice a child switching between adults. They don't kick and scream because they aren't aware that they need to. That is why we must be their voice. Read "Emily's" story from O.U.R Rescue (Operation Underground Railroad). She was SIX MONTHS OLD when she was first listed on Craig's List to be raped. I cannot even type those words out without choking up. Six months old. My baby boy will be six months old in May. Six Months. That breaks me. These are the images and the caption I've put together for the sake of the article, but if you'd like to read it directly from Our Rescue, here is part 1 and part 2.

There are children, often in middle or high school who will be lured in by predators on the internet or even in their communities. They will be groomed and then beaten and broken down and forced to commit sexual acts until one day they realize they have a pimp and they are no longer the owners of their bodies. Sometimes this is as simple as a high school girl just wanting a boyfriend to love her. They are so ashamed that they either don't tell their parents or they run away because they have been so psychologically damaged that they believe that their pimp loves them and is the only one who would ever love them. These children, if they survive long enough, (the average victim's life span is 7 years once they become a victim) often grow up to traffic others themselves, lure more children in or they run away and become sex workers because that's all they know how to do or feel worthy of doing. Listen to Casandra Diamond's story if you need help understanding just how slippery that slope is.

"Getting out is one thing, but staying out is just as hard"

- Casandra Diamond (Ex-sex worker and founding director of BridgeNorth, a survivor-led charitable organization that provides programs to assist victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Canada.)

You can also listen to Karly Church's story.. below is a screenshot (4:25) of the chart that she mapped out of the psychological process that a predator/trafficker takes a victim through in domestic sex trafficking. This is probably one of the best videos I've watched.

There are children, who have no sense of self worth for whatever reason and they run away, seeking love and acceptance. They "consent" through guilt, coercion, or under the influence, but they are underage so the consent is NOT valid anyways, to their bodies being sold and used for pornography. It is estimated that 49% of sexually exploited women reported pornography was made while they were being sold for sex. It is also well known by authorities that "porn is used as a training tool to desensitize trafficked victims to the violence, degradation and humiliation they will endure". The people who own them create fake ID's so that sites like PornHub can continue to utilize them without hesitation. Regardless of what you may have been told, they don't double check those things and they don't care when they are alerted, even from victims, that videos of them being brutally raped and tortured are on there. The Child Rescue Coalition alone has identified 71 million unique IP addresses worldwide sharing and downloading sexually explicit images and videos of children. And to make matters worse, according to the Butner Study Redux, 85% of offenders that view child sexual abuse material are hands on abusers of children. More on that here. Here are also two quotes for some perspective...

“Many girls I met in porn were there trying to escape, survive, regain control of their trauma or please their boyfriends or pimps. Even the “legitimately consensual” porn being watched is often misleading. I hate that ten years later people are still watching my most humiliating and traumatizing moments out of the consent I gave in my TEENS and twenties as an addicted, alcoholic, traumatized young woman running from her dangerous off porn life. I wish “consent” had an expiration.”

- Anonymously submitted to @fightthenewdrug

“I was abused and used in child porn from when I was a baby girl until I was 15. A few weeks ago, videos of me when I was a toddler, in diapers, being raped were uploaded to pornhub. The videos were left up for hours, days... they were monetized with ads.” - Avri Sapir

If you're interested in hearing more testimonies from ex-sex workers about the truth of the industry, click here.

Then there are the children who we see in the tv shows, the ones we picture when we think of trafficking. The ones who have been kidnapped, sold and shipped off to be used as sex workers or child laborers. The children who are kidnapped in their own towns and villages or those who are sold off by their parents to pay off a debt or because they are starving. The ones who unknowingly sell themselves off via work agencies who promise a better life and better jobs. These specific instances occur more in second and third world countries, but if you don't think it's happening in your own backyard, you're sadly mistaken.

There are also the children who are kidnapped or lured in by the elites. They are thrown around at sex parties and rituals, until they're of no use anymore or too old and then they are disposed of. Epstein and his crimes against children is a prime example of this.

I could go on for days of the stories that I have read from victims and their families, but if your stomach is churning as much as mine is from simply reading this, let's get into how you can help make a change.

What Can I Do?

1. Know the Signs

In "Emily's" case, Theresa's case, and the cases of thousands more, if just one person had known the signs and reported when they saw something unusual, those children could have been saved. I will list the signs below but I warn you to be VERY conscious and aware of those around you, especially with masks being the new staple. It is hard enough to have a child in public, let alone with a mask on. Masks covering up the faces of people around you and the children around you suddenly open up a new world of possibility. It's hard enough to spot someone suspicious with a mask on, let alone identify them. If your child has a mask on and got snatched in public, not only is it going to be almost impossible for authorities to identify your child and the perpetrator, but it will be impossible for the general public to help identify them. Elizabeth Smart is a prime example of how face coverings can aid traffickers and abusers. After being kidnapped in 2002 at age 14 out of her bed in Utah she was touted around by her abusers in PUBLIC and at parties and in stores where people KNEW her and her story, but they had her face covered up and so for a year nobody noticed her. There is even a famous photo that was taken of her and her traffickers at a party.

She was rescued in 2003 and 17 years later she is an activist for American Child Safety. Besides the face covering, she showed many of the tell tale signs and if someone would have noticed or said something she could've possibly been rescued much sooner.

If you haven't heard her full story I will link her book here, a full video, or you can listen to a shorter version of her story below.

Do not ever be afraid to say something. If you see a child who seems to be in distress or is exhibiting signs, contact the police. If you listen to the video above, if you get to 10:00 timestamp in the video you will hear why victims never say anything and why it's SO important to report anything suspicious. If you are in a store, find a manager or security officer until the authorities can arrive. Do not approach a child or their potential trafficker. Take down mental notes of the adult with the child, a license plate and car description if you're in a parking lot, take pictures of the scene. Whatever you can do to document what you're seeing. I would so much rather ruin someone's day if I'm wrong than be right and let a child walk away with their abuser because I was too afraid or too busy to say something.

The Signs:

If you'd like to learn more about the signs, O.U.R. (started by former DHS agent, Tim Ballard) has a fantastic one hour training that I did the other day as a refresher. It's free and could save a child's life if you take the time. You can do the training here.

2. Educate Yourself

The media does their absolute best to numb us to what is going on. This is because those who own the MSM companies are often partaking in the atrocities themselves and there is an agenda to make pedophilia a sexual orientation right now. With this being said, be careful to not let yourself fall prey to their "padded", feel good terminology.

My Instagram friend, Sarah Elizabeth, brought this concept to my attention. I added a few additional terms myself.

"Minor Attracted Person" = Pedophile

"Underage" = A Child

"Child Prostitute" = A Child and a Rape Victim

"Non Consensual Sex" = Rape

"Sex with a Minor" = Rape

Do not be fooled by the terminology that is being used to desensitize us to the horrors of what is going on. Be alert.

I will have organizations listed below which are great resources on social media, but also watch documentaries and read podcasts. Follow survivors on social media. Read books. Read up and regularly educate yourself on statistics.

Podcasts:

Red X
Exodus Cry
In Plain Sight
Selling Girls in America (Guardian Group)
Sexploitation?

Books:

Documentaries:

I Am Jane Doe (Amazon)
Jeffery Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix)
Very Young Girls Documentary (Amazon)
Children For Sale Documentary (YouTube)

Statistic Sources:

Ted Talks/Videos:

Other:

Dirty Dozen List 2019 (Major companies who are aiding this industry)
Resources to educate yourself on child sexual exploitation.
Sex Trafficking Terms You Should Know

3. Report. Report. Report.

Social media will be the downfall of pedophiles and traffickers. They can't help themselves. If you come in contact with any kind of content having to do with any person who looks to be under the age of 18, even if it's questionable, report it. There are government agencies and coalitions working to track down these scumbags, the least you can do is hit the report button. If you see something truly disturbing and you know the person or know of them through someone else, call the non-emergency line or a local trafficking hotline and report what you know. Five minutes out of your life could potentially save a child's life.

- A21 Trafficking Hotlines (Scroll to the bottom of the page for your country's information.)

- America's National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888

- More Signs & 3 Tip Hotlines

4. Be Proactive In Protection

Ready for a few gut wrenching facts?

According to Phone Spector...

1 in 5 U.S. teens have received sexual solicitations online
77% of children have been targeted by online predators
Only 25% of children told their parents about being approached for online sexual favors.

I can heartbreakingly admit I can check all three of those boxes.

Talk to your friends and family, especially those with kids about what is going on. Educate them about the signs and what they can do to protect their children. Just knowing what to look for with your own kids is important because no one is ever completely safe. Some of the worst cases are often within a family or a group of friends or with someone you would think you can trust. Do not be frivolous with internet usage. Predators are everywhere, in children's apps, on children's YouTube channels, in the children's Facebook messaging platform- everywhere.

Do not rely simply on child locks and apps.
Be proactive in talking to your children about things they need to look out for and be aware of.
Do not allow for loads of unmonitored screen time.
Do not tag the locations where you often are with your children. (Churches, parks, stores, etc.)
Do not post your address online (especially when selling things on platforms like Facebook or Craig's List.)
Do not post pictures of your children when you're on vacation, post them after you're home.
Do not ever post the location of your child's school or reveal when drop off/pick up is.

Maybe you think that living that way is being paranoid, but I assure you that the thousands of parents whose children have gone missing or been preyed on or whose had pictures of their children sold on the internet would tell you that they never thought it could happen to them until it did. Be very aware of who your kids are talking to on the internet and the content they are watching, especially on apps like Kik, What's App, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and SnapChat. Be aware of the pornography and tutorials that are available on TikTok and SnapChat and the things people will ask your kids to do in return for likes, shoutouts and followers.

To a child, their only focus is popularity, being understood and feeling loved. These predators know that and will often show up in the form of other kids their age or will damper down their age by doing "funny" things or participating in trends to get your children to trust them. Shane Dawson is a good (but bad) example of a YouTuber who creates content for children but often speaks on his attraction to them. As a parent, unless you’re listening to all of his content, you wouldn’t know this. His videos are targeted and even advertised by YouTube towards kids because of the content and his demeanor, but his underlying message and intentions are not appropriate or pure. Know what your kids are watching and who they’re listening to. Be aware. Be proactive and realize that it can happen to anyone at any time. Do not allow your children to meet up with people from the internet and if your gut tells you something is off about someone they are wanting to hang out with, listen to it.

From my own personal experience, I cannot tell you how many stupid things I did as a teenager and as a middle schooler that my parents did not know about. The random people I talked to on the internet, who I shared things with, some of which I KNOW were predators because of things that came out in conversation and lies I caught them in. I thank God I didn't meet up with a few of them who I almost did when I was out of state on trips. I didn't FaceTime any of them that wanted me to and that God protected me the way that He did. And I truly believe that He did so that I can tell people about how easy it is to get wrapped up on the internet.

Predators are SO very good at what they do and sometimes will stop at nothing until they get what they want. Your children, as smart and even as old as they are, they need you to protect them and educate them. They will always find a way if you simply take it away or say no, so education is a must! I cannot tell you the amount of conversations I've had with high schoolers, middle schoolers and sadly, recently, even elementary schoolers who have been preyed on. They didn't realize what was happening or they had a bad feeling or they were asked to send nudes or videos because that person had them convinced they loved them and in some higher up places (through YouTube/Instagram/TikTok) that they would make them famous if they just did what they asked. These are intelligent, amazing kids who just wanted attention and to feel truly loved and understood. And as someone who is about to be a mother to a child in a generation that will never know anything other than smartphones and the internet, I am terrified. Because I was a bit more protected than this next generation will be. So please, don't live in fear, but be proactive, educate your friends and your kids and be aware.

Here are four great articles for parents or teachers from the Child Rescue Coalition. If you are interested in learning more about how to protect your children, I recommend checking them out.

The Truth About TikTok: Online Safety Tips For This Top App

6 Signs Your Child Is Being Targeted By A Predator

Investigators Share 6 Steps Predators Take To Groom Kids Online

What To Do When A Child Predator Contacts Your Child

5. Volunteer, Donate or Share Content

Here is an extensive list of organizations that are doing great work. Some of them you can donate supplies to for the rescue and rehabilitation of rescued victims or you can donate your time or money. You can also share content or volunteer at their events.

Exodus Cry

Fight The New Drug

The Demand Project

All Worthy of Love (I've personally worked with them and they were the first organization we donated proceeds to via 6:8.)

The SOAP Project (Theresa Flores' Amazing Organization)

OUR Rescue (Operation Underground Railroad)

Project Rescue Children (Australia)

Child Rescue Coalition

A21

National Center on Sexual Exploitation

The End It Movement

Guardian Group