Upcoming Events:

Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention, Speaker Series

What it is:

Sherburne County Area United Way has teamed up with ACT United 
to bring a 3-part, FREE speaker series to our community. ACT United’s founder and lead facilitator, Jessica Bartholomew, worked as an undercover police officer in human trafficking with the Minneapolis Police Department. After retiring in 2014, she knew she needed to do something with her wealth of knowledge about child sexual exploitation and the ins and outs of the business of sex trafficking. She started ACT United to empower youth and equip communities in prevention.

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Part 1: Sextortion (completed)

Children can easily be manipulated by experts of exploitation using social media in order to acquire sexual images through deceit and coercion in order to get more sexual content or engage in sex with the child. 
Examples of how they obtain photos:

• “I’ll show you, if you show me”

• Pretending to work for a modeling agency

• Developing a bond/relationship with the child

• Acting as someone the same age

• Saving sexual conversations and threatening to post online

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Part 2: Sex Trafficking of Boys (completed)

You may see statistics that boys are much less likely to fall victim of sex trafficking. These statistics are heavily skewed by a false sense of reality. Males are much less likely to come forward as victims because they are ashamed and embarrassed of the situation. Many heterosexual victims are afraid that they will be seen as homosexuals, and their masculinity will be questioned. Shelters and services that help male victims of sex trafficking are few and far between.  A study done in 2010 by Samuel Jones, a John Marshall Law School professor, found only 2 out of 222 institutions and programs that received funding from the federal government focused on male victims of sex trafficking.

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Part 3: Ending Sex Trafficking & Prevention

Sex trafficking is everywhere. It is here in Sherburne County. Traffickers are not who you think they are. They don’t fit a mold that you see in movies. They are often times neighbors, friends, family, professionals, employers, and even people you think you should trust. As a community, we cannot ignore that it is here. We need to educate others that it is here and the signs to look for. We need to arm ourselves with information in order to protect our children from the evils of sex trafficking. Let’s unite to end sex trafficking in Sherburne County!

When & Where:

Part 3: Ending Sex Trafficking & Prevention

Thurs., Nov. 21st, 12pm - 1pm, Elk River Senior Living

Cost:

FREE event with FREE food!

Registration for each Part of the Series
requires a separate registration.