Parents be Super Vigilant! Girl Kidnapping
Disclaimer: This story has disturbing details. However, it is in your best interest to read this and stay informed. Share this with other families. Knowledge is power and it can save many lives. You are welcome to comment, and share your knowledge or ideas if you have any to help others. Post useful numbers, or organization names in the comments. Thank you.
I was driving to work when I heard of the story of a 15 year old girl who went to the NBA arena in Dallas to see the Dallas Mavericks game. She went to the restroom and never came back. Her worried father asked the Stadium authorities for help and they could not help. Surveillance footage showed the girl leaving the stadium with a man.
The American Airlines Stadium authorities asked the father of the girl to leave and file a police complaint in the jurisdiction where he lived. The uninformed father was later told by the police in his jurisdiction that the crime — the kidnapping of his minor daughter happened in the stadium, so it is the job of the Dallas police to find out the missing girl. The fact is, you notify the police in which jurisdiction the crime happened.
With crucial time passing and no answers, the dad was able to contact an anti-trafficking agency in Houston, who then through their connections found the girl being sold, with her naked photos on the internet. She was sold for 11 days. Three main people were arrested with up to 8 others charged in this case of child endangerment, kidnapping, and being forced into sex trafficking. They were able to find the girl with the help of a Texas Anti-trafficking agency who used facial recognition technology to find the man who abducted her. She was rescued to safety in Oklahoma City. Police arrested 8 people, 2 men and 6 women in connection with this Child Trafficking ring.
The North Richland Hills girl and her parents are now wanting answers, as to how the authorities of the Stadium can be so lax in child safety. They live in North Texas and want this incident to be positive so it can save the lives of other children. Their family attorney, Zeke Fortenberry has sent letters to multiple parties asking them to investigate into how this matter of child safety could have been handled differently, to have a positive outcome.
“Our intent is to put [these organizations] on notice that we’re pursuing claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action,” Fortenberry said, according to the report.
“Researchers at the University of Texas School of Social Work estimate that, at any given time, 313,000 people are being trafficked in Texas. That includes 79,000 children and youth who are victims of sex trafficking and 234,00 adults who are victims of labor trafficking.”
Human trafficking uses the blue ribbon to raise awareness to the cause. According to the International Labor Organization, nearly 4.6 Million people are being sex trafficked, while 21 million are being trafficked to be forced into menial labor and other demeaning work, without pay.
Children have to be educated at an early age by their parents, or immediate elders, so they can avoid getting trapped in this vicious circle of no return. Child sex trafficking is getting rampant and families have to be super vigilant about the safety of their children, both girls and boys.
Non-profit Agencies that combat human trafficking, especially sex trafficking, are vital in the role they play along with the Police and Law Enforcement officers. These links below should help you or someone who has a trafficking crisis to report and solve right now.
1 (888) 373–7888 National Human Trafficking Hotline
SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages
Website: http://humantraffickinghotline.org
RESOURCES:
Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center
The Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Texas Annual Conference United Methodist Church
United Against Human Trafficking
Houston Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence
Sources:
WFAA NEWS [Family Lawyer Zeke Fortenberry talks about the abduction]
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