Local nonprofit holds panel to raise human trafficking awareness
A local nonprofit organization hosted a panel on Friday to raise public awareness about human trafficking.
The Malouf Foundation, the charitable arm of local linen-manufacturing company Malouf, hosted the founders of Operation Underground Railroad, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to combating the global child sex trafficking industry.
Tim Ballard, a former special agent for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad, said the extent of child sex trafficking worldwide was grossly underestimated.
“More people are enslaved today than ever before,” he said. “I think people would be shocked if they knew the reality of human trafficking.”
Ballard said human trafficking is pervasive throughout American society, which is the largest source of demand for the global sex trafficking industry. He said human trafficking even occurs in Cache County, and that his nonprofit has provided consultation services for the Cache County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Operation Underground Railroad, child sex trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the United States. There are nearly 30 million people enslaved worldwide according to the Walk Free Foundation, including at least two million child slaves.
Ballard said he was motivated to start the nonprofit because of the limitations he faced while serving as a special agent in the federal government.
“I became exposed to cases that were totally outside the jurisdiction that I was really allowed to work in,” he said. “Unfortunately, the places where we were finding these kids, the governments of these countries didn’t have the resources to make a difference.”
Because the federal government’s jurisdiction is limited to U.S. territory, Ballard believed he could make a bigger difference by founding a nonprofit which also works in partnership with foreign governments to combat human trafficking abroad. Operation Underground Railroad currently operates in 22 states and 20 foreign countries.
Former Department of Homeland Security Investigator John Lines has served as the organization’s Director of Operations since 2016. He emphasized the importance of donations and spreading awareness about the issue.
“We are changing generations,” he said. “The private individual that gives us five dollars a month, that is saving generations.”
The panel spoke about the degree to which child sex trafficking occurs online.
“In the deep, dark layers of the internet, there are people that get on there that buy and sell children,” Lines said.
He explained that Operation Underground Railroad provides technical expertise to foreign law-enforcement organizations to combat human trafficking on the dark web.
O.U.R. has generated public awareness about the issue by contacting congressional representatives and networking with other nonprofit organizations. Their documentary film, “Operation Toussaint,” recounts a recent operation in Haiti that resulted in the arrests of the country’s top four human traffickers.
“Once your eyes are opened to the cause and the issue, it’s not heroic to be involved, it’s humane,” said Sam Malouf, the founder of Malouf Foundation. “When you’re aware of this, it’s not something you can or should turn away from. It’s something you get more involved in.”
In addition to hosting awareness events and fundraisers, a portion of all Malouf sales is donated to fighting human trafficking. The foundation has also launched a video series called “OnWatch,” which provides training to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking.
“I guarantee you know someone who can come and join the cause,” Lines said.
Lines said that if someone wants to help, they can volunteer, make donations and raise awareness about child slavery.
Donations to the Malouf Foundation and Operation Underground Railroad can be made at malouffoundation.org and ourrescue.org. The documentary “Operation Toussaint” can be found on Amazon Prime Video.