By Ashley Silver
Police1
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), a nonprofit organization that works with law enforcement to extract children that are trafficking victims and assist in their recovery, has released “It’s Happening Right Here” – a documentary that exposes the methods child sex traffickers are using in both highly-populated cities and small towns to lure youth in the United States.
The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at how O.U.R. and nonprofits Generate Hope and Humans Against Trafficking are collaborating with federal, state and local law enforcement officers in Michigan, California, Utah and other states to locate and stop predators from sexually assaulting children.
“It can be a scary realization, but we need to open our eyes to what is happening and spread awareness to everyone, especially parents with young kids who have access to the internet,” said Tim Ballard, O.U.R. Founder and CEO. “I encourage everyone to watch the film to educate yourselves about how prevalent this crime actually is and how to spot it.”
“It’s Happening Right Here” includes interviews with survivors, including one girl who was trafficked at the age of 10 just a few blocks from her grandparents’ home. It also provides parents with valuable insight into how predators are using social media, online video games, websites and cellphone applications for luring, sextortion and trafficking.
The documentary was created and directed by 22-time Emmy Award-winning director Nick Nanton and Emmy Award-winning story producer Katie Tschopp. “It’s Happening Right Here” is available on Amazon, Apple and Google Play, Vudu and Fandango. Click here for more information.