Threshing Floor Tabernacle (TFT) launched their first Campaign to bring awareness to these horrific crimes in April, 2014. Human trafficking is defined generally as the act of controlling an adult or minor through force, fraud, psychological or physical coercion to use that person for forced labor or sexual exploitation. Trafficking activity, falls into three major categories: sex trafficking of minors and adults, domestic servitude, and forced labor. There are different forms of child sexual exploitations: 1) child sex trafficking, 2) child pornography, and 3) child sex tourism. Though, we will not tolerate slavery in any form, however, sex trade of children and youth have become our main area of focus.
Human Trafficking/Sex Trade (HT/ST) has become the second largest industry in the world--the purchasing and selling of children, youth, and adults as if they're cattle. It is a growing epidemic in all states across this country as well as around the world (especially in third world countries), this issue of human trafficking is emerging and has only relatively recently been identified as an epidemic in the United States. These children are placed in dangerous and sometimes life-threatening situations on a daily basis. One rescued victim shared, “I was scared, but at the same time I couldn’t just sit there, I had to fight you know I couldn’t just sit there because I could probably be dead or something. What am I putting myself through - girls are getting killed and stuff, getting found in the dumpsters. I always think like, what if that was me, or something?” Another victim shared, “We’ve all been molested over and over, and raped. We were all molested and sexually abused as children, don’t you know that? We ran to get away, we were thrown out, thrown away. We’ve been on the street since we were twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Another victim shared, “ . . . all I heard was, ‘Man, go get that girl!’ And one of them came out and dragged me by my hair, and he pulled me into car… after [I] was kidnapped, at least six men gang-raped [me]. [I] was then driven to Sacramento, where [my] thirty-two year-old pimp put [me] out on the street as a prostitute.” Escape often seems impossible.
Those involved in the human trafficking industry are motivated by profit. In fact, many who previously trafficked guns and drugs have turned to trafficking humans due to the profit margin; guns and drugs can be sold only once while a person can be sold many times. The financial benefits of trafficking people outweigh the risks since today’s slavery is more hidden than it was in the past, therefore detection of abuse is difficult. It is also easy for traffickers to evade law enforcement since the victim often is in the open while the trafficker is hidden. In addition, traffickers are able to easily and inexpensively obtain victims. Today, a trafficker can buy a person for as little as a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, making people not only inexpensive to purchase, but it makes them easy to replace. Human trafficking has become a $32 billion dollar per year industry. It is estimated that an exploiter may earn as much as $650,000 in a year by exploiting as few as four children. A range of different traffickers come from all forms of society, they are individual pimps, gangs and organized crime members, brothel or massage parlor owners and managers, growers and leaders in agriculture, labor brokers, child adoption brokers, employers of live-in domestic help, factory owners and managers, restaurant owners and managers, and other small or large business or corporation.
It has been determined that three of the nation’s thirteen High Intensity Child Prostitution areas are located in California; Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco metropolitan areas. They are all rated as areas of “high intensity child prostitution”.
Different types of Pimps/Predators:
- Guerilla pimp - they may simply grab a victim from the street and use brutal and violent tactics to break down the victim(s) and to instill immediate fear of trying to escape. These types of pimps are also known for getting their victims addicted to drugs as a way of keeping them under their control.
- Romeo pimp - they use flattery, compliments and promises love and affection to insecure, lonely, and vulnerable victims. While guerrilla pimps use physical coercion from the beginning, Romeo pimps use psychological coercion, giving victim(s) attention, affection, and material things to convince them that theirs is a loving relationship. Romeo pimps then convince victims that their prostitution is their way of contributing to the relationship, even though the victims are not allowed to keep any money they receive. Victims often refer to Romeo pimps as their boyfriend, making law enforcement questioning and testimony difficult. Victims of sex trafficking may show symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome, becoming enamored with their trafficker or pimp as their “boyfriend,” identifying with him, and showing extreme gratitude for the smallest acts of kindness or mercy as a means of emotional and physical survival
The Church has to become involved in whatever means necessary to totally annihilate the selling of humans. The Evangelism Ministry needs to be fully armored according to Ephesians chapter 6 and possessed by the Holy Ghost to be educated in recognizing HT victims and predators in the streets. Our aim as the Church is to continue to sound the alarm within the Church Community that we need to fully engage in prayers and intercessions against the attack coming against our children in our Cities. We aim to send out the TFT Special Ops Team monthly either on a Friday or Saturday night from 9:00 – 12 midnight to invade the city streets. Our aim is to fully train men and women to assist in the full restoration process of spirit, soul, mind, and body so the victim(s) can be made whole. Our aim is to engage and not “let-up” in this fight for freedom for our children. We are the Voice of our Children!
If you are interested in getting involved or have any questions, please contact Pastor Lusia Killings.
Please contact her at 925-778-5700 or email her directly at lsk.tft@att.net
