Sound of Freedom: Join the Fight Against the Sex Trafficking of Children

By
nikijones
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0
Yesterday I went to see the “Sound of Freedom” and today I’m still at a loss for words and my heart is broken. This film has gripped my heart and stirred emotions that I literally can’t express, but I am going to try. For those of you that may not be familiar with the movie, “Sound of Freedom” is the story of Tim Ballard, a former U.S. government agent, who quit his job in order to devote his life to rescuing children from global sex traffickers.

It’s a movie that will shake you to your core, delving into the darkest corners of humanity where innocent children are subjected to unspeakable horrors.

If you know me, you know my passion for helping women and children who have fallen victim to emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and perhaps because I knew I would come to this very place I am today, I have limited my exposure to the pure evil that exists within the world of child trafficking. But I refuse to go back. I refuse to go back without doing something more. Anything.
 
I spent hours online after, trying to find something I could do personally and that we could do as a community to help end this tragedy.

Yesterday, I learned. . . .

  • 22 Million New Images of Child Pornography on the web this past year. 22 MILLION.
  • That is a 5,000% increase over the last 5 years
  • 25% of child pornography is created by a neighbor or family member
  • Over 500,000 online sexual predators are active each day
  • Over 80% of child sex crimes begins on social media
  • The United States is #1 in the world for sex trafficking
  • 27% of human trafficking victims are children
  • Human trafficking is a $150 billion-a-year criminal enterprise business worldwide
  • There are an estimated 2 million children being trafficked around the world today
  • It is the fastest growing international crime network that the world has ever seen. It has already surpassed the illegal arms trade, and soon it is going to pass the drug trade and you want to know why? Cause you can sell a bag of cocaine one time, but the child, the most precious child, you can sell a 5 year old kid, 5 YEARS OLD, 10 times in ONE day, for 10 years straight.
  • This was not stated in the movie, but me just doing simple math – that means one child could endure being raped over 35 thousand times by the time they are 15 and that is if they survive.
I am still struggling to wrap my head around the magnitude of child sex trafficking, a horror that not only exists today, it clearly thrives today. This doesn’t just exist in some faraway land, it’s not a fictional story, even though maybe we hope it is. It is happening in our own backyard, literally portions of this movie was filmed at the San Ysidro border. That is less than 25 miles from where I live today, this is happening and it is happening next door. It’s happening everywhere.
 
What hit me the hardest was seeing little girls being trafficked in the movie my daughter’s age. They looked just like her, I saw my daughter’s eyes empty and defeated. Sadly, I saw the likeness of too many kids I know and love. The reality is it can happen to my family, it can happen to yours and we must do something.
 
Even though I am terrified and angry, I am humbled by the courage and strength of those who are fighting against this abomination. The movie pays homage to Tim Ballard and many other brave souls who sacrificed everything and put their lives on the line for the children they rescued.
 
While the subject matter is undoubtedly hard to digest and it may not be an easy choice, it’s a necessary one. It is not possible to turn a blind eye or remain ignorant to the suffering endured by these children.

When we face the uncomfortable truth, we empower ourselves with knowledge and empathy, allowing us to take meaningful action.

We can’t all accomplish what Tim Ballard does in this film and day in and out, but I hope it fuels our determination to spread awareness, support organizations fighting child sex trafficking, and demand justice for the voiceless.
 
Regardless of your beliefs or political views, we must unite our voices, stand together as a collective force, and ensure that every child can experience safety and love. I am a firm believer that even the tiniest acts of kindness and awareness can have a ripple effect. Every step we take, no matter how small, contributes to the larger battle against this evil. It is our responsibility together to raise a generation of children who are safe, well-informed, compassionate, and dedicated to protecting the innocence of future generations to come.
 
I hope watching this movie or reading this post will spark change inside of your hearts and transform your fear into action, humbleness into resolve, and empathy into power that breaks the chains of child sex trafficking.
 

We will share more ways to get involved in this fight over the coming weeks, but if you would like more focused information on actionable steps you can take in the fight, please email me. I’m not sure what that looks like yet, but let me just say that nothing is more powerful than an angry, fed up, and scared mother protecting her child and other children. To get in touch, please email me at niki@sandiegomoms.com/. Go see the movie. If you can’t afford it, and really would like to see it – email me.

Together we can make a difference.

Resources + Get Involved

I wanted to link a few resources I found on different ways to get involved, to educate yourself and to help spread awareness. At this year’s Family Safety Day on September 30th, you better believe that this will be a huge part of the event.

time ballard

More about Operation Underground Railroad & Tim Ballard

In 2013, Tim Ballard and a team of former government operatives left the security of their careers to accomplish the work of rescuing children as a private foundation – Operation Underground Railroad. At O.U.R., Tim has created a team that can work in any jurisdiction and in conjunction with law enforcement to rescue children directly. That team exists today and operates all over the world.

O.U.R. leads the fight against child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation around the globe. Their work has no boundaries- they go to the darkest corners of the world to assist law enforcement in rescuing children and ensure ongoing aftercare. They provide critical resources to law enforcement and preventative efforts that benefit at-risk children worldwide.

Visit https://ourrescue.org for more info!

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