The public is invited to learn more about the local impact of child sex trafficking this week at a Trafficking Town Hall event hosted by a local nonprofit.
Considered to be an authority on felony level child abuse in Denton, Jack, and Wise counties, the Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas will be hosting the Town Hall on Tuesday evening.
“There are so many stereotypes and myths about child sex trafficking. We hear people say, ‘trafficking only happens between foreign countries’ or ‘it doesn’t happen in the US,'” said Kristen Howell, CEO of Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas and panel moderator. “A lot of people are under the impression that it requires a kidnapping or a highway like the I-35 Corridor. Many believe that kids that live at home and are in school can’t be trafficked kids. Our role is to help educate the community and our partners about the realities of this crisis, how often it happens, how close to home it is, and how we can prevent our community kids from becoming victims.”
Since 2019, as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s human trafficking initiative, the Advocacy Center has been at the forefront in providing services for child victims and their families, according to a news release from the organization. While actively coordinating more than 100 cases of at-risk kids through August 2023, the Advocacy Center works with a trusted team of professionals to ensure that high-risk youth and trafficking victims have their voices heard and their needs met.
Panelists include State Senator Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound), Little Elm Police Chief Rodney Harrison, Denton County District Attorney’s Child Abuse Unit Prosecutor Dustin Gossage, The Colony Police Department Lieutenant Brian Baker, and experts from Traffick911 and the Advocacy Center.
The Trafficking Town Hall will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, at North Central Texas College’s Denton campus, 316 East Mulberry St. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees should RSVP for parking at cacnorthtexas.org/trafficking-town-hall.
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