Migrant sex trafficking victim details nightmarish journey to the United States
A young man who escaped the horrors of sex trafficking detailed his nightmarish journey from South America to the United States.The 20-year-old foreign national, whose identity was concealed, told Fox News that he still lives in fear that his former captors will locate him.'From birth, they were often rejected by their parents.'After being abused six to eight times a day and regularly beaten, he was rescued at 18 years old and placed in Bob's House of Hope, the first safe house in the U.S. for male sex trafficking victims. The man told the news outlet that his captors threatened to kill him if he spoke out about the ongoing abuse."I saw good people die," he stated.Bob's House of Hope founder Bob Williams explained that many migrant victims are sold into sex trafficking by someone they know, including family members."Most of these kids are trafficked by somebody they know, whether it's an uncle, a neighbor, or someone else," Williams told Fox News.He stated that there is a common misconception that only girls and women are sex-trafficked."That's the stigma that we have to change. The fact is that we believe up to 50% of human trafficking victims are boys and men," Williams said. He stated that in some cases, males are forced into labor trafficking during the day and sex trafficking in the evening. In addition to facing threats of violence, the victims are also controlled through addiction, he said."This fentanyl problem is so serious that they hook these young people on drugs," he told Fox News. "That, combined with the fear of threats against their families, is controlling.""As a survivor, I said we are going to take anybody because these kids that are migrants are protected under the Federal Sex Trafficking Act," Williams added.Bob's House of Hope welcomes American citizens and migrants. Fox News noted that the safe house cooperates with law enforcement agencies.An August report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lost track of more than 32,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border into the U.S.Williams believes many of these children have fallen into the hands of dangerous traffickers."We know that a lot of these children were sold to gangs or trafficking groups by their families," he stated. "Predators prey on vulnerable kids. We had a case where a young man was trying to reunite with his family in Florida and was picked up by a gang under the guise of providing a ride to Miami. But that ride never materialized."Williams has called for strengthening border security and harsher penalties for traffickers.Landon Dickeson, the CEO of Bob's House of Hope and a therapist, told Fox News, "From birth, they [the victims] were often rejected by their parents and grandparents, frequently sold for money to be brought to the United States for further abuse.""They arrive here confused, don't speak the language, and struggle to navigate our systems, making them incredibly vulnerable," Dickeson added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
A young man who escaped the horrors of sex trafficking detailed his nightmarish journey from South America to the United States.
The 20-year-old foreign national, whose identity was concealed, told Fox News that he still lives in fear that his former captors will locate him.
'From birth, they were often rejected by their parents.'
After being abused six to eight times a day and regularly beaten, he was rescued at 18 years old and placed in Bob's House of Hope, the first safe house in the U.S. for male sex trafficking victims.
The man told the news outlet that his captors threatened to kill him if he spoke out about the ongoing abuse.
"I saw good people die," he stated.
Bob's House of Hope founder Bob Williams explained that many migrant victims are sold into sex trafficking by someone they know, including family members.
"Most of these kids are trafficked by somebody they know, whether it's an uncle, a neighbor, or someone else," Williams told Fox News.
He stated that there is a common misconception that only girls and women are sex-trafficked.
"That's the stigma that we have to change. The fact is that we believe up to 50% of human trafficking victims are boys and men," Williams said.
He stated that in some cases, males are forced into labor trafficking during the day and sex trafficking in the evening. In addition to facing threats of violence, the victims are also controlled through addiction, he said.
"This fentanyl problem is so serious that they hook these young people on drugs," he told Fox News. "That, combined with the fear of threats against their families, is controlling."
"As a survivor, I said we are going to take anybody because these kids that are migrants are protected under the Federal Sex Trafficking Act," Williams added.
Bob's House of Hope welcomes American citizens and migrants. Fox News noted that the safe house cooperates with law enforcement agencies.
An August report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lost track of more than 32,000 unaccompanied minors who crossed the border into the U.S.
Williams believes many of these children have fallen into the hands of dangerous traffickers.
"We know that a lot of these children were sold to gangs or trafficking groups by their families," he stated. "Predators prey on vulnerable kids. We had a case where a young man was trying to reunite with his family in Florida and was picked up by a gang under the guise of providing a ride to Miami. But that ride never materialized."
Williams has called for strengthening border security and harsher penalties for traffickers.
Landon Dickeson, the CEO of Bob's House of Hope and a therapist, told Fox News, "From birth, they [the victims] were often rejected by their parents and grandparents, frequently sold for money to be brought to the United States for further abuse."
"They arrive here confused, don't speak the language, and struggle to navigate our systems, making them incredibly vulnerable," Dickeson added.
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Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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