MIDLAND, Texas —
When you think of child sex trafficking, you might think it only happens in big cities. But the truth is, it happens right here in our backyard, and right under our noses.
In fact, just this past summer, 70 children were rescued in West Texas during a three-week operation called Lost Souls.
They found children in Midland, Ector, Tom Green and El Paso counties. The youngest victims were just 10 years old. Investigators say all suffered sexual and physical abuse.
So Tuesday, several local groups got together for a human trafficking 101 class to help the community understand how this happens, how to spot it and who to call.
The most important piece of advice to parents? Know what your child is doing.
"Be involved, ask questions,” said Executive Director of Voice of Hope Kristin Murray. “Trafficking, what we are seeing in our communities, isn't the white van that is scooping them off the street. While that can happen, it is very, very rare. These predators are actually engaging your kids in chat rooms, on videogames. They are engaging your kids on TikTok and all of those different platforms that our kids have access to. So, you need to be very involved with that process, and make sure that your children know that what people tell them on the internet isn't true."
Midland and Odessa have been working hard with the governor's office to create working protocols to be adopted and used throughout the communities when a child has been identified as a victim of child sex trafficking.