Sex trafficking. Wait - don't click away from this page. I know it's not something you really want to think about. I understand, I felt this way at first too. It's easier to look away and pretend that it doesn't exist. If you pretend it doesn't exist you can go back to your world where everything is okay, where people are good and evil doesn't exist. Go on with your everyday. Complete your to-do's. What's for dinner. Check your email. Scroll your social media. Tune it out. Be numb to it. Like I was. Because it's heavy. It's disgusting. No one wants to think of the horrors that exist. But the reality is that IT IS HAPPENING. And when a whole nation and world of people are not acknowledging it's prevalence - we are enabling it to happen instead of helping to solve the problem. For me, ignorance was bliss for a long time. But being ignorant has never solved anything.
My journey with sex trafficking started in college.
My senior year I had to write a 10 page paper on child trafficking for my Women's Studies class. That semester changed me. I had no idea how widespread and common child sex trafficking was. Mind you, this was 17 years ago - and things HAVEN'T gotten better. I was so disgusted. I told everyone about what I had learned. But it seemed no one wanted to believe it or talk about it. I was so traumatized from learning about it that I decided to not to follow through with my plan of going to grad school to get my K-12 counseling degree. My mind was consumed of the horrors I had learned - I didn't want to believe that evil existed to that amount. It was just too heavy. If I couldn't handle learning about this in one college class, how could I handle being face to face in the field with situations like this in a job setting? For me - ignorance was bliss for the next 17 years. I swept the horrors I had learned under the rug and lived my life. After all, what could I do about it? It seemed so out of my control.
Fast forward to early 2021. I started to learn that pedophilia and child sex trafficking still existed. It had all come full circle - but more drastic this time. Yes, these horrors still existed - and to my horrible rediscovery, they are happening more frequently than ever. This time, however, I was able to come to terms with it and handle it emotionally. Maybe it was because I had children of my own now, and I couldn't imagine this happening to them. This was happening to helpless people without a voice, and I wanted to make a difference.
I wanted to do more. I tried to tell people about what I was learning, but just like last time, so many people didn't want to hear it. And because of my experience - I had empathy towards them. Not everyone is in a mental state to be able to handle it. But all I can say is that after living those years in the dark, the truth sets you free - no matter how horrid it is. I researched how I could be more involved and found a local organization that helps adult women escape and recover from sex trafficking. I went through a day of training, which was a refresher but I also learned so much more.
The average age these girls are sold for sex is around 10, and most have been sexually abused before that. (Boys are also sold for sex, but this particular organization is for women) Often these kids come from broken families and are in and out of foster care. Lots of times they don't have a family looking for them. Since they move around a lot in broken families and/or foster care, they just sort of disappear. When a guy befriends them and they have never felt loved, they mistake his grooming for love. And then he turns on them and they are trapped with their new pimp. Often times their pimp's "love" is the closest thing they have experienced to love, which is so far from what love is.
Unlike drugs that can be sold one time, a person can be sold over and over and over again. And over again. And over again. A lot of these women can average servicing up to 30 males a day. Pretty sick. Are you uncomfortable? Are you mad?
In a world of different opinions and disagreements - I KNOW that any good person on this planet agrees that sex trafficking is wrong - and that violating and abusing adults or children is evil. If you believe that pedophilia is a "sexual preference", you are sick in the head. I know that anyone I know who is reading this believes that is pure evil.
Why is this not a conversation we are all having? If you're not uncomfortable and angry then you have been completely overtaken by the world. Go back to your comfortable life. You're not ready to make a difference. If you are mad and angry, then good. You should be.
I took an addiction training last year were the instructor was talking about the emotion of anger. Anger is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. When we feel anger, it tells us that something is wrong. And when we know something is wrong we can take an action to do something about it. Anger becomes a problem is when we don't deal with it and comes back out in different ways - addiction, violence, etc.
I'm begging you to get angry. I'm praying that this nation and the world get's angry and does something about it. What can you do?
1. Well to start, just ACKNOWLEDGE. Don't turn away and sweep it under the rug like I did. Even if you're busy and don't have time to volunteer or get involved (which I totally get!) - you can at least acknowledge that it's happening and that it's a problem.
2. Next, EDUCATE yourself. Talk to others. Learn how you can spot sex trafficking victims in public places and how you can help. Learn where and how it happens. Here are a couple good places to start:
Episode 1,086 – Rescued: The Scourge of Child Sex Slavery Pt. 1
Episode 1,087 – Rescued: The Scourge of Child Sex Slavery Pt. 2
Operation Underground Railroad Sign up for their mailing list to stay updated on what they are doing and follow them on social media. Here are survivor stories of people they've rescued.
Watch and share the movie Sound of Freedom when it comes out. Based on the true story of Tim Ballard, who started Operation Underground Railroad. I've been waiting for months and months for it to be released. I know it won't be a lighthearted watch, but I hope people watch it to wake up to what is happening.
3. VOLUNTEER at the local sex trafficking organization. From driving girls to appointments, to teaching a class, to doing yard work, to entering data - you can find something that you are capable of. If you're in Whatcom County, here's our local organization:
4. SPREAD AWARENESS I know it's not light conversation, but it's one worth having. The more people that are aware of this atrocity, the more light we can shed on this issue and come up with solutions.
5. DONATE
6. Last but not least, and most importantly, PRAY. You may think these people have a choice, but they are more like trapped slaves in a sick system. We need God.
If you've made it this far, thanks for listening to my story, and I hope you feel a little inspired to get more educated and to make a difference. If not for this cause, for another - there are many. I feel like God brought me to this ministry for a reason and his timing is perfect. Although I am sad I "swept it all under the rug" for all those years, I know it came back full circle this year for a reason. I am passionate about helping these victims and spreading truth. I hope you'll join me in spreading TRUTH, however your gifts enable you to do so. If there was ever there was a time to use your God given gifts to spread TRUTH, the time is now.
In Love, Allie
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