Former victim says human trafficking an "epidemic"
Theresa Flores is using bars of soap to help stop human trafficking.
Flores is putting the numbers to help lines on bars of soaps in hotels, giving vital information to victims.
"We really need to wake up, and we need to realize that this is an epidemic problem that we have mislabeled as teen prostitution," Flores said.
The initiative has had a 92 percent success rate, said Flores, herself a victim. She spoke at recent conference in Wichita.
Flores said she had a crush on a boy in high school. The boy offered to take her home one day, but took her to his home first. There, the boy raped Flores.
Too scared to tell her mother, Flores decided she would handle the situation herself, but two days later, the boy approached her at school. He had an envelope, and said it had pictures of her he would give to her father, priest and post around the school unless she earned them back.
It turned into human trafficking. Flores sneaked out of her house at night as the boy drove her around to homes.
"I was locked away, tortured, waiting for that door to open up over and over again," Flores said.
"This went on and on, and nobody had any idea that this was happening to a kid like me. Who would have had any idea?"
Flores said runaways often are victims because they are told they just have to do one thing to get food or a bed.
She said human trafficking is mislabeled as teen prostitution.
Flores was featured on KFDI's "At Issue" program. For a copy of the podcast, click here.
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