Free2Hope Inc.

Human Trafficking

What is Human Trafficking?

Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use by force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving and receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Trafficking consists of three core elements:

The action of trafficking which means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons.
The means of trafficking which includes threat of or use of force, deception, coercion, abuse of power or position of vulnerability.
The purpose of trafficking which is always exploitation. In the words of the Trafficking Protocol, article 3 "exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

The Realities:

There are an estimated 100,000 children being trafficked in the United States right now.
Last year, human trafficking made more money than Google, Nike, and Starbucks combined.

Child Sexual Exploitation:

A child being groomed for a sexual purpose: Commercial sex work, sex shows, pornography, abuse through new technologies including online sexual exploitation with the use of web cameras, stripping, non-commercial sexual exploitation and marriage for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The Damage

Sexual violence against children is recognized internationally as the most severe violation of their human rights and the worst form of child abuse and exploitation. It can have severe, long-term and even life threatening effects on a child’s physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional and social development.

It's A Fact

More than one in three children aged 11-17 (34%) who experienced contact sexual abuse by an adult did not tell anyone else about it.
Nearly a quarter of young adult (24.1%) experienced sexual abuse, by an adult or by a peer during childhood.

Human Trafficking in Kentucky

Think human trafficking doesn't happen in Kentucky?

Kentucky is a “pass through state” meaning that women or men who are trafficked tend to come from other cities, but come through Kentucky on their way from one point to another. Traffickers prefer to make the victim leave the area they are from to lessen the chance they would run.

Our interstate highway system along with high profile sporting events like the Kentucky Derby have made the state part of the trafficking pipeline.