Collaboration is Key: Working with Law Enforcement to Understand Sex Trafficking, and Grooming

Kindsey Pentecost, Chief Marketing Officer of ItWorks, an industry leading beauty and nutrition company), and Founder of Turn Your Life Around (TYLA), a Prostitution Diversion Court joins the podcast to share about her experiences collaborating with and training law enforcement and court systems on sex trafficking.  "Especially in the United States, we really treat victims [of sex trafficking] as if it's their job to identify as a victim and tell us that they're a victim, and that just doesn't work with sex trafficking," Kindsey shared. In this episode, she explains how sex traffickers groom victims, establishing bonds so strong that many victims don't have the ability to identify themselves for law enforcement.   Reflecting on her years of experience working closely with the criminal justice system, Kindsey describes how vital it is for law enforcement and the courts to be accurately trained on the dynamics of sex trafficking in order to better serve survivors.   She also shares about her work in Florida to shift law enforcement resources and time away from arresting people sold in the sex trade, bringing in agencies to provide diverse services to help survivors recover, and instead to focus law enforcement on arresting sex buyers and traffickers.  Kindsey Pentecost's advice to listeners is to focus on prevention by investing in the next generation, discussing the realities of grooming and abuse with them in age-appropriate ways to safeguard them from potential exploiters.  Visit https://www.kindseypentecost.com/purpose to find resources to learn more and take action, including a parent guide and list of must-read books.