Save Our Children
San Diego Needs to End Human Trafficking
By Stephanie Myers | Saved in America Advisory Board
The horrific realities of human trafficking exist right in front of our eyes. With hundreds of thousands of trafficked children in our country, we cannot ignore the devastation that this vile epidemic is causing. An estimated 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 U.S. States and is the second largest underground black-market industry in the country, following drug trafficking. Sex trafficking generates an estimated $810 million a year.
It’s important — more, now than ever, to speak boldly about these issues plaguing our country and our community.
As a resident of San Diego County this issue hits close to home. San Diego is the second largest child sex-trafficking corridor in the country with an average of 3,000-8,000 children being trafficked each year. Nationally, there is an average of 300,000 missing children in our country, and 30 percent of those missing children are being trafficked in the sex trade industry (approximately100,000 children). The average age of a trafficked child is 15 years old, and a pimp will make an average of $100,000 a year per child. According to Dr. Ami Carpenter from the University of San Diego, there is one trafficker or recruiter on every middle school and high school campus in San Diego County. Most children being trafficked have endured homelessness, family instability, foster care, emotional distress, or mental health issues. 60 percent of children are foster youth, and all runaway and missing children are approached by a trafficker within the first 48 hours from the time they are reported missing. Aside from the grueling statistics, Human Trafficking is blind to demographics, race, or social economic status. Every community, household and family are affected- no one is immune.
With the growing crisis, I joined the Advisory Board of a nonprofit organization, headquartered in San Diego. At no charge to families, Saved In America assists parents and law enforcement to locate missing and runaway children—those most vulnerable to exploitation. Our mission is to LOCATE YOUR CHILD. Since 2014, Saved In America has assisted parents and law enforcement in the recovery of more than 250 children nationwide from traffickers. Saved In America also assists children from rehabilitation facilities so that they are not further exploited and revictimized by predators. Our organization works tirelessly to locate missing children through our volunteer network, who use their vast experience and expertise to combat human trafficking.
Saved In America’s volunteers are made up of former and current law enforcement officers, special Operators, Navy SEALS-turned licensed and insured private investigators.
We gather intelligence and evidence through online and social media platforms to locate and identify missing children, trafficked victims, violent pedophiles (pimps), and trafficking locations. Saved In America’s Law Enforcement Liaison reports all information to local and federal law enforcement officers. Together we must bring awareness to our community and work with state, local, and national lawmakers to pass bills that protect children and keep the topic of human trafficking at the forefront of legislation.
In a free country such as ours, it’s easy to forget that slavery is still alive, and still exists in America. Human trafficking continues to haunt America every single day. While we continue to fight child sex trafficking, I ask each one of you to work with your local and state lawmakers to help combat human trafficking in your communities. We need to continue to educate others and raise attention and awareness throughout the United States to ensure the safety of our children.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sex trafficking, please call the Human Trafficking Hotline at: (888) 373-3788 or text befree (233733). You can also call the Saved In America TIP Hotline at: (760) 348-8808 or email info@savedinamerica.org.
