Stephanie Myers, who serves on the advisory board of Saved in America, joined Elizabeth Alvarez on “Good Morning San Diego” and discussed Saved in America’s current mission #OperationChildSavedNotSold. Stephanie explains that San Diego is currently the second top city for missing and exploited children and human trafficking.

The Criminals and Victims Aren’t Always as Expected

As part of the interview, Stephanie explains that the way human trafficking looks in our society today is often not at all what most people expect it to look like. For example, not all sexual predators are not male. Also, the recent bust of Ghislaine Maxwell—a former British socialite—who was sentenced to 20 years of prison for her part in sex trafficking-related crimes is another example. Her role with former boyfriend Jeffery Epstein and his crime ring is a picture of the way modern human trafficking works.

It’s Somewhat Out in the Open

Although it is surprising to many, according to stats shared by Stephanie, there are pimps or recruiters stationed in every single middle and high school in all of San Diego County. This means that kids across this county are being inundated with grooming practices and made to feel safe by those who wish to do them harm. Many of these are kids who have themselves been the victims of human trafficking. It’s important to keep in mind that although they are right out in the open, the big bad wolf rarely looks scary. Instead, he seems comforting, accepting, and supportive, which tempts a kid, especially one that doesn’t have the best home life, to trust them.

San Diego is Especially Problematic

Due to the gang situation in San Diego in addition to the city’s close proximity to the border, it has become a booming location for human trafficking. The gangs include prison gangs, street gangs, and drug cartels who have teamed up, in essence, to do the most damage and make the most money. This is called an evil triad or triad of evil by those in the know. Unfortunately, it has taken up residence in beautiful San Diego, and the local police departments are simply overwhelmed to fight and conquer this growing crime without help. That is where Saved in America comes in as they proudly come alongside law enforcement and work free of charge to help families find their missing and exploited children before they become the next victim of the San Diego human trafficking ring.