Molly’s Story

“My, you have pretty eyes”, he said as he slowly approached the teenage girl standing by herself. It was a brisk autumn afternoon, and Molly was leaning against a tall brick wall, blankly starring off into space. She didn’t notice the man until he spoke to her. “No, I don’t”, she answered almost imperceptibly as she looked down at the sidewalk in embarrassment. From the look in her eyes, her clothing, and her demeanor, it was apparent she was not likely connected to family or friends. He knew exactly what he was looking for and where to find her—she was his next mark! Dylan was a trafficker who exploited teenage girls in the sex trade. For him, this was just business, but for Molly this would shortly become a living hell!

Gradually moving closer, he asked her, “are you hungry, would like something to eat”? Timidly looking up she nodded yes. Once Molly had taken the bait, Dylan continued to entice his prey, progressively grooming her with creature comforts and the illusion of a budding romantic relationship. Traffickers use a myriad of lead-in lines to lure their victims in, such as: “You look cold; here take my jacket;” “Do you need a place to stay tonight?” “This necklace would look great on you;” “Oh, would you like an iPhone?”, etc. A trafficker’s deception is always very calculated and methodical. Dylan’s compassion and patience during the process of grooming Molly was “off the charts”—he indeed seemed like a Good Samaritan or a saint to her! He did whatever it took to develop Molly’s trust and win her over—creating a significant emotional bond between them. However, Dylan’s end game (his goal) was to enslave her, exploit her, enrich himself and then discard her when she was too old or unattractive to be useful to him. Molly would, in effect, become an asset on his balance sheet to be deplorably “depreciated” over time. His only attachment to her was that she simply represented his treasured ROI (return on Investment). 

After tediously grooming Molly and gaining her trust and affection, he began systematically breaking her down (just like methodically breaking a horse) to make her submissive and completely subservient to him. Tragically, Molly became completely dependent on Dylan in a very diabolical way, as he controlled her through: deprivation, torture, drugs, coercion, physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, and spiritual abuse in the most degrading ways. To make matters worse, Dylan even threatened to harm her family (especially her mother and siblings) to ensure that he always had absolute control over her. Molly never knew what to expect, as Dylan had a cunning way of constantly keeping her out of balance. One minute he would show her a little kindness and the next he would fly into a violent rage (randomly switching back and forth without provocation or logic). Molly was completely overwhelmed and distraught with what was happening to her! Things were happening so quickly she was unable to process her plight—everything was so scrambled it all became a blur.

As time ticked away ever so slowly, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day and week by week Molly was forced to begin accepting her new reality. It was all so surreal and upside down. “Was this all just a hideous nightmare? —if only I could wake up!”, she mused. It had been just a little over a month that the Dylan had approached her standing by the wall, and yet it seemed like an eternity. The degrading things Molly was forced to do were inexplicable and the men she had “to be with” sucked the very life right out of her. Her dignity and what little self-esteem she had clung on to were brutally stripped away by her trafficker. She had become nothing more than an empty shell, void of feeling and emotions! Molly had been lured in, pampered, cared for, “loved”, broken down and enslaved—all in a very short period of time. She was effectively imprisoned, and she did not know where to turn or how to escape! Though, it is virtually impossible to completely understand, the emotional and psychological bonds Dylan had on her had become even stronger and more secure than physical bonds of unbreakable chains or securely locked doors.

Tragically, Molly could see no way out—she was mercilessly and completely trapped and felt she only had one option—and that was to fully comply and do what she was told (as a matter of survival). It was as if Dylan had a secure, but invisible noose around her neck (and any resistance or noncompliance would likely prove fatal). From her distorted perspective, death seemed like the best escape from the hell that had become her life. While she had contemplated taking her own life many times, as bizarre as it sounds, she was afraid of what Dylan would do to her if she attempted suicide. His power over her is difficult to comprehend. However, through it all, Molly clung on to the fleeting hope of one day being reunited with her family and friends.

As time passed by, Molly started to become somewhat resigned to her bizarre predicament. Ironically, she began to develop feelings for Dylan (her abusive captor) even showing empathy and a twisted form of love towards him at times (as a subconscious survival coping mechanism). She also began to blame herself for the abuse she was enduring. The bonding process that can occur between a captor and their victim is referred to as trauma bonding or the Stockholm Syndrome. The process of identifying and connecting with one’s captor in this manner truly defies all logic, and yet it is all too real for its victims (as it is a way for captives to minimize the amount of pain and some of the abuse being inflicted upon them).

One of the men Molly was forced “to be with” one night went into a rampage and beat her. Her injuries were so severe that she was taken to a hospital nearby to be treated. Luckily, the doctor who treated her was perceptive enough to get a glimpse of what was going on in her life. He took time out of his very busy schedule to ask Molly some very probing questions. As soon as it became apparent that the doctor was truly trying to help her, she slowly began to open up to him. After treating her injuries, the doctor was able to find a safe house to transfer her to. There she was able to spend a few weeks recovering. Although they are scarce, the doctor was also able to find an aftercare facility that specialized in helping trafficked and abused women. Molly has currently been there about six (6) months and is well on her road to recovery. The facility’s executive director was able to track down her family, and they were reunited a few months ago. As Molly rebuilds her life, her prospects look much brighter, and she is very anxious to do whatever she can to help prevent others from having to endure what she has.

While Molly’s story is not based upon actual events experienced by one girl, it very accurately portrays one of the many deceitful heartbreaking ways teenage girls are lured into trafficking. Unfortunately, it is far too common and the damage and destruction to its victims and many others in its path and along the sidelines is incalculable! Too many teenagers end up on the street alone, with no one to turn to, and nowhere to call home. Some have run away from home, others have aged out of foster care, escaped from a bad relationship or had a family member who was caring for them pass away. Whatever the reason, they are extremely vulnerable and at risk of being exploited (which can occur in as little as 48 hours)! It is truly a tragic situation—because unfortunately traffickers know exactly what they are looking for and where to find those who are not connected to family members or friends—those who are isolated, alone and easily exploited.

That’s where SoaringDove comes in! We are on a mission to rescue women who feel helpless and are in the depths of despair—having lost all hope! Our goal is to help bring Hope, Joy, and Purpose to Their Lives!SoaringDove, a nonprofit organization is being creating to help three different groups of women heal, rebuild their lives and flourish. These three groups are:

• Women who have been trafficked for sex,
• Women ageing out of foster care (because they are at high risk of being trafficked), and
• Women who have escaped from polygamous cults.

The common thread connecting these three groups is the overwhelming level of trauma they have experienced. These women face an overwhelming uphill battle on their road to recovery. What they have miraculously endured impacts virtually every aspect of their lives. Unfortunately, they have seen the worst of what the world has to offer. Typically, they will need significant help to recover and heal. At SoaringDove we will walk with them every step of the way on their road to recovery by providing them, A Home | A Family | A Future. This will be done in a very comprehensive 2-year therapeutic 24/7 live-in aftercare program—a very welcoming, peaceful and safe environment for participants. Upon completing the program, participants will proactively be placed in meaningful employment.

Sex Trafficking and Business

Sex trafficking is a very bizarre and despicable business paradigm that is on the rise worldwide! It attracts the most vile, ruthless and downright sinister members of society in search of the almighty dollar at all costs! Traffickers have no morals, do not care about anyone but themselves nor do they care about who they harm or how many lives they destroy. One of the first principles in economics is that people respond to incentives. Regrettably, the financial gains from sex trafficking have become an extremely enticing incentive for unscrupulous individuals and organizations, a trend that must somehow be stopped in its tracks!

Unfortunately, sex trafficking is a very profitable business venture for several reasons. Entry costs are extremely low. All that is needed is a vulnerable girl who is withdrawn and disconnected (from family or friends), a little money to pamper, entice and lure her with, a shabby apartment, and basic food staples. Operating costs are almost non-existent; trafficking victims are often forced to live in subhuman conditions and typically survive on very little food and medical care. The profitability and ROI can be phenomenal. One sex slave can generate up to a million dollars each year for their trafficker. On top of that, the risk is relatively low—very few traffickers are ever arrested, prosecuted or convicted; and even if convicted, they will likely be “back on the streets” in fairly short order.

Little has been said about the sex-trafficking customers, the “Johns” as they are often referred to. If there was no demand for the sex trade, it would cease to exist. Ironically when individuals purchase sex, they may believe that they in effect own the girl or woman they are with for a given period-of-time and that they can do whatever they want with her.  This thought process often leads to serious physical harm or death to girls and women, not to mention the severe emotional harm that is invariably being inflicted upon them in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (or “PTSD”) which can seriously impact virtually every facet of the rest of their lives (unless they are properly treated).

From a business perspective, the sex-trafficking transaction is completely out-of-kilter. First of all, the trafficker is in effect a slave holder, who has coerced, enslaved, and forced someone to do something completely against their will. The trafficker does not own the girl or woman, as she is not legitimately his inventory nor his employee. Secondly, trafficking is a criminal offense. Thirdly, the customer (the John) likely thinks that he is engaging in a business transaction with the trafficker, girl, or woman and that he should be able to get his “money’s worth” (whatever that means in his deranged mind!). However, the logic of this thought process is terribly flawed, as the customer is soliciting sex which is illegal in every state (especially from minors). The bottom line is that the trafficker does not own the girl or woman and therefore he has no right to sell anything or anyone! In addition, in this type of transaction there is never any justification for abusing or harming any girl or woman regardless of the legality of the transaction.

When it comes to sex trafficking, it would be great if we could ride up on a beautiful white steed with its mane and tail flowing effortlessly in the wind and rescue the damsel in distress by riding off into the sunset with her—for a “happily-ever-after” ending. Unfortunately, it does not work that way; rescuing a trafficking victim is effectively only the beginning of helping them heal and rebuild their lives. Their aftercare is a very complicated puzzle. It is a little like Humpty Dumpty; once broken, how do you put him back together again? Sex trafficking crushes the heart and soul of its victims; their aftercare and recovery takes time and patience. It is truly a joint effort between caregivers and survivors. As mentioned before, SoaringDove will be a 24/7 live-in therapeutic aftercare facility, dedicated to helping its participants thrive and become independent by providing them A Home | A Family | A Future.