Letters: Local Events Shine a Needed Light on Sex Trafficking

Still from The Turn Out - Contributed Photo

Katie Stottlemire (right) stars in director Pearl Gluck's film The Turn Out will be screen Wednesday, April 4

Dear Erie Reader Community,

My name is Reagan Campbell and I am currently a senior Marketing student attending Penn State Behrend. Originally, I am from Southeast Washington, D.C. In the summer of 2017, Washington, DC experienced a spike in missing person cases. A great number of the people missing were women between the ages of 12 and 18. As the year progressed, press was released stating that a many of the women missing were being used in sex trafficking. This information shocked me. I have always associated sex trafficking with other countries like India and Europe. Never would I have thought that sex trafficking is happening in America, let alone in the nation's capital. As the summer was coming to an end, I started to ask myself "where else could sex trafficking be hiding?" Could a smaller city like Erie experience a problem as massive as sex trafficking? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Have you ever noticed that when you become aware of something you recognize it more? I experienced this coming back to Erie for the Fall 2017 semester. After coming to the realization that sex trafficking can and does happen anywhere, I became sensitive to more information about it. Not too far into the semester I heard about the "Millcreek Sex Trafficker," a local man who recruited two 16-year-old girls to engage in commercial sexual activity. The word that stood out more to me was "recruited?" How could someone "recruit" someone else for commercial sexual activity illegally? The two girls must've know what they were signing up for, right? I thought back to what was going on in D.C. The majority of the women that were being recruited thought they were contacting someone about a job offering. There were signs posted throughout the district advertising summer jobs to teens for well over minimum wage. No address or name was given on majority of the signs, just a phone number to call. Remembering this, I realized that there are many ways to falsely "recruit" anyone.

As a child, I was always warned about kidnappers. My father told me his biggest fear was someone pulling up in a big white van and snatching me off the street. Television shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit confirmed this image. Naturally, I grew up associating someone being taken against their will with a big white van. Something that was never explained to me was, what happened after someone was kidnapped? Law and Order: SVU made it seem like these people were either miraculously found tied up or dead. There was no in between or any other option. I was petrified when the reality of what might be happening to people after they're kidnapped set in. The truth that someone who wants to hurt you is beyond a weird guy in a big white van scared me as well.

I am sharing this part of my life with you because the majority of the Erie Reader's consumers are between the ages of 17 and 44. For those between 17 and 19, your age group is targeted for sex trafficking. For the people who are 19 and up, you might be a parent, friend, or neighbor to someone that is within that targeted age group. Being vigilant is helpful but being aware of what to look for is imperative.

If you would like to learn more about the signs of sex trafficking and who is usually targeted please attend a two day community information session on Wednesday, April 4th and Thursday, April 5th. Both sessions will be located on Penn State's Campus during the annual Gender Conference. The Gender Conference is where conversations and topics that affect women are discussed and dissected by an intersection of people from everywhere.

On Wednesday, April 4th a panel discussion will be held featuring local law enforcements and sex trafficking documentary filmmaker Pearl Gluck. Pearl Gluck's film The Turn Out follows a trucker who tries to save the life of a girl who is being sex-trafficked at his local truck stop. Pearl will be discussing the reality of situation like this in small towns that may seem like nothing's going on. On Thursday, April 5th Dr. Nicole Rosen's sexuality class will be discussing the facts about "Sex Trafficking: What you need to know and what you can do about it." The class will be analyzing sex trafficking from global, local, and individual perspectives. The class will also discuss how to take action against sex trafficking. During both of these events, a gift basket raffle will be going on to combat sex trafficking in Erie. Participants have a chance to win baskets from Amazon, Tinseltown, Brew Ha Ha, and more. All proceeds will go to the Crime Victim Center. Families and individuals of all ages are invited to learn more about this topic.

Thank you for listening, 

Reagan Campbell

Wednesday, April 4th 2018

Reed Union Building

4701 College Dr, Erie, PA 16563

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Room 117

Thursday, April 5th 2018

Reed Union Building

4701 College Dr, Erie, PA 16563

9:10 AM - 10:10 AM

Room 114