7th annual Night of Hope held to shine light on human trafficking

TEMPE, Ariz. — Anti-human trafficking organizations are shining a light on the dangers children and women face every day at the seventh annual Night of Hope in Tempe.

Arizona elected officials, law enforcement agencies, organizations and survivors were in attendance. Some even shared their own stories.

“At the age of 15, I was just an innocent child going about my life, grew up in a two-parent home, middle of three girls, but I was groomed by my high school boyfriend’s father and then trafficked for seven years,” Sheri Lopez, a human trafficking survivor, said.

Now, as the founder of Pearl at the Mailbox, Lopez fights for survivor rights both at the state and federal levels.

“I think our law enforcement does a great job. What happens is when they get in front of a judge, things kind of fall apart,” Lopez said.

At the Sunday night event, anti-human trafficking advocates called on unity between policymakers, law enforcement and families to better prevent and prosecute.

Steve Biondo, former President of the Tim Tebow Foundation, said Arizona is making strides at improving its stance on tackling the issue.

“It’s rough, it’s hard, it’s evil, but it takes an army to actually defeat this,” Biondo said.

Advocates want to see laws that better support victims.

“Victims are real victims. So, we have to make sure there’s no double jeopardy,” Biondo said.

State Senators Warren Petersen and JD Mesnard announced the creation of a statewide task force that would, in part, examine Arizona’s laws against human trafficking and how they help or hurt both victims and the prosecution of offenders. 

Advocates also want law enforcement agencies to be given proper access to the best tools of investigation.

Scottsdale Police announced more than 200 arrests in a proactive human trafficking operation last January. No children were directly involved.

This operation was part of an East Valley task force, including the Gilbert Police Department.

“When we do an operation, we’re overwhelmed with the number of people we have to investigate, so resources would be a big thing,” Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg said.

When it comes to helping families, advocates said education about human trafficking and child exploitation starts at home.

“The thing about predators pursuing kids is they always have gone, always have gone, to where kids are at, right? Sometimes playgrounds, sometimes schools, sometimes churches. Well now, kids, they’re on the internet,” Biondo said.

Biondo encourages parents to monitor their child’s electronics and who they’re speaking to on the internet.

Lopez wants families to know no child is immune to these dangers.

“Any child can be groomed. Any child can be trafficked,” Lopez said.

Advocates encourage parents to talk to their children about the dangers of speaking to strangers both in person and on the internet.

The Department of Homeland Security has a guide for how best to speak with kids about human trafficking and child exploitation. Click here to learn more.

Anyone who suspects a case of human trafficking or child exploitation is encouraged to contact your local law enforcement agency.

If you are a victim of human trafficking or child exploitation, you’re encouraged to contact your local law enforcement agency or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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