"Not In Our Town" informational meeting held in Redby on sexual exploitation and trafficking of youth - P3

REDBY, MN - A dinner, documentary and discussion on sexual exploitation and trafficking of youth was held at the New Redby Center on November 14, 2018 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

According to a press release on Friday, November 15, 2018, it stated: The community discussion around sex trafficking, held at the Redby Community Center on November 14th, provided a basic introduction to a very real problem happening right now in the Red Lake area.

The Sex Trafficking task force of Red Lake and Beltrami area hosted this event as an introduction to the topic and hopes to have more similar events in the future to deepen the awareness of sex trafficking and help promote prevention.

What seems to be a problem that only happens elsewhere is in fact happening here. The young and vulnerable, primarily women, are being targeted and coerced into doing what they feel they need to do to survive: having sex in exchange for money, drugs, or even just a place to stay for the night.

The event on November 14th began with a movie showing of the short documentary called "Chosen", a film that follows two young woman through the grooming process they went through and what eventually lead to them being trafficked.

Following the film, members of the task force introduced themselves and gave their own personal take on this issue along with anecdotes on what they have seen. The task force consists of a variety of professionals including Law Enforcement, advocates from the women's shelter, sexual and domestic violence advocates, individuals from local colleges, as well as various other individuals who all share a common passion.

What really was encouraged as the core of this event though, was the community discussion. Multiple attendees came forward and asked questions and voiced concerns over why this is happening here and what is being done to stop it. This may have been the first time some of the attendees has been introduced to or had even spoken up about this topic. This was an event that intended to the open the door for more conversation and with the knowledge these individuals have now, we hope that door stays open.

Support Within Reach Website: http://www.supportwithinreach.org/