The Child Trafficking Epidemic Is Worse Than You Think

A number of recent headlines offer a terrifying glimpse into the stark reality of human trafficking, showing just how pervasive the threat is even in the United States.

In June, a 21-year-old man in Fresno, California, was caught using multiple dummy accounts on the popular gaming platform Roblox to lure young girls into dangerous situations. Manuel Coronado Gonzalez was caught when he attempted to set up such a meeting with a decoy who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. The plan, according to local news reports, was for Coronado Gonzales to meet the decoy in a public bathroom for sex.

Coronado Gonzalez was caught thanks to a local independent group called Schlep, which has worked with local law enforcement to apprehend similar predators and has aided in investigations that led to five arrests.

“Every single arrest that I have gotten, if it wasn’t us, it would have been a real kid. It would have easily been a headline,” one member of the group, identified only as Michael, explained.

Another group, known as 764, has routinely and repeatedly targeted young teens on both Roblox and Minecraft. Their network has been active for years and is so complex and pervasive that major law enforcement agencies have had difficulty pinning it down. The FBI issued a warning to Americans about the threat posed by 764 in 2024, and it was the subject of a documentary titled “Trapped: The Online Terror Network” released in March.

The documentary followed the story of a teen girl from Red Deer, Alberta, who was groomed and coerced by the group to attempt suicide on a Discord livestream as many of them watched. Trinity had been coerced into carving swastikas and the usernames of others on the platform into her own skin.

“It was difficult to be heard, it was difficult to be believed,” Trinity’s mother, Maria, explained. “It was a pretty traumatic experience, not only for her, but as her mom, to watch her deteriorate to nothing while begging for help.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) got involved in the case, but struggled to find solid leads.

“It’s something that internationally, both police and our intelligence security partners are still trying to wrap our heads around. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before,” said Inspector Matt Johnson, part of the RCMP’s counterterrorism unit, Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET), in Edmonton, Alberta.

As reported by CBC, the teens are typically courted first on Roblox or Minecraft and then lured into private chats on platforms like Discord, all the while being conditioned to believe the chats are a “safe space” for children who are already struggling with issues like eating disorders.

“Experts say the grooming includes lavishing victims with attention and exposing them to violent content to desensitize them. Victims are then coerced into sending sexually explicit images and to self-harm, including carving their predator’s names into their skin as a sign of devotion,” the CBC reported.

The victims are then threatened by the group, which uses the explicit photos to blackmail them into doing exponentially worse things — repeated self-harm, violence to pets, and even livestreamed suicides like the one that was attempted in Trinity’s case.

What makes the group’s actions especially horrific is that they often involve teens targeting other teens. “The FBI first warned the public about 764 in September 2023 amid a series of arrests, including Bradley Cadenhead, a 15-year-old from Texas who founded the group in 2020 and named it after his zip code,” CBC reported. “Cadenhead is serving an 80-year sentence in 2023 for pleading guilty to possession with intent to promote child pornography.”

Law enforcement has reported 764-related cases in at least 23 countries.

The shocking new documentary “Hiding In Plain Sight: America’s Trafficking Epidemic,” now streaming on DailyWire+, is a timely warning about situations like these.

Released in partnership with renowned anti-trafficking organization Our Rescue, the film “exposes the harsh reality of sex trafficking and child exploitation in the United States, showing that this crisis is one affecting communities across the nation. Through real survivor stories, expert perspectives, and firsthand accounts from law enforcement, ‘Hiding in Plain Sight: America’s Trafficking Epidemic’ reveals how trafficking and exploitation continue to thrive in America, and what can be done to stop it.”

Warning parents about the risk posed by such predators was the goal Our Rescue had in mind when making “Hiding In Plain Sight.” Our Rescue CEO Derek Benner explained, “Sex trafficking and child exploitation cases are rising across the U.S., and the victims are often the most vulnerable among us, our children. This film is a wake-up call. It challenges us all to recognize the signs, confront the crisis head-on, and join the fight to protect our communities.”

“This film could save your child’s life,” said Mike Richards, President and Chief Content Officer of Daily Wire Entertainment. “Predators don’t lurk just outside anymore — they reach directly into your home through phones and social media. Even the most vigilant parents can have their child targeted. Every parent in America needs to see this film, and thanks to our members who share our mission and support our fight against the darkest evils in society and culture, we’re able to offer it to the public for free.”