Random Human Trafficking Survivors Tell Their Heartbreaking Stories (13 items)

• (#12) Life With a Foster Family Led Keisha To Years As A Prostitute, Twice

  For the first 10 years of her life, “Keisha” was raised by her aunt. Then, she was placed in Florida’s foster program. When a member of her foster family began making unwanted advances, 14-year-old Keisha ran away, coming into contact with a man who identified himself as “Mastur D.” 

  According to the Polaris Project, the 26-year-old promised to get Keisha back to her family, but only if she agreed to have sex with other men to raise the money to make it happen. Keisha agreed but was unaware of the abuse he intended to inflict upon her. Mastur D began to beat her and force her to have sex with whomever he wanted.

  A few months later, she was arrested for prostitution. Upon Keisha’s release, she was placed back in the care of her original foster family. That situation led her, once again, to rely on Mastur D to help her return to her family. Then, she was arrested for prostitution a second time. While serving her juvenile sentence, Keisha contacted Polaris to help break the cycle of abuse. 
   
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  (#1) Kendall Claims Her 'Owner' Told Her She Was ‘Made’ For Bondage

  One alleged survivor of the illegal sex trade, who calls herself “Kendall,” publicly announced that her parents only had her in order to sell her to an international trafficker. In March 2017, Kendall went on the Dr. Phil Show and shared her story. She maintains her life began with sexual abuse and that she was molested as a toddler, prior to developing verbal skills. 

  Kendall explained that the man, whom she refers to only as “the man who owned me,” said that she wasn’t allowed to use the word “trafficking.” Kendall, reportedly unsure of her own age, reiterated how the man told her she “was made for [sexual slavery], and trafficking is when girls who aren’t made for that get kidnapped or sold into it.”

  On the show, Kendall described her “clients” as powerful, rich men and women - from politicians, doctors, celebrities, and even law enforcement officials. 
   
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  (#4) Sabine Went From Genocide Survivor To Human Trafficking Victim

  As the only surviving member of her family in the wake of the Rwandan genocide, “Sabine” was more than happy to accept an offer working for a wealthy American family. Upon her arrival in the US, the family held the girl captive and made her perfor forced labor. According to the Polaris Project, Sabine had neither a room nor a bed and slept on the floor. 

  It took six months before Sabine was allowed one hour off each Sunday to attend church services. While there, one of her fellow parishioners caught wind of her situation and helped her escape. At first, Sabine’s ordeal had left her traumatized. She was afraid to leave her new apartment or venture in the city alone.

  With the help of a devoted case manager, Sabine is reportedly now able to travel on her own and is learning English as she slowly works to rebuild her life.
   
• (#5) Loreta Was Forced Into Sex Work As A Teenager

  According to Equality Now, social workers removed Loreta and her 13 brothers and sisters from a negligent home environment. At a young age, she and her siblings were shipped off to Lithuanian state homes across the country, and she lost track of her family.

  Soon after she arrived at the state home, a man posing as her godfather visited Loreta. He began visiting her repeatedly. The other kids told her she was fortunate, and she initially agreed, until her “godfather” assaulted her at the age of 13. At 15, the state sent her to live with him.

  A young madam named Dana, posing as Loreta's sister, courted the 16-year-old. The 21-year-old befriended the teen with promises of fun before luring Loreta and her friends into a life of forced prostitution. For two years, Loreta lived with Dana before the madam sold her to a pimp in Ravenna, Italy.

  In Italy, she was forced to have sex with clients in the public restrooms within a 15-minute window. It wasn’t until she happened to have a client that spoke Lithuanian that Loreta dared beg for help. The john took Loreta and some of her friends to the Italian police. They helped get her some documentation and return back home.
   
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  (#7) After Being Arrested For Teenage Prostitution, Erica Was Never Once Asked If She Was In Trouble

  Forced into the world of prostitution at age 14, “Erica” says that human trafficking is shockingly common near the border. Erica maintains having had several interactions with police, but that officials never asked her if she was “a victim.” According to KTSM, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 2,000 calls from Texas in just the first three months of 2017.
  Erica adamantly describes trafficking as problem evident across the county, and not just in El Paso:

  You would never know how many guys are out picking up girls. Girls you might just see walking on the sidewalks, a 14-year-old girl can be out prostituting and you would not know that.

  These days, Erica is working to correct that institutional problem. She believes that if police were more sympathetic to certain “offenders,” authorities could shine a light on human trafficking in the Texas area.
   
• (#8) Natalia Wanted An American Education But Ended Up A Slave

  A family living in a remote Ghana village struggled to make the money needed to send their daughter “Natalia” to school. A New Jersey man offered to have Natalia educated in the United States, and her family agreed, happy to send her overseas for the opportunity.

  According to the Polaris Project, Natalia was imprisoned upon her arrival. Over the course of the next six years, she was repeatedly abused, both physically and sexually. She was forced to work 18-hour days cooking and cleaning for her “host” parents and their three children. Not only did the family not enroll Natalia in school, but they refused to even allow her outside.

  Natalia eventually escaped and exposed the goings on to a neighbor, who called the authorities. A month after connecting with Polaris, Natalia was finally able to attend school.
   

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