Bend, OR—Jeff Keith, Founder and CEO of locally based Guardian Group, an anti-sex trafficking organization that works to eradicate this crime and free its victims across the globe, has issued this statement on the recent passage of FOSTA:

“A beam of light has broken through the darkness. The bill signed yesterday commonly referred to as FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act), also known as SESTA (the Stop Enabling Sex-Trafficking Act) will protect victims of sex trafficking and disrupt those already targeted for exploitation. This is more than a glimmer of optimism for survivors of this crime and those presently trapped in its clutches. FOSTA signals to these exploited and oppressed girls and boys that we as a community are starting to take notice and take action to protect our vulnerable youth.

We cannot let this historic event be turned into something divisive. This is not a war on individual freedoms, nor aimed at those few who choose to work in the sex industry. This bill is aimed to protect children and those trapped with no seemingly way out. The internet can be a force for good and it can be a force for evil. Backpage and other “escort” sites have been overwhelmingly a force for evil.

Wednesday’s bill signing is a win for the good guys. We asked a survivor her thoughts on the signing she states, “It’s amazing to see so many people have come alongside survivors and victims of trafficking. I know there have been many times I’ve felt isolated or like no one cared. The amount of work and support that has been put into this bill speaks volumes to us. I know that the work isn’t over, in fact it’s just begun, but this is a huge step in the right direction.”

Together we can make a difference. Join the fight. It has only just begun.”

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