Traffick911

Traffick911, Shared Hope International and The Rebecca Project for Human Rights partnered to host a Town Hall meeting on Jan. 7 to discuss work in Texas to combat domestic minor sex trafficking.

Texas was the only state with more than one city included in a national assessment of domestic minor sex trafficking conducted by Shared Hope and reported to the U.S. Congress. Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio were three of 10 cities chosen by the Department of Justice for the individual assessments that were rolled up into the national assessment.

Shared Hope made recommendations at the end of each assessment and returned to Texas, along with the Rebecca Project, to engage in conversations with the community, professionals and leaders in the battle against this horrific crime.

Panel members

- Former U.S. Congresswoman and Shared Hope Founder and Executive Director Linda Smith.

In 1998, while a member of the U.S. Congress, Linda Smith traveled to Falkland Road in Mumbai, India. The hopeless faces of desperate women and children forced into prostitution compelled Linda to found Shared Hope International.

Linda has furthered understanding of the issue by authoring two books, From Congress to the Brothel (2007) and Renting Lacy (2009). As a leading expert on sex trafficking and the relationship of demand, Linda often speaks in national and international forums, on radio and television, and before Congress.

- Dallas Crimes Against Children Police Sgt. Byron Fassett.

Sgt. Fassett is known nationally for his work to prevent domestic minor sex trafficking victims. His High Risk Victims and Trafficking Unit uses a unique system that flags runaways, intervening to get these highly vulnerable children help before the pimps target them. He is in high demand as a speaker at events across the country and even globally.

- Dallas Letot Center Residential Supervisor Cathy Brock.

 The Letot Center, part of Dallas County’s Juvenile Department, is the largest and most comprehensive provider for runaways in the United States. Letot and Dallas Police work closely to prevent Dallas County’s estimated 9,000+ runaways from becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

- Fort Worth Special Victims Section Unit Sgt. M.D. Pitt.

The Fort Worth Police Department has had a federal grant since 2006 to combat human trafficking. The Fort Worth Police Human Trafficking Task Force is part of a federal human trafficking task force, investigating trafficking cases from across North Texas.

- Fort Worth School Board Member Tobi Jackson.

Upon recently learning of domestic minor sex trafficking, Tobi Jackson began to immediately take this matter to school administrators and community leaders. Jackson knows traffickers are working in the school systems in Texas and is committed to stopping it through education of school district personnel, parents and students.

- Bexar County Sheriff's Deputy and Texas Anti-trafficking in Persons President and CEO Chris Burchell.

Deputy Burchell is a leader in the fight against human trafficking in the San Antonio area, which recently had its first trafficking prosecution. The defendant was sentenced to life in prison for holding a 13-year-old girl captive and selling her to several men.

- Traffick911 Founder and Executive Director Deena Graves.

Traffick911 is leading the national I’m Not Buying It Super Bowl campaign in partnership with many local, national and international groups. In addition, Traffick911 is working to open a long-term residential safe house for child victims of sex slavery. Texas does not have a safe house for these children.

Video