McMahon/Ryan had a youth come through the center who was an identified victim in a rather involved sex abuse/child pornography case. We will call her Sarah.* Sarah was part of an investigation involving New York State Police and Homeland Security.
Read More“E"* was born and raised in rural Central America. She had a happy childhood. But by the time she was 11, she and her two younger siblings were orphans.
Read MoreInternational Justice Mission (IJM) helped Kolkata’s anti-trafficking police rescue two victims at a private home, and arrest five criminals who were selling them for sex, including a notorious trafficker named Archana* we have been pursuing for years.
Read More*Trigger Warning: The following is a true story of a survivor of abuse. Please consider this before reading further.
Ann Marie* lived with extended family during her early teenage years. At 13, she was brought by a relative to a compound that housed a religious cult
Read MoreLove146 met Peggy* when she was 5-years-old. She came to a feeding center they set up in a street community of children at high risk for sexual exploitation and trafficking. She was malnourished and had so much fear in her eyes. She screamed at the sight of men. Her injuries and infections seemed to answer questions that she wasn’t ready to speak about, yet we also saw a bright spirit in her.
Read MoreAt times in her childhood, Maddie* experienced homelessness. Poverty and the lack of caring adults in her life made her vulnerable, and her sexual exploitation began at a young age. This included a sickening cyber-porn operation in which she was exploited in front of a webcam. Maddie came to Love146 at age 11, where she received trauma-informed counselling, individualized care, and was able to explore lots activities that interested her, including gardening, caring for farm animals, and sports.
Read MoreRecently, our grant partner, BEST, was able to speak with Alison Galioto, Vice President of Hospitality Associates, a northwest based hotel management group, about why she has worked so diligently to make sure her hotel staff at their 26 hotels are trained on how to handle human trafficking.
Read MoreTeresa was looking for work when a family member suggested that she should go to Greece where there were more job opportunities. He arranged all of her traveling needs, and told her that his friend would pick her up.
Read MoreNicole was referred to youthSpark’s Youth Services Center in May 2018. Her mother filed a petition against her due to a long history of negative behavior in the home and community.
Read MoreShe called her advocate when she landed and sounded so nervous. The last time she was in the LA area was when she was pregnant, and still being exploited by her trafficker. Here’s how her advocate told the story.
Read MoreKendall* is a 17-year-old youth who entered the justice system when he was arrested and charged with robbery. His problematic behavior started early on due to a strained relationship with his mother. Days after being referred to youthSpark’s Youth Services Center, Kendall was open with Center staff about his past.
Read More**Trigger Warning: The following is a true story of a survivor of human trafficking. This story includes sensitive language surrounding sexual assault. Please consider this before reading further.
She was a part of a pedophile ring that operated by giving the children drugs, so they could maintain a constant cycle of begging during the day, and being forced to have sex with foreign pedophiles at night.
Read MoreWhile everything seemed okay at first, the boyfriend suddenly told Ella that she owed him money for everything he had provided for her.
Read More“Patricia” is a mother of two, “Marta” (7) and “Luis” (2). Patricia was sold to a local gang at the age of 16 because her parents could not afford to support their family. She was trafficked at a cantina in her rural community in Central America before being brought to New York by an abusive boyfriend.
Read MoreThe internet has made it easier than ever for kids to be bought and sold online. We partner with Thorn to fund their Spotlight tool that identifies victims of human trafficking being sold online, and works with local law enforcement and detectives to rescue and protect those being exploited. They have shared the following text from a survivor who was safely brought from San Diego, where she was trafficked, to her home in Arizona. Thorn’s Spotlight Tool was able to identify her, and connect her with a detective who drove 6-hours to interview her instead of calling her on the phone:
Read MoreAt 20 years old, Vanessa* is a survivor of sex trafficking and sexual assault.
Read More*Trigger Warning: The following story contains language surrounding sexual and substance abuse that may be triggering to some. Please keep this in mind before reading further. Additionally, we do our best to share uplifting stories on our platform but we also recognize a responsibility to share with you the tough situations that our grant partners face in the fight to end human trafficking.
Read MoreMia was a teen girl in Milwaukee who had endured years of abuse in her home environment. Mia, a strong and independent young woman, knew that she wasn’t safe at home. So, at 16 years old, she ran away from home to find an environment where she could live without fear of violence and physical harm.
Read MoreWith the promise of a new job and a new life in Greece, Natasha was feeling hopeful and empowered. Little did she know, after moving all the way from Ukraine, her travel documents had been faked and her new employer was actually a trafficker.
She was told she would go to jail if she did not do what her traffickers demanded.
Read MoreKashi was only 3 years old when her impoverished family sold her into domestic servitude for a wealthier couple in Mumbai. Confused and alone, she spent the next 12 years in a never-ending cycle of housework, laundry and loneliness—always desperate for a simple childhood like other girls her age.
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