This one hour documentary reveals the experience of one young women who was trafficked by her very own parents in the United States. Learn more about how human trafficking is intimately tied to incest and child abuse and how it is possible to escape and heal.
Human Trafficking:
Theresa Flores shares her story of being a child sex slave, which began after she was drugged and raped by a group of men in Detroit.
By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: August 5, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Central Ohioans may feel removed from human trafficking, but sex slavery is happening in Ohio every day.
FAST FACTS:
Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for this underground crime, most notable due to the state’s highway system.
Trafficking puts between 100,000 and 300,000 U.S. children at risk each year.
Human trafficking is the world’s third largest illegal industry, bringing in about $36 billion annually.
The illegal industry claims 12 million sex slaves worldwide.
But there is good news for victims of the crime: a house will soon be available to help women in Central Ohio get back on their feet.
A worn split rail fence borders a piece of property in Northwest Columbus, and it could bring peace to young women worn down from a difficult life.
“My goal right now is to have it open and have the girls by July 1, 2010,“ said Jeff Barrows, executive director of Gracehaven.
Until now, the home for teens exploited in the commercial sex trades had no home.
“They experience trauma. They experience pain. If they’re ready to come out, there’s a lot of help we can give these girls,“ Barrows said.
Within the last month, Gracehaven bought a 9.5-acre property, and the 4,000 square foot home that sits on it will become a group home for up to ten girls who were abused and used in the sex trade.
There are only three homes like Gracehaven in the country.
Barrows admitted that the house needs work, including dismantling a sauna and removing a former Jacuzzi room, but the transformation of the house will mirror the eventual transformation of the home’s residents.
Click here to watch the recent story of commercial sexual exploitation of girls in Columbus featuring an interview with Board member Cliff Treyens.
FBI: Ohio A Hotbed For Teen Sex Slaves
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Teenage girls are being locked in the chains of sexual abuse and forced into prostitution—in Ohio.
The FBI rescued 45 suspected teenage prostitutes on Monday—some as young as 13 years old—as part of a nationwide sweep, NBC 4‘s Mikaela Hunt reported.
Two of the cities involved in the rescue are Toledo and Cleveland. Officials said the bust highlights a growing problem.
Every year, 300,000 American children are at risk of becoming sex slaves. So how prevalent is teenage prostitution in Central Ohio and what’s being done to help the victimized girls?
FBI agents are trying to rescue kids who are caught up in prostitution—and Ohio is right in the middle of the investigation.
From the streets in Houston to Cleveland, Operation Cross County uncovered the trend of underage women forced into prostitution.
After the teenagers are processed, most of them are put into the custody of local child protection agencies. That’s where Gracehaven in Central Ohio comes in.
“We are getting calls already from out of state. They’re wondering if we can take girls in. It’s that desperate,“ said Cliff Treyens, a Gracehaven volunteer.
Treyens has been working with others to get a secure house built in Central Ohio for the teen sex slaves.
The FBI in Central Ohio said Toledo is currently a real hotbed for the activity, but hasn’t seen a lot of action in Columbus.
Treyens said it’s in Central Ohio—but it’s not on the radar of law enforcement.
“Our hope is that this will shed more light on what’s going on in Columbus and Central Ohio,“ Treyens said.
Gracehaven is still waiting to buy a piece of property and is looking for a cosigner to make that happen.
Here is the latest update on the MSNBC special. Up until now, we’ve been in the dark on a couple of things like exactly what the special would be entitled. We’ve just found out that the MSNBC show is going to be calledSex Slaves: The Teen Trade. Here is the followup: “A crime that was once thought only to happen abroad, or in lage American cities, has now moved into the suburbs as increasing numbers of teen girls are abucted and sold into sex slavery in a billion dollar, internet-induced business.” It is being shown at 10pm Eastern Standard time on Sunday, February 15th. The other previous shows on the subject will also be shown the same night. Sex Slaves in America at 8pm, Sex Slaves in Suburbia at 9 pm.
Watching this series would give one a very good overview of the entire human trafficking issue in the U.S.
This coming Friday, February 13th, Theresa Flores who is Director of Development for Gracehaven, will be appearing on the Today Show. The exact time of her appearance is unknown, so at this point we are telling people some time between 7 & 9 AM EST. The purpose of the appearance is to promote an MSNBC Special entitled “Sex Slaves:The Teen Trade” which is being shown Sunday evening, February 15th at 10 PM. Please watch or record both specials!
We are so excited to help these young women, but we need your help! We would love if you became a supporter of our work by donating. We appreciate it!
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