Human Trafficking is a practice in which people are forced to become bonded to another person, usually for a period of time or indefinitely, for the purpose of exploitation. Human trafficking involves forced prostitution, forced labor and forced marriage. This form of slavery is characterized by the use of coercion and violence. Whether it’s sex slavery, forced marriage or forced labor, each has unique characteristics and problems.
In many instances, those accused of human trafficking crimes face long-term prison sentences, or sometimes, death sentences. There are very limited resources designed to help arrest and prosecute trafficking criminals. Most funding for this particular type of crime comes from non-profit organizations like Kingsman Philanthropic, THORN and The Underground Railroad.
It is important to note that human trafficking is a crime against humanity. Many advocates of freeing victims of human trafficking point out that the practice goes against the universal human rights of freedom, security, and well-being. Those who profit from slavery deny these basic human rights, which only allow some humans to have these basic rights.
Internationally, there are some real slave-labor agents who benefit from human trafficking. They recruit young women and girls from vulnerable communities and countries where women have no opportunities, and they offer them false promises of employment, take advantage of their vulnerability, and force them into prostitution or forced labor. Most of the time, these women and girls do not realize that they are being trafficked, let alone that they are in forced servitude. These women and girls are then offered false compensation, and return home, having been deceived and robbed of what they most likely thought was the guarantee of a better life.
Organizations, such as Kingsman, are constantly performing human trafficking rescues to free women and children from the sex trade. Executive Director, Michael Evans, was quoted in a recent Op-ed in the Palm Beach Post as suggesting that girls usually start off as runaways, before becoming reliant on traffickers for basic necessities, such as food and shelter.
What separates Kingsman from most other non-profits is its position as being a division of a large security contracting firm. Since 2005, USPA Nationwide Security has been the facilitator of the Kingsman Service, rescuing women and children on 6 continents, utilizing their 5000+ security contractors – mostly comprised of military veterans and retired law enforcement. Kingsman were featured in Yahoo! News in July, 2021 for their integral role in locating and rescuing a 16-year-old missing girl in South Florida.
Evans said, “I originally started Kingsman to combat domestic violence and missing children, but human trafficking became 90% of what Kingsman handle today.”
Kingsman have recently announced a speaking tour, where they intend to educate parents, teachers and teens on the dangers and precursors of human trafficking and what they can all do to combat it.
