The Brown County Community Resource Coordinating Group (CRCG) will be offering information regarding the growing problem of human trafficking. Deena Graves, Executive Director of Traffick911 will present a brief, one-hour overview of child/human sexual trafficking on Tuesday, February 5th at 9:30 AM at the Family Service Center in Brownwood. An additional 4-hour training will also be offered with continuing education credit.
“While I’ve thought that child-sex trafficking is something that happens only in big cities, I was wrong,” said Bob Conteras, co-chair of the Brown County CRCG. “Ms. Graves will give us a brief overview during our meeting and is willing to schedule four-hour group trainings for organizations, along with CEUs, for those who are interested.”
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It is the fastest-growing crime in the world, with the perpetrators making $32 billion a year buying and selling people for their profit and pleasure. The profits are huge and the risk of being prosecuted is slim- the United Nations says 99% of victims are never rescued.
Domestic minor sex trafficking is the buying and selling of America’s own children. Federal law defines domestic minor sex trafficking as the exchange of a sex act for anything of value.
While it is true that there are children who are at higher risk for becoming a victim, such as runaways and throwaways, all American children are at risk. Gangs and the Mexican cartels are sending recruiters into Texas schools to find victims. Children are kidnapped. People they know are selling them and threatening their families if they tell. Sometimes their own families sell them.
A lack of awareness in our country, coupled with the explosion of the Internet, makes the job of the pimp and the recruiter extremely easy and the job of law enforcement extremely difficult. The scope of this horrific crime seems impossible, but each person can make a difference by teaching their own children about the traps of traffickers and knowing the red flags to watch for in other children.
Visit www.traffick911.com for more information.
