Christian Parents, Are Your Children Being Trafficked? Trafficking Survivor Warns That “Master Manipulators” Are Behind Human Trafficking Right Here in the USA
Daniel Whyte III, President of Gospel Light Society International, says all parents need to pray for their children and watch their children, even in the church, especially youth events such as AWANAS
NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland. — A woman who was trafficked in her Virginia hometown after turning 18 warned that human trafficking is not an issue happening in some faraway place but right here in America, “the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”
Tanya Gould, the director of Virginia’s Anti-Human Trafficking Office, spoke at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.
The panel discussion, “Combating Human Trafficking,” also featured Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Elizabeth Ameling, founder and executive director of Latisha’s House, a nonprofit that serves trafficking survivors.
Gould has spoken publicly about how a family member sexually abused her for years, and then, when she was 18, an older man came into her life and trafficked her. She recounted part of her story, where she emphasized the need to educate lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the issue.
Ameling, a certified traumatologist, said Latisha’s House has helped many trafficking survivors with a criminal record. Many of the women the organization has helped have kids in the foster care system, and Ameling said they need help overcoming addiction and building life skills.
The executive director said that Latisha’s House usually only has 12 to 13 months to bring victims to a place of healing where they’re ready to get their kids back from foster care.
Ameling called for better laws to prevent human trafficking survivors from losing their kids, noting that children in foster care are at a higher risk of experiencing sex trafficking. Ameling added that she wants trafficking victims to have housing and independence, saying that she wants to “break the cycle” that leads to abuse and exploitation.
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US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
OFFICE FOR VICTIM ABUSE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION OFFICE FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING, ROOM 3329 935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535 (202) 324-8000
www.fbi.gov/stats-services/victim__assistance