Operation Underground Railroad addresses HSV Rotary members
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Matt Osborne, director of Strategic Initiatives for Operation Underground Railroad, gave a presentation on human trafficking during the March 7 meeting of Hot Springs Village Rotary Club.
Osborne, who lives in Texas, has worked for both the CIA and State Department and has been able to apply his expertise to help with the worldwide problem of human trafficking. He was introduced by Melisa Glenn of the Garland County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Osborne said that slavery is not something out of the history books but something that exists today in the world, this country, and this community, the club said in a news release.
He said that human trafficking, especially the victimization of children, is not a pleasant subject.
“We live in a dark world, but there is light,” he said. Osborne defined commercial sexual exploitation as “someone sells someone into it and profits from it.” This includes both child prostitution and child pornography.
According to Osborne, “the U.S. is the No. 1 producer and No. 1 consumer of pornography in the world.” He said that unlike the drug trade, sex slaves “can be reused. A child can be sold over and over. These are victims, not volunteers.”
Osborne added that following rescue, aftercare for victims is the most important thing “so they can get back the life God intended for them.”
More information about the human trafficking problem as well as the efforts of Operation Underground Railroad is available at https://ourrescue.org/
Rotary is a service organization that is open to all men and women. Guests are always welcome at the Hot Springs Village club which meets in the Fireside Dining Room at Good Sam’s, 121 Cortez Road, Thursdays at 7 a.m.