Activist Theresa Flores will speak in Baker Center Ballroom tonight about human trafficking as part of a program organized by Belts Breaking Bondage, an anti-human trafficking
student group at Ohio University.
Twenty-eight years ago, classmates at Flores' suburban Detroit high school blackmailed her into prostitution. She was trafficked by classmates for two years, until her family moved. Flores has since written a book, The Sacred Bath: An American Teen's Story of Modern Day Slavery, about her experiences.
The Post's Mallory Long spoke with Flores about her experiences of trafficking and sharing her story.
The Post: What will you be speaking about when you are at Ohio University?
Theresa Flores: I speak about human trafficking, or more specifically, domestic minor sex trafficking, which essentially is trafficking of American girls who are under 18 that are being trafficked within the United States. I educate people about trafficking in general and the statistics and the prevalence here, but I also tell my own personal story about having (been trafficked) for two years.
Post: What was your experience with human trafficking?
Flores: I was from a very affluent family and was targeted by some traffickers. ... I was drugged in a party situation and then I was raped. Pictures had been taken during that, and I was
unaware of it because I was drugged. Then they presented them to me several days later ... and said if I didn't do what they said they
would show them to my father and post them around school and things like that. ... So for two years I was essentially trying to work off the pictures, so I could get them back.
Post: When you were in high school, were other people aware that you were being trafficked?
Flores: I don't think they were because back then, nobody knew about human trafficking. I know that people saw signs of a kid being sexually exploited. You know, here's this kid that these older men are hanging around. They were very powerful and very rich men ...
Post: Why did you choose to start speaking about your experience being trafficked?
Flores: ... I couldn't sit and not do anything anymore because I didn't want another young girl to have to go through what I did.
Post: What do you hope OU students will take away from your speech?
Flores: I think my main message is always that it does happen here, in the United States and to Americans. ... We need to protect each other, and when we see something like this happening, to reach out to somebody.
ml743806@ohiou.edu
3 Culture
Mallory Long
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