Residents attended ZOE International’s Human Trafficking Forum last week at Elevate Church, where frontline experts discussed the ways predators target kids online through social media, artificial intelligence, games and applications.
In partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, members of the nonprofit ZOE International spoke to the crowd about not only their personal experiences, but also real stories that have driven their initiative further.
“To realize that there’s that level of activity going on, it’s just not fair to kids. This is why we have to talk about it. I have sat with so many parents who were just like, ‘I had no idea,’” said David Cox, national United States director for ZOE International. “Tonight, it’s about awareness, but it’s also about hope… ZOE has been working since 2002 to prevent children from human trafficking. Trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar industry, [where] 28% of the victims are kids, and that becomes the real focus at ZOE.”
Ester Yu, western regional director for ZOE, discussed the home that’s established for the children in north Los Angeles County, and the overall process for helping the victims readjust to life.
“It’s a state-licensed home and sits on a 50-acre property. We’re able to provide therapeutic, short-term care. They’re referred by social workers. We’ve had the privilege of helping 36 different young women since we started the program in August 2021,” Yu said. “Even though what we talk about today is so dark and horrifying, I just want to encourage you that there is hope, and we see it in the lives of the young women after they leave our home.”
Members of the ICAC Task Force, including Lt. II Robin Richards, spoke to the audience about the roles of the task force and the ways in which they monitor internet activity.
“The ICAC Task Force started in 1998, when the internet was in its infancy stage. There was an increase in the number of children on the internet. Then we saw an increase of predators on the internet because there were children on the internet and the predators went on the internet to solicit those children,” Richards said. “You’re here tonight learning something, so when you go back home, you will be able to have that conversation or speak to someone.”
More information about ZOE International is available at gozoe.org.
