Sound of Freedom — a film based on the true story of former government agent Tim Ballard turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers — has seen enormous success, and Lake area organizations are glad of the opportunity to spread awareness about the reality of human trafficking.
The film shocked Hollywood as it soared past the $85 million mark at the box office since opening on July 4, outperforming ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ in terms of per-screen average. It's expected to break the $100 million mark after this weekend.
Locally, the movie also has done extremely well. “The Sound of Freedom has been running at the lake for two weeks and it has been our biggest ticket sales daily,” VIP Lake West Cinema in Laurie, Mo. Assistant Manager Eric Robb said. At the time of this writing, the movie is still playing at both Lake area theaters.
Modern Day Slavery
Human Trafficking is modern day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act, or in which the person performing the commercial sex act is under 18 years of age.
According to Caviezel, the United States is the number one consumer of child sex in the world and Mexico is the number one provider. “The buying and selling of children is a $32 billion industry,” Caviezel said in an interview on Flash Point. “Second only to drug trafficking as a money-making industry. You can use drugs one time. You can use a child ten times a day or more. It is too lucrative for them to stop. The only way to stop it will be a grass roots move to stop it.”
When asked in an interview why he rescues children, Ballard responded, "Because God's children are not for sale."
Lake Area Organizations Helping Victims Of Abuse & Trafficking:
• Citizens Against Domestic Violence: https://www.cadv-voc.org
• Kids Harbor:
• Lake of the Ozarks STOP Human Trafficking Coalition: https://www.lostophumantrafficking.com
Trafficking at the Lake of the Ozarks?
Trafficking is a pervasive problem in the state of Missouri, but its presence is often covert. “Victims are brought to the Lake of the Ozarks for special events like the Shootout, Lake Race and during the Superbowl,” Lake of the Ozarks STOP Human Trafficking Coalition (LOSHTC) Board Member Tara Brace said.
“Prostitution is trafficking. A lot of people think they choose it, but most of the time they are forced,” Brace explained. “The average age of a child getting into sex trafficking is fourteen. I have concerns with the teens working on gas docks and college students at lake bars. We have helped multiple young women who were roofied (drugged unconscious) for the purpose of raping them,” Brace revealed.
Teens talking to strangers on their cell phone is another avenue for traffickers to have access to teens. “Teens should know to never talk to or meet with someone they met online,” LOSHTC Board Member Stacey Ochs advised. “They get them to send nude photos and then they blackmail them by threatening to tell their parents or post them on social media.” According to Ochs, the most common way a child is trafficked is by their own parents selling them for money or drugs.
LOSHTC supports and stabilizes victims of human trafficking in Miller, Morgan, Camden, and Laclede County by providing them with food, clothing, transportation, and a safe place to stay, usually at the Citizens for Domestic Violence Shelter. The bulk of their work is in education, making people aware of human trafficking. “There are a lot of people that do not even know trafficking exists here,” Ochs said.
Average citizens can play a role in identifying victims of trafficking by watching for indicators. According to the Blue Campaign, human trafficking is often “hidden in plain sight.”
In children, indicators to watch for include behavior, emotions that are not normal, using words inappropriate for their age, new extravagant things, or dressing risqué. Listen to them when they say someone online asked them for a picture, or when they say my friend said someone is being hurt. Most of the time this is how a child is rescued,
Questions to identify physical indicators include: Does the person show signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture? Do they appear to be deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care, or other necessities, or lack personal possessions? Socially, does the person work excessively long hours, show sudden or dramatic changes in behavior, act fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, nervous or paranoid? Do they defer to another person to speak for them, appear to be coached on what to say, appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or their church? Do they not have the ability to freely leave where they live?
Anyone concerned about abuse may call the national hotline at 888-373-7888.
Kids Harbor
LOSHTC held an educational meeting Thursday, July 13 at the First Baptist Church of Versailles. The guest speaker was Diana Sederwall, Program Manager for the Forensic Services at Kids Harbor Child Advocacy Center in Osage Beach, Mo.
Kids’ Harbor, Inc. is a child advocacy center serving the Lake of the Ozarks and nine other counties in Missouri. Kids Harbor assists victims of child abuse and their safe caregivers as they make their way through the difficult and often frightening process of a child abuse investigation. Sederwall has interviewed more than 4,000 children at the child advocacy center who either witnessed or were a victim to a crime.
An advocate stays with a child from the beginning to the end, which could be one to ten years. “That alone is traumatic,” Sederwall said. They conduct forensic interviews, compile medical evidence, ensure they go to a safe place, offer counseling, make court appointments, help with family needs, and accompany them to court.
Be Alert for 6th – 12th Grade Students in Camdenton
Guest speaker Russ Tuttle, President and Founder of the STOP Trafficking Project, will speak at 6 p.m. Sunday, August 30 Community Christian Church, 1064 N. Business Route 5 in Camdenton, MO.
Tuttle will have an open and honest Be Alert conversation for parents and 6th – 12th grade students about the realities of sex trafficking and an inside look into the role social media plays.
School Assemblies
Tuttle is also available to speak at school assemblies. He exposes vulnerabilities that are easily exploited in students via social media and gaming. These often lead to exploitation that include sexual exploitation and domestic minor sex trafficking. Students are educated about this reality and empowered to be safe and keep others safe. A dual track presentation is also available where caring adults receive training in the same facility simultaneously with the students. For information about inviting Tuttle to your school text 833-321-0219 or visit their website at https://www.stoptraffickingproject.com/.
Additional lake area community meetings hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks STOP Human Trafficking Coalition. All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 10 - St. George’s Episcopal Church 423 N. Business MO-5, Camdenton, Mo. Speaker Karolyn Schrage, Rise Coalition, Rolla, Mo.
Thursday, September 14 – The Hub, COMC Community Center, 1371C Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark, Mo. Speaker Internet Crimes Against Children, Lebanon Police Department.
Thursday, October 12 – Church at Osage Hills, 5237 Osage Beach Parkway, Osage Beach, Mo. Speaker Christine McDonald, author, speaker, and survivor of trafficking.
Thursday, November 9 - First Church of the Nazarene, 1024 E. Lawson Avenue, Eldon, Mo. Speaker Lindsay Campbell, survivor of trafficking.
