Light, Love, Hope

How often do you sit and think about the teenage girls, alone in their rooms, seeking companionship through their phone.  Often times, in the dark hours of the night, there is a stranger looking to become their friend.  In their innocence, they don’t think about the dangers that could be lurking.  All they want is someone to talk to when everyone else has turned in for the night.  Sleep won’t come, so they respond to the stranger on the other end, and soon they find they are sharing their world with each other nightly.  Seemingly, they form a very special bond, and the urge to meet in person is so strong.  Soon, they are making plans for the young, naive girl to sneak out of her parent’s home to slip into an awaiting vehicle to meet her friend.

This is a scene that is all too common, and occurs more often than we truly know,  all over the United States.  Sadly, the young ladies aren’t meeting their friend, their Prince Charming, but instead will meet their worst nightmare as these innocent ones are sold into sex trafficking.

The film Trafficked allows us a glimpse into the fate of these young ladies at the hands of pimps.  When Allison, at the age of Sweet Sixteen, was supposed to be celebrating her birthday with family and friends, instead, she is whisked away where she is kept in a dog cage until time for her to “work.”   Allison is hesitant at first until the pimp reaches into his pocket to retrieve a picture of her younger sister.  Allison accepts drugs from the pimp that insists upon being called “Daddy.”   Her life has been turned upside down by one mistake; trusting someone that “catfished” her online.  Numb to her reality, Allison complies with the pimp’s wishes in order to protect her sister.

Meanwhile, Allison’s family hires an outrageously expensive private investigator, Dean Cain, when they feel like the law enforcement officers aren’t taking Allison’s disappearance serious enough.  The once soft spoken grandmother gives up her retirement funds in order to find her granddaughter!

The film takes many twists and turns, as a feeling of hopelessness consumes the entire family.  In despair, Allison’s father contemplates taking his own life, but just when he needs it the most, the private investigator provides a spark of hope that ignites a fire within her father.  Joining forces with the investigator and his team, the father storms into the pimp’s house in search of his daughter!

I won’t tell you how this story ends, in hopes that you will desire to watch the film.  Please don’t stop there, though.  Help bring awareness to sex trafficking!

This film was particularly hard for me to watch, as I have a sixteen year old daughter who JUST revealed to me two weeks ago that she has been speaking with a young man she “met” online.  My heart shatters at the thought of someone catfishing her, seeking to destroy her in this fashion.

As parents, it’s our job to protect them!  Yet, due to their innocence, they fall into the hands of people that seek to harm them.  We must warn them of the dangers that lurk on the internet!

Thankfully, not all people on the internet are bad!  I won’t lump all internet users into the same category, as I have made lifelong friends with people I “met” online.  Some have been in my life now for 23 years, and I have been so blessed by their friendship.  After this length of time, we have become more like family.   But we must not lose sight of the fact that not ALL people seek to bless our lives, and we must not get too comfortable revealing things about ourselves with people we meet online.  There is danger lurking when our young ones least expect it.

I’d like to share some resources with you that provide talking points and other beneficial information.   Let’s bring awareness to this subject and help prevent young ladies from falling into this trap!   If you’re concerned about how to talk to your children, then please review the 10 Easy Conversation Starters at this link.  

Help is available for those that may have lived this nightmare and have come out on the other side a survivor!    Please reach out to the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance if you or someone you know have been affected by sex trafficking.

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Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.