In 2012, as various Orange County agencies teamed up to address the sexual exploitation of children, they discovered 17 victims in the county. A year later, the number had more than doubled, to 35, and last year, it multiplied again, to 75.
Victims of forced labor are more likely to take public transportation, OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson said Wednesday, so the transportation authority trained more than 1,100 staff and contract bus operators to spot signs of sex trafficking.
Oree Freeman, 22, a survivor of child sex trafficking, recalled at the press conference being a victim from age 11 to 15, traveling on OCTA buses as is common for those being exploited. She escaped the situation after connecting with the Orangewood Foundation youth services group
No matter how much I grow up as a woman, they're still me, I'm still a part of them, and I think my biggest message today to all of you is that they can't fight for themselves, Freeman said, referring to other victims. They're built with resilience and so much energy and love and they need people like you to fight for them.
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