The horrors of the human trafficking industry are unfortunately all too real even in America. In fact, according to this Prolife News Flash and stats from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which allows for anonymous reporting of suspected trafficking crimes, there were 4,460 cases reported in 2017 alone. In addition, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children states that one in every six endangered runways that have been reported to them are likely victims of sex trafficking. 

Thriving Industry

Unfortunately, human trafficking seems to be thriving within America’s borders. An Urban Institute report estimated that the underground sex economy generates more than $50 billion a year in revenue worldwide, with more than $290 million of that coming from a major American city, such as Atlanta. This means that the human trafficking industry, even in America— much less in some third-world area— is thriving. Saved In America’s co-founder Joseph Travers who had extensive experience in law enforcement explains the shift and growth in the industry as follows: 

“I knew that street gangs, prison gangs, and cartels took over drug trafficking in the 1980s, and then they took over sex trafficking at the turn of the century.”

This peddling of human beings for heinous acts has grown into a huge, thriving industry that victimizes countless young teens, especially girls. 

There is Hope

While the outlook surrounding human trafficking may seem dire, and it is most certainly serious, there is hope. Thankfully, groups like ours at Saved In America are working hard against these evils and have successfully assisted in the recovery of more than 260 missing and runaway victims. Some of these were saved and recovered even before they officially were imprisoned by a trafficking ring. Saved In America is made up of professional volunteers who are all licensed and insured private investigators who have professional experience in either the law enforcement or military or both. They work to find missing children and assist in the recovery of teens. Then, they follow up by getting the teens the help they need to heal from the trauma that they have experienced. All this is made possible free of charge thanks to donations from those who care about protecting teens from the horrors of the industry. Without their generous donations, continued recoveries would not be possible. #ChildSavedNotSold