The street kids in Europe who sleep in the sewers to stay warm, the refugees in India, the people seeking a better life in Thailand… these are the people that we think are the ones who fall prey to the sex trafficking industry. If only it were just those ‘poor disillusioned’ few. The reality is that the sex trafficking is right here in our own neighborhoods.
Last night I attended an event to help get the word out about child sex trafficking in Atlanta. Yes the event was in Atlanta, but I am talking about children … American children … who are being forced into prostitution here in Atlanta. Drop Dead Gorgeous is a group of fashion designers, models, photographers, and others who have come together to help make people aware of the fact that there are people out there who are offering modeling contracts that are really contracts into prostitution. It was amazing to see so many people from Atlanta come to support such an awesome cause.
I had no idea how strong the sex trafficking is here in Atlanta, the FBI rated Atlanta as the number one for child prostitution and exploitation in the nation. But again the reality is that it is not just here in Atlanta, it’s happening all across the United States. I love that the word is spreading and that people are beginning to see that this is a problem in Thailand & Vietnam, but it’s a global problem! We are part of that globe!
Some local websites to check out…