“There is a growing crisis that faces the Central Florida area and it’s important to spread awareness”, says Angel Clark, an organizer of The Stand-Up & Pray For Kids Rally: A Rally For Awareness. Her message, “The more we can wake up people about the issues of sex trafficking and child abuse, the more we have hope to end the atrocity of child abuse and trafficking”.
The awakening began on Saturday, September 26th, when approximately 200 people gathered at the First United Methodist Church, and proceeded on a prayer walk to Clermont City Hall to listen to speakers and testimonies from abuse survivors.
Clermont Police Chief Chuck Broadway attended the rally and spoke on the challenging times for law enforcement throughout many segments of this country. He stated that he was encouraged and inspired to see a diverse group of people coming together and collectively to prevent crime, reduce crime, enhance the quality of life, and protect our children.
Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world (no overhead or investment) and second only to drug trafficking for total dollars generated. Florida ranks 3rd in the nation for Human Trafficking, with Tampa and Miami being the top infiltrated areas. California and Texas are ranked 1st and 2nd.
The Chief Identified a few common signs of a human trafficking victim
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- Appears submissive or fearful
- Injuries from beatings: bruises, scars
- Branding (tattoos) or scarring indicating ownership
- Signs of malnourishment
- Presence of 3rdparty that won’t go away – MALE OR FEMALE
- Influence of drugs or alcohol
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. The Chief advises that anyone who sees something, say something to law enforcement and let them determine if a crime occurred, is occurring or has occurred.
Human trafficking is linked to domestic violence and sexual assaults. The same dynamics of power and control are present in all forms of gender-based violence through
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- Coercion
- Isolation
- Intimidation
Chief Broadway advised parents to be aware: Online schooling has caused many children to be online for extended periods of time and often unsupervised.
Predators and traffickers are scouring social media, online games, and various apps that children would frequent and target them posing as admirers or people looking for friends, conversation and /or companionship.
Teenagers are advised NOT to chat with strangers or anyone they do not know. Keep all of your settings to private.
2020 Operations by the US Marshalls: 72 children, 6-17 years of age have been rescued in the past several weeks
AUG 2020 “Operation Not Forgotten” 39 children rescued in Atlanta and Macon GA arresting 9 individuals
SEP 2020 “Operation Homecoming” 8 children rescued in Indiana
SEP 2020 “Operation Safety Net” 25 rescued in Ohio
Chief Broadway emphasized the importance of “If You See Something, Say Something”.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
