Human Trafficking in America: Is It Hype or Is It Real?
October 20, 2016
Hosted by Opal Singleton
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Episode Description
It seems like every week we see a TV special about sex slaves in America. Sunday night shows feature seemingly unbelievable stories of young girls forced into prostitution. There are now an estimated 100 nonprofit organizations combating human trafficking in Southern California alone. So what is the truth? What are the driving forces behind this apparent epidemic? Who are the victims? Why here? Why now? Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in America and 3 out of 4 victims are US citizens. A full 90 percent of sex trafficking cases in Southern California are gang-related, but the kids who fall prey to these gangs never once in their wildest dreams ever thought they would end up in forced prostitution. Nearly half of the cases involve gang-rings encompassing multiple cities and states. 60 percent of cases involve recruitment by another girl. Join us this week as we dissect how pimps, pedophiles and predators target our youth and lure, force and coerce them into 'the life.'
EXPLOITED: Crimes Against Humanity
Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
This program is designed to educate first responders, civic leaders, social workers, education professionals, faith based leaders and parents about how predators access, groom, recruit and exploit victims into prostitution and sextortion. We analyze real cases from the perspective of Law Enforcement, the victim, and the perpetrator. We look at hard core trafficking cases and how law enforcement is able to intervene. We examine cases of child pornography and the Dark Web. We examine how predators use apps, chatrooms, games and the latest technologies. We discuss the impact of gangs and cartels on human exploitation. We also look at trends in global human trafficking. Our goal is to build a global interactive community of individuals empowered to eradicate human exploitation.
Opal Singleton
Opal Singleton is a global human trafficking and child pornography expert. She has trained tens of thousands of first responders, government and civic leaders, faith based leaders and education administrators about how predators groom and recruit innocent victims into prostitution and exploitation. Opal works with the Riverside County (CA) Anti Human Trafficking Task Force through a Department of Justice grant. Opal sits with parents of missing kids and assists teens in trouble through social media. Opal is the President and CEO of Million Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating child sex trafficking. She has authored a book “Seduced: The Grooming of America’s Teenagers” to educate parents and grandparents and educators about how predators use apps, chatrooms, online video gaming and social media to exploit young people. Opal is on the Board of Rapha House serving human trafficking victims in Cambodia, Thailand and Haiti. She is an Instructor for the USC Sol Price Institute for Safe Communities training law enforcement administrators and is an Instructor for the Los Angeles Fire Training Academy. Opal retired in 2000 after a lifelong career in international marketing having accrued nearly three million frequent flyer miles. Opal is passionate about protecting families and youth from predators and is dedicated to providing an in-depth global interactive internet training program to educate leaders around the world to stop human exploitation and trafficking.
