DALLAS/FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- Local Non Profits are offering resources after North Texas police made arrests on two major sex trafficking operations. A Dallas woman is charged with human trafficking after police say she prostituted two young relatives, a teenager and a pre-teen girl. Victoria Bautista is accused of taking money for men to have sex with the girls for seven months. Bautista is being held on a $200,000 bond.
In Fort Worth, 23 people were arrested during an undercover prostitution sting at the Radisson North Fossil Creek on Meacham Boulevard.
Sarah Phillips with Rescue Her, an anti trafficking organization in DFW said they’re one of the only local organizations that solely offers crisis response to adult victims of trafficking.
“Within 72 hours of Police or the ER recovering a victim of trafficking, we are there helping to coordinate immediate services…we also have a long term advocacy program,” Phillips said.
Immediate services can mean getting the victim to the hospital and waiting with them for their appointments, offering rides, a safe place or shelter. “In the long term program, we walk alongside them indefinitely to assist them with what they need to heal,” Phillips said.
They also operate a 24/7 crisis hotline at 817-891-2093. Rescue Her also hosts awareness events in the community and have volunteer opportunities for people to get involved in the fight against trafficking.
For more information about Rescue Her Click Here.
Another North Texas Group, New Friends New Life, also helps victims of trafficking. New Friends New Life, founded in 1998, restores and empowers formerly trafficked and sexually exploited women, teen girls and children.
By providing access to education, job training, interim financial assistance, mental health and spiritual support, New Friends New Life helps women, teenage girls and children overcome backgrounds of abuse, addiction, poverty and limited opportunities. To get help, you can call them at 214-965- 0935. They will answer any questions you have about their program and how to get help. New Friends New Life also has a Youth Resource Center, opened under a Texas Office of the Governor Grant in 2018.
The Youth Resource Center serves girls ages 12-24 who have experienced or are at high-risk of experiencing exploitation or trafficking. The YRC recognizes, recovers and restores high-risk, exploited and trafficked girls through holistic, trauma-informed care. The YRC is the only youth drop-in center in the area that serves teen girls involved in sex trafficking, sexual exploitation or are at high-risk.
Some of the services offered are:
- Trauma-Informed Care (Counseling, Case Management, and Youth Mentorship)
- Basic Needs (Food, Clothing, Toiletry items)
- Sel-Sufficiency (GED classes, Career Building, Financial literacy)
- Life Skills Programming (Conflict Resolution, Mindfulness Workshops, Creative Expression)
Texas ranks 2nd in the country for the most human trafficking, and in Dallas, there are an estimated 400 trafficked teens on the streets each night.
