The sad and difficult truth about today's blindness to issues is when issues overseas are actually also close to home. One big issue people do not know is sex trafficking is actually right under their noses right here in the United States. I have heard many moving survivor stories about how they escaped and their time with their master/abuser. Majority of prostitutes are actually sex slaves taken against their will. There are girls from the ages of 9-25 some older than those given ages and some even younger. Those are the majority age ranges. Victims are drugged enough to where they could possibly overdose and/or not remember their entire time of being raped and so on. All they really remember is being scared as the drugs are entering forcefully into their system. Some abusers even have them hooked on IVs filled with drugs. Majority of the time girls are sold to transfer truck drivers and people who have a lot of money. When you hear underaged girls being sold to men, it's usually based at a truck stop in the South. This is not saying all truck drivers actually buy the girl(s), some do call 911 and turn them in. It's dangerous to get out of your truck to take the girl with you to safety. In situations like trying to get a victim to safety is extremely risky and you need to be extremely careful trying to save them. Even boys are sold in the sex slavery business. Sex trade is actually legal in some countries. Prostitution is legal in some countries as well. Sex trafficking is a multi million dollar business.
There are many organizations who help victims like END IT Movement and Together1Heart (by AnnaLynne McCord). I am working with Together1Heart and their website is together1heart.org and they are located in Cambodia but are an American organization. Recently, Together1Heart had a 9 and 12 year old come in to be saved. Ages vary with the victims. Together1Heart offers medical and psychological help for the victims. I was once taking pictures for awareness on the sex slavery and we ended up at an abandoned trafficking house. It seemed so real and the house is located in Tuscaloosa. We were let in legally. The people got caught and are facing several charges. It is right under our noses and people are too blind to see it or acknowledge it. If people were more aware, I think the more we could help the victims and help end the slavery.
In the Middle East, ISIS kills boys and men (of all religions, even Muslims) but they keep the women and girls for sex slavery. ISIS even posts on social media of selling them and trading them but Facebook will delete the posts instead of reporting them to higher authorities. A lot of them have been caught because of carelessly posting on social medias and creating websites. There are many ways people sell women and girls in this business but online helps out more to be caught. There are families who are desperate in other countries that have prostitution as legal who sell their daughters just for money.
There are ways to get involved and help the victims. Visit together1heart.org for more information and to get more involved or END IT Movement for a more local change.
