"Sex trafficking is often seen as an international problem, but childrenhere in the United States are being exploited right before our eyes. Peoplefrom all over the country are attending the National Training Conference onthe Sex Trafficking of America's Youth that we are hosting in Dallas thisMonday and this attendance shows that as soon as Americans know that thisproblem exists, we are committed to finding a solution," said formerCongresswoman Linda Smith, President and Founder of Shared Hope International.
The assessment findings have revealed American children in peril and adesperate need for solutions. On September 15-16, 2008 law enforcementofficers, social service providers, and child advocates from across the UnitedStates will convene in Dallas, Texas for the National Training Conference onthe Sex Trafficking of America's Youth. Hosted by Shared Hope Internationalwith funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of JusticeAssistance, the National Training Conference is the first of its kind;bringing an exclusive focus on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking -- thecommercial sexual exploitation of children through prostitution, pornography,and stripping. Shared Hope International will use this event to release agroundbreaking training video that employs surveillance footage, survivorinterviews, and expert testimony to educate and inform anyone on how toidentify and respond to American children who are commercially sexuallyexploited.
The new training video on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking reveals howAmerican children are recruited and tricked into prostitution in the UnitedStates and will assist first-responders in understanding who these victims areand how to identify and serve them. In the video, child sex traffickingsurvivor Caroline Germann said this of prostitution in the United States: "Outof the girls that I 'worked' with a number of them started out younger than18. I would say around 12 or 13 -- that's a real normal age if not youngerthan that." Caroline will attend the National Training Conference where thevideo will be released and will speak at a press breakfast during the event.She now works as an Outreach Coordinator for Veronica's Voice, a Shared Hopesupported nongovernment organization that assists trafficked women in KansasCity, MO.
About Shared Hope International
Shared Hope International (SHI) rescues and restores women and children incrisis. For almost a decade, SHI has worked diligently around the world inpartnership with local groups to prevent trafficking and to rescue and restorethe victims of sexual slavery. SHI is bringing hope to women and childreneverywhere.
SHI was selected by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct in-depthfield research in 10 U.S. locations and issue assessment reports, whichexamine two critical areas: the identification of U.S. children traffickedwithin the United States and the service delivery to this population. DOJchose the 10 area
