It seems every other day I read a news article or police report of a child predator that comes from the ranks of so-called "pillars of the community." There are people, men, and women, preying on children in our communities. That statement reaks of alarmism, but is a reality. A reality that we have to confront head-on. The more I delve into this subject, the more I realize these predators come from every walk of life. Child sexual predators and traffickers are not exactly the same, but they have similarities; they prey on children, and they come from every walk of life.
I spoke with a sex crimes detective who has first-hand knowledge of what is happening in our communities. We discussed who exactly is trafficking children. The detective told me, "Child predators can be and are anyone. They are business owners, respected pillars of our communities, friends, neighbors, or family. They come from all walks of life. The people fueling the child sex trade are convicted felons just as much as they are seemingly upstanding citizens. For instance, in 2014, in San Louis Obispo County, California, a local fireman became a focus in a child sex trafficking investigation. He [the fireman] first purchased sex from the underage minor and later assumed the role of trafficker as he tried to sell and distribute self-made child pornography involving the victim. In the end, a man who appeared to be an upstanding member of society was sentenced to 167 years in prison for his role in the trafficking of the minor victim."
Child victims sometimes have nowhere to go when the very people they should trust victimize them. Sandy Storm, Director of Strategic Impact of the nonprofit Deliver Fund said, "When I was being trafficked, there was a common thread connecting most of the men who purchased me or paid to rent my body. Most of them were men who I should have been able to trust. Most of them were men who I should have been able to ask for help. Most of them were men who I would have expected to rescue me from the dangerous situations I was in. These were men who had money and power. Men who were in leadership positions in the community. Men who were married and had families. Unfortunately, none of these men ever tried to help me. Instead, they saw the opportunity to use my desperate situation to get their satisfaction, which left me even more demoralized and perpetuated the hopeless cycle that I was trapped in."
Last week I moderated a panel on Human Trafficking, emphasizing the sex trade, for the International Law Enforcement Training Summit. The panel topic moved to victims being able to reach out to adults, including law enforcement. The panel had in-depth knowledge from their experiences in law enforcement and as victim advocates. They discussed that the victims often did not trust law enforcement and, even more, other adults. Why is that? Traffickers, or the adult using them, told victims that if they [victims] told law enforcement anything, they would be killed, or their family would be killed. The victims were told that they paid off law enforcement and judges. The victims believed they had nowhere to turn.
Victims need a lifeline. Whether that lifeline is law enforcement, adults, or even other children, they need help. What can you do? You can and should become educated on sex crimes that may be happening in your community, from child sexual predators to human trafficking. This goes for law enforcement as well. The signs are not clear cut, and you need to train on trends and techniques. As far as lawmakers and community leaders, the time to get of the sidelines is now. There are numerous non-profit organizations, government agencies, and community outreach programs out there for you to turn to and get educated.
Dr. Jason Piccolo (@DRJasonPiccolo) has over 21-years in federal law enforcement. He is a former U.S. Army Captain (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and host of The Protectors Podcast.