10/09/2026
In 2008, I saw a little girl who should have been sitting in a classroom, worrying about homework, friendships, and all the ordinary things that come with being a child.
Instead, she was in handcuffs.
At the time, children who were being commercially s*xually exploited were still being arrested for prostitution in FL. Children who had been victimized were being treated as criminals.
I couldn’t reconcile that. And frankly, I still can’t.
How does a society look at a child being bought and sold for s*x and decide that the child is the criminal?
That question eventually change the course of my life.
Eighteen years later, I have encountered more stories, more suffering, and more extraordinary children than I could ever have imagined. And while we have made tremendous strides in how we recognize and respond to child trafficking, there is still so much work to be done.
Because here is something that should stop every single one of us in our tracks.
Eighteen years later, we’re STILL having this conversation.
According to Shared Hope International’s 2025 reporting, 20 states STILL permitted minors to be prosecuted for prostitution offenses.
Twenty states.
How is it possible that we can recognize a child as a victim of s*xual exploitation and still have laws that allow that same child to be treated as a criminal?
Progress should never be mistaken for completion.
Before we EVER see a case number, a criminal record, a behavioral problem, or a child who has been labeled difficult, we need to see what I saw that day.
A little girl who should have been in school.
A child who deserved protection. Not punishment. 🦋
