Local

Transforming from trafficking victim to victim's advocate

By Alexa Ashwell
By Alexa Ashwell

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman shared her journey about transforming from a sex-trafficking victim to a victim's advocate.

Thousands of children and young women across the country are victimized by sex traffickers every year.

It's a trade of human life that local victim's advocate Lanie George knows too well.

George said from age 7 to 17 she was sexually exploited at a strip club in Florida where her mother worked.

"We stayed at a strip club and we stayed in one of the back rooms," George said. "We were very poor so bringing gifts to me was fun."

But the fun quickly turned into a lifestyle -- one that's difficult for young women and children to escape.

George eventually moved to Charlotte and later started her nonprofit organization Redeeming Joy. The organization rescues victims of sex trafficking and helps rehabilitate them. 

"We in fact just found out we got a house," George said.

Still, George knows there is still much to be done. 

The victim's advocate said she's already seen an increase in sex ads on websites like Backpage. 

Authorities said when big events come to a city it often attracts sex traffickers.

The Carolina Panthers' playoff game Sunday is expected to bring thousands of people to Charlotte.

"As of 10 a.m. today (Tuesday), there were already more ads online than all of yesterday," George said. "Pimps will go where they're making the most money and right now there are large groups of men coming in and so they'll be able to sell these women."

Channel 9 was there Monday as authorities trained area hotel staff on ways to identify a victim of sex trafficking. 

Prior to the training session CMPD also announced a new task force that will officially form in March. The task force is teaming federal, state and local resources in order to identify and convict sex traffickers.

George said she's proud of what the city of Charlotte is doing in the fight against human trafficking.

"If we all work together we can stop this," George said.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

WSOC

0

Most Read