Sex Trafficking A Danger To Young Residents Of Lee County

Island Sun Newspaper, August 6, 2010

When Richard Johnson, as a representative of The Sanibel School, attended

the Lee County School Board’s Citizen Advisory Committee meeting in

May, he saw excerpts of a play presented by students at Cypress Lake

Center for the Arts. He was impressed by what he learned and realized that the

work had been initiated and sponsored by a Sanibel-based non-profit, Human

Trafficking Awareness Partnerships (HTAP).

He contacted Nola Theiss of Sanibel, executive director of HTAP, and together

with BIG ARTS and Zonta, they planned a presentation of excerpts of the play and a

showing of artwork produced by local students which was held on July 19.

At the program, Johnson explained his interest and support of this educational

work and Theiss reported on the widespread instances of this crime as well as local

cases. Nori Ann Reed, co-chair of the Zonta Anti-Trafficking Team, spoke about her

experience as a Navy captain visiting foreign ports and seeing young girls involved in

sex trafficking. She is now an active member of the Lee County Human Trafficking

Task Force and understands that this is a local crime as well. Gari Lewis, a Zonta

volunteer and art instructor talked about her experience working with the girls who

painted the canvases.

Two students, Jackie Benetiz and Caroline Farrell from Cypress Lake Center

for the Arts, presented monologues of actual victims and a short film was shown of

excerpts of the play they wrote and produced. They also discussed what they learned

from their involvement in this project. Theiss discussed plans for continuing the

Artreach projects and the need for funding for both of these projects.

The US government reports that sex trafficking accounts for 83 percent of this

modern form of slavery in the U.S. Thirty-two percent of these victims are American

children. Formerly called “child prostitutes” – a misnomer since the law says that no

child under the age of 18 can choose to prostitute herself – these children are now

identified as “domestic minor sex trafficking victims.”

Runaways are the most vulnerable. In Florida, 68 percent of all runaways are 15

or younger and most are female. These children often fall under the influence of older

men and women who trick them into sex trafficking. This group of young American

citizens has been overlooked or misidentified previously and when discovered, they

are treated like criminals or delinquents, rather than victims. Since the average age

of entry into the sex trade in this country is between 12 and 14, it is important that

young people learn about the dangers of trafficking at an early age.

Until recently, few people realized that sex trafficking affects Sanibel as well as

other parts of Southwest Florida. Due to a proactive police team and intense educational

and awareness efforts, 28 victims of severe trafficking have been identified

since 2007 in Lee County, a 78 percent rise over the previous two years. These cases

increasingly involve young American children.

For more information or to make donations toward the continuation of this work,

please contact Theiss at 395-2635 or HTAP, PO Box 1113, Sanibel, FL 33957.