Taking Down an Online Trafficking Platform

In April, our Europe Team participated in an operation in Western Europe to take down a ring of traffickers who ran an online pornography network. The network had 400,000 users. Investigators said it was “one of the world’s largest platforms containing child sex abuse materials.”

We had seen this ring before. It turns out they were the same trafficking ring that exploited Oceana, one of the child survivors in our care right now.

Even more incredibly, this operation freed 3 more children from trafficking. During the operation, our team encountered a survivor who knew where other trafficking victims were being held. This survivor drew a map on a napkin to show our team how to locate them. Our team used the map to find 3 other children who were being exploited. They are safe now! Let’s take it a step further and bring these children the wraparound support they need for total restoration. It takes roughly $16,000 per year to provide holistic support to a survivor of any age. Support from people like you go towards providing everything from food and clothing to art therapy and medical care.

Will you prayerfully consider coming alongside Oceana and child survivors everywhere by supporting Uncaged? Support from people like you goes towards providing everything from food, medical care, clothing to trauma informed therapies such as art and equine therapy. Together, we are bringing freedom and transformation to hundreds, even thousands of captives.

5 Survivors Were Freed Before It Was Too Late

“I know what kind of man you are. I see your heart for trafficking survivors and your passion for the cause”, the prosecutor said to our team member.

The prosecutor and our team had been fighting for 2 trafficking survivors in court all week. Their former trafficker had tracked down the ladies and learned that they had both become successful businesswomen.

He was now suing them for breach of contract.

You see, they had signed a contract years before to travel to another country for employment at a hotel. Of course they never made it to the hotel. They were brutally trafficked for 2 years before being freed.

The prosecutor continued, “we are in the midst of another trafficking situation. It’s a sting operation; and we need you to get involved, if you would be willing.” Our team member immediately pledged his participation.

The following morning, our team member headed to the local shopping mall food court and sat close to the trafficker and his latest victim. She was an attractive 20-something. He was a good bit older. Our team member listened in on the conversation.

5 Survivors were rescued from a van like this one.

“Just text your family right now and tell them you are leaving for France with your boyfriend to start a new life. Let’s go, right now!” the trafficker said with a wink and a smile. His victim appeared a bit nervous, but she began to send the text.

A few moments later they stood up and began walking to the parking garage. Our undercover team member sent a text to the authorities, who were waiting outside near the traffickers’ van. “They are headed your way,” he typed.

As the trafficker and his victim walked out the door, the authorities intercepted them. She was taken to safety and he was arrested. They found 4 more women’s passports in his pocket.

Next the authorities swarmed the van. When they opened the doors, they found 4 more young women seated in the van with a driver. They were about to be whisked away to their “new lives,” thinking they were about to be employed in Western Europe. The truth is they were about to be sold into slavery. Luckily, the horrors that awaited them were averted, thanks to our team member and the authorities. Now, these 5 women can receive the support they need to make sure that they never fall for a trafficker’s scheme again.

Our European Director holds up a "V" for victory at court!

After the sting operation ended, our team member was back in court standing next to the 2 survivors who were facing down their trafficker. They won! Now they’re back to their bustling, restored lives as business women and mothers. They have young children and are desperate to be truly free of the horrors of their past. Say a prayer for them. It’s been a long journey, and we are hopeful that this court case was the last time they’ll ever have to look at a trafficker again.

In just a few short days, 7 lives were protected. 7 precious women. 7 stories of Freedom.

The door to freedom is swinging wide open. It’s swinging open because the good guys are getting organized, and we are outsmarting traffickers at their own game. Then we’re taking it a step further. We know rescue is just the beginning for a human trafficking survivor. If we really want her to stay free, she needs everything from legal support, trauma-informed therapy, family counseling for her children, education, and vocational skills.

Uncaged is making sure each survivor has everything a survivor needs and more. We are unlocking the cage, equipping each survivor for total transformation. You hold the key to making it possible.

You can unlock the cage for these women by supporting their First Steps. First Steps includes everything a survivor needs to be stabilized immediately after she’s freed, like medical care and legal counseling.

Click here to equip a survivor to take her First Steps to Freedom!

Launching the Freedom Highway for Survivors

The darkness of Human Trafficking is vast and deep. Even a million points of light shining on their own cannot overcome it. We need to work in unison as one searing beacon. This is why I am overjoyed that Uncaged is in the process of building the Freedom Highway.

An abolitionist shares at our summit. Face concealed.

You may remember that earlier this year, we gathered 30 freedom fighters at the Sanctuary for our first Freedom Summit. Together, they created an anti-trafficking strategy for all of Europe. As it turns out, the individuals we gathered are in contact with a vast network of Romanians who live all across Europe. Word of the anti-trafficking strategy spread quickly across the continent, activating an alliance. That alliance is the Freedom Highway. On March 6th, over 300 individuals gathered in Western Europe. Each person pledged to support the Freedom Highway and the fight to end trafficking.

Right now, the Freedom Highway includes social workers, healthcare workers, professionals, churches, and even staff at restaurants and hotels. Our European Director is coordinating the Highway. We are ensuring each Freedom Fighter is equipped with 4 key abilities:

1. Recognizing a trafficking survivor

2. Aiding a trafficking survivor in escaping

3. Connecting a trafficking survivor to a safe house

4. Journeying with a trafficking survivor to make sure she remains safe and stable before coming to the Sanctuary.

This work is already bearing astounding fruit. Remember the 58 women tucked in safe houses across Europe? The Freedom Highway found many of them and connected them to us. Freedom Highway members are the ones making sure these survivors stay sane and stable until we can bring them to the Sanctuary. A thousand points of light are coming together. I see it in the Freedom Highway, which is growing stronger every day. I see it in your encouragement of this work. The darkness will not overcome.

We hold the keys to freedom!