Human trafficking, particularly of children, is a horrific crime. The Epstein saga has shed much light on how pervasive the problem is, and the 2023 movie “The Sound of Freedom” broke the box office in the summer, eclipsing Indiana Jones and most other Disney flops. Unfortunately, many people consider trafficking a problem for the rest of the world. Certainly, scenarios like the movie “Taken” exist, but there may be insidious activity in your town.
The fact is human trafficking happens in America, not just in Europe and third-world countries. During last week’s CPAC, or Conservative Political Action Conference, held in Maryland, a survivor spoke about her experiences and offered a dire warning for Americans.
Tanya Gould, the director of Virginia’s Anti-Human Trafficking Office, spoke at CPAC on Friday and gave a chilling insight into her own experiences. Gould was trafficked in her Virginia hometown after she turned 18 and was part of a criminal activity far more widespread than people are willing to believe. The panel discussion, “Combating Human Trafficking,” featured guest speakers, including Elizabeth Ameling, the founder and director of Latisha’s House, a nonprofit that aids trafficking survivors.
Gould, who by her own admission was sexually abused as a youngster and eventually led to a life of prostitution after she turned 18, talked about being turned into a sex worker by an older man she fell in love with when she was just 18. She had a message for lawmakers on both sides: “As you’re going about your day, remember that this happens here in America.”
Trafficking isn’t just snatching kids or luring victims into white panel vans with candy. In fact, much trafficking is of legal adult women lured into a life of crime or sex work by a charismatic man. Gould reminded us that traffickers are “master manipulators” who can sense their victims are “vulnerable.”
The director of the facility, Elizabeth Ameling, called for better laws to prevent trafficking survivors from losing their children and to offer more support for victims until they can begin recovery. She also noted that 12 years old is the average age when a person becomes involved, and most victims are survivors of child sex abuse. Ameling is also an advocate of offering victims housing so they can regain their independence and “break the cycle” that leads to abuse.
The third speaker, Virginia Attorney General Dave Yost, called the issue a “fundamentally conservative” one and, after becoming the state’s attorney general in 2019, launched the Human Trafficking Initiative to squash trafficking in Virginia. Gould recalled the moment during an attempted robbery when she finally hit rock bottom. She recalled: “When I heard that voice, it was like I had these blinders on my eyes and they had fallen. I’m thinking, if I die tonight, no one knows where my son is. Only my pimp. And he would have him.”
Human trafficking is an American problem, not just a world issue. We should hold our country to a higher standard so trafficking becomes a non-issue in the United States. Unfortunately, we aren’t there yet, bbut progress is being made slowly.
Featured image screen grab from embedded video
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