Migrant sex-trafficking survivors say ‘I’ve seen good people die’
Sad images of teenagers on the south coast, alone and with nothing but paper in their hands, have become tragically common. According to Border Patrol data, since President Biden took office in 2021, nearly 540,000 unaccompanied minors have been apprehended at the southern border. Many of these children fall victim to sex traffickers, face unimaginable situations and exploitation.
Fox News recently spoke with a 20-year-old sex-trafficking survivor who agreed to remain anonymous for his safety. He still lives in fear that the aggressors will find him. From South America to Mexico and then across the border, he was finally rescued at the age of 18 and taken to Bob Hope’s home.
Bob’s House of Hope is the first safe house in the country specifically for male sex-trafficking survivors. The victim shared harrowing details of his ordeal: he was trafficked six to eight times a day, beaten and threatened with death if he dared to speak out.
“I’ve seen good people die,” he said.
A judge has approved an emergency order to close an Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex that was attacked by a gang of immigrants.
A male immigrant sex-trafficking survivor spoke to Fox News. (Fox News)
Safe House founder Bob Williams was inspired to create this safe haven after his own experience.
“They feel like it’s only happening to girls and women,” Williams said. “And that’s the problem. It’s the stigma that we have to change. But the reality is that we believe that up to 50% of victims of human trafficking are men and boys.”
Bob’s House of Hope welcomes both US citizens and immigrants. It works with law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
“I said we’ll take anyone who survives because these refugees are protected under federal sex trafficking laws,” Williams explained.
Shockingly, many of the victims at Bob’s House of Hope are surrounded by their families, with nothing more to see than dollar signs.
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“Most of these kids are being trafficked by an uncle, a neighbor or someone they know,” Williams said.
Williams describes a disturbing cycle: Many migrants are forced into labor during the day and then forced into the sex trade at night.
A common question he says he hears is, “Why couldn’t the boys escape?” He explains that not only are they threatened with violence, but they are under the control of addiction, especially fentanyl.
A nearly $4 million bounty held by the LAPD is sitting on the table. Human traffickers intentionally develop a fentanyl addiction in their victims as another means of control, said Bob Williams. (LAPD)
“This fentanyl problem is so serious that it’s getting these young people hooked on drugs,” he said. This, coupled with the threat to their families, is controlling them.
A recent Office of Inspector General report found that ICE has lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors over the past few years. Williams does not doubt that many of these children have been trafficked.
“We know that many of these children were sold by their families to gangs or traffickers,” he said. “Predators prey on vulnerable children. We had a case where a young man was taken by gangs in Florida trying to reunite with his family under the guise of giving them a ride to Miami. But that trip didn’t materialize.”
Bob’s House of Hope’s mission is to help heal the trauma these young people have experienced. The program lasts four years, providing housing, a safe space with medical care, animals and education.
Bob Williams founded Bob’s House of Hope to help boys who are victims of sex trafficking. (Fox News)
After completion, the goal is for them to move into independent living, have a car, a job and the opportunity to attend college.
Bob’s Hope Chief Operating Officer and therapist Landon Dixon explained the challenges these young refugees face.
“From birth, they are often rejected by their parents and grandparents, often sold for money and brought to the United States for further abuse,” Dixon said. “They get here confused, they don’t speak the language and they struggle to navigate our systems, which makes them incredibly vulnerable.”
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Survivors we spoke to expressed gratitude for the sense of family and comfort they found at the safe house and hope for a better life.
“All I can say is don’t give up, don’t give up, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Along with tougher border enforcement, Williams believes there should be tougher penalties for traffickers and complex family members, as well as increased funding for programs like his that support victims.
