“Mom, you got me hooked on drugs and when I got pregnant by Jack, you made me abort the baby at some strange lady’s house. I’m only 16yrs old and I want to be a normal teenager; I want to go to school with kids my own age. I don’t want to live life like this anymore. I have been in a relationship with Jack since I was 13 years old. I want out! No more lies, secrets and forcing me and my siblings to be street performers. Mom we are leaving to stay with our dad. We want out and we’re not coming back.” Angel is a very sad case like many children who are snatched and taken into a life of bondage. The sextrafficking epidemic entraps young girls and boys every day. These children are forced into child labor and held in bondage for the love of money. During the 2019 Super Bowl, Pastor Bryant of New Birth Church, Lithonia, Georgia aired a show on sextrafficking. This was an effort to bring awareness and deter trafficking. Angel appeared on Pastor Bryant’s show and told her story on national television. Oasis Montage is a non-profit organization that has produced a sextrafficking awareness stage play called Angels Palace. In an effort to maximize awareness, they are performing the play at highly reported locations. The top 3 states ranking locations for human trafficking are: California, Michigan, and Georgia. One of the ways the young lady Angel was obtained by Jack was through the grooming stage. Angel was made to feel loved, admired, offered stardom, job security and to be rewarded. After Angel became comfortable with Jack, he then moved into the seasoning stage. In the seasoning stage, Angel had to perform sexual acts for Jack; her pimp. This was the way Jack kept her affection using the Stockholm syndrome. Once Jack has her affection; even forced marital vows, Angel found it hard to escape. Angel’s aunt and uncle in another state, helped her get into CSEC residential treatment at Devereux. It has been 6 months and Angel has graduated from the facility. As a leader she has chosen to be an advocate for young girls. Angel is happy to be free, out of bondage and finally living her life in an arc of safety. If you suspect anyone being trafficked, or any suspicion, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1(888)-373-7888.
10 OASIS/Montagé • February 2020
