Fight Sex Trafficking During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month and January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day. During this important month, and every day, failure is not an option as we fight this horrific crime. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry and the #1 fastest growing crime industry at home and abroad. According to the U.S. Department of State, 300,000 U.S. children are forced into child prostitution and child pornography each year.

The Guardian Group, a “Team of Teams” comprised of former military special operations, law enforcement and intelligence community professionals, is offering a free e-book to help combat sex trafficking in the United States and encourages all Americans to post #IAmAGuardian on social media to increase awareness of the need to pursue, apprehend and incarcerate predators.

Bree’s story is a real-life example of the need to fight sex trafficking. Her mother reached out to us to share what happened in hopes of helping her daughter and others victimized by the horrible reality of human sex trafficking. In Bree’s situation, family relationships were strained and she was looking for a place to belong. Although her family loved her, she wanted more and turned to a young man who showered her with affection, gifts and promises for a happy future. Bree’s mother knew immediately that the young man was trouble. By the time he branded Bree with a crown to depict his ownership of her, even Bree realized the relationship was not a storybook romance. Unfortunately, she was in too deep.

Guardian Group identified patterns to provide Bree with just enough wiggle room to escape and return home. There was not enough evidence to arrest her trafficker but she remained free for a short time. Soon, however, “the Bottom” threatened Bree and her family so she left home. A few weeks following her disappearance, she was for sale in escort ads once again. Bree still desperately wanted out but one night she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed a murder. She disappeared again and is now missing.

Because of the misperception of prostitution in the penal system and a system that often prosecutes the prostitute, Vice departments are regularly under staffed or busy looking for more “serious” crimes. The reality is that most prostitution is run against the will of the person’s being exploited or enslaved, and pimps are the beneficiary of men and women often being forced into sexual acts 15-20 x DAILY. Being forced into rape seems a far worse crime than most, but law enforcement often lacks proper resources to pursue these crimes. By tracking predators, compiling evidence against the perpetrators and hand delivering a prosecutable case, Guardian Group assists law enforcement with what would otherwise be a difficult case to prosecute.

It is time to tip the scales against the criminals and in favor of the hundreds of thousands of victims that are forced into sex slavery in the United States alone. Let’s end this crime together.