Human trafficking harms our children

It is astonishing to us the number of children in this county who have been rescued in just the past 18 months from sex traffickers who tricked them into a life of danger.

Last week, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux announced the arrest of two men and the rescuing of at least 15 young woman — nine from Tulare County and nearly all under the age of 18 — in a sex trafficking ring that spanned the entire state and even into Nevada.

The sheriff agreed while his office has now rescued approximately 70 females — by far the majority teenagers and some as young as 15 — from Tulare County, the county is not unique in seeing predators on the internet first luring young, naive girls into their nets and then forcing them into the sex trade. We are somewhat surprised by the fact that all of the females and all of those rescued, first went voluntarily, coerced by the promise of a lavish lifestyle and money.

Once the predators get the girls, the world changes quickly and they become victims. The sheriff pointed out many are hooked on drugs and threatened with exposure if they try to leave.

Sexual predators are not just the creepy looking guy lurking in the shadows. For parents, it is easy to warn your children about people like that, but it is much more difficult to make them aware of the dangers of the internet and predators who hide behind the screen. The young women rarely have any idea what they are getting into and at the age of 15, most cannot make a rational decision about their lives and futures. Sheriff Boudreaux and all law enforcement are working to not just put such predators behind bars, but make parents and children aware of the dangers. The sheriff advises parents to be nosey, to ask questions and if necessary, view emails and text messages. He said that can save parents a lot of grief later on, and perhaps save their child’s life.

We commend the sheriff for his tough stance and focus on sexual predators, especially those who prey on the children of this state. We also encouarage him to keep up the pressure and let those predators know Tulare County is no place for their kind.