When Was The Underground Railroad Trafficking Rescue Founded? (TOP 5 Tips)

As of April 2020, O.U.R. reports 3000 victims rescued, and 182 traffickers arrested.

Operation Underground Railroad.

Abbreviation	O.U.R.
Founded	October 2013
Founder	Timothy Ballard
Founded at	Salt Lake City, Utah
Type	Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization

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Why did Tim Ballard start operation Underground Railroad?

I’d never heard of Operation Underground Railroad when its founder, Tim Ballard, called me suddenly in the summer of 2014. A former Department of Homeland Security special agent, Ballard said OUR had a child-trafficking sting planned for the Dominican Republic —and he wanted me to come along to document it.

How many people has operation Underground Railroad helped?

We are pleased to report that Operation Underground Railroad helped rescue 400 victims in the United States and around the world in 2017 — an 86 percent increase over 2016. In addition, our law enforcement partners arrested 212 traffickers because of our support — a 74 percent increase from 2016.

When did human trafficking start in the United States?

“Sex trafficking” is a modern term. It was coined during the second wave of the women’s movement in the 1980s, when female activists started protesting the exploitation of women and girls in prostitution and pornography.

Is Gardy Mardy still missing?

Three-year-old little Gardy is now seven. He is still missing, but he is not forgotten.

Was Gardy Mardy found?

While it never found Gardy, OUR has said that hunting for him led to innumerable other rescues. The organization and Ballard have said that they’re still searching for the boy to this day, and that in the process, children around the world have been liberated from traffickers.

Are Tim Ballard and M Russell Ballard related?

Timothy “Tim” Ballard is the founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R. M. Russell Ballard. [6], Ballard is the grandson of apostles Melvin J. Ballard and Hyrum M. Smith.

How many children are trafficked each year?

Though statistics regarding the magnitude of child trafficking are difficult to obtain, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 10,000 children are trafficked each year.

Who are Tim Ballard’s parents?

After growing up in California, Ballard attended Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he went on a church mission to Chile and then graduated cum laude from BYU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Political Science.

Who rescues children from trafficking?

Phantom Rescue is an elite group of former Law Enforcement, FBI, State Department, US Special Operations, & Business Professionals who have united with one clear objective…to eradicate child trafficking through education, outreach and by assisting authorities with identifying the Global Sex Trafficking Industry Network

Does the Underground Railroad still exist?

It includes four buildings, two of which were used by Harriet Tubman. Ashtabula County had over thirty known Underground Railroad stations, or safehouses, and many more conductors. Nearly two-thirds of those sites still stand today.

What is the history behind human trafficking?

Human trafficking for sexual purposes was first legally recognised by the term ‘white slavery’. In 1899 and 1902, world wide conferences to discuss white slavery were arranged. 1904, an world wide agreement against the ‘white slave trade’ was created, with a focus on migrant women and children.

Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) – a Vanguard in the Fight Against Child Trafficking – End Slavery Now

Over 250 victims of human trafficking have been rescued in only one year by the non-profit group Operation Underground Railroad (), with the vast majority of those being minors. In addition, we have assisted in the arrest of over 30 traffickers, putting them out of business for good. T. Ballard, a former United States Special Agent for the Department of Homeland Security who served 12 years in that capacity, is the founder and CEO of OUR. While serving on the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the Child Sex Tourism Jump Team, Ballard assisted in infiltrating and dismantling dozens of trafficking organizations that kidnapped children and forced them into the sex slave industry.

Aside from enjoying the pleasant experience of working with devoted United States government personnel, Ballard was increasingly uncomfortable with the methods being used to rescue imprisoned children.

As a United States agent, Ballard would never be permitted to rescue children if their cases did not have a connection to the United States or could not be prosecuted in a United States court.

He assembled a team of the best in the country and launched Operation Underground Railroad in November 2013.

Mission: Liberate Enslaved Children and Dismantle the Criminal Networks

In a nutshell, the mission is straightforward: using cutting-edge computer technology and human intelligence, our undercover teams of former CIA and Special Operations personnel travel to some of the world’s most dangerous locations to assist in the liberation of enslaved children and the dismantling of criminal networks. OUR operators have dedicated their life to rescuing imprisoned children all across the world, always with the consent and request of local governments and authorities. We keep the respective US Embassies informed of our activities, and we have been fortunate in that we have been able to rely on their assistance and participation in a number of rescue operations.

©OUR The United States government is light years ahead of its international rivals in the battle against human trafficking, but budget and bureaucratic constraints limit its ability to do more.

This group of nations lacks the means and expertise necessary to remove these victims and transport them to a secure location.

It has been our pleasure to work with computer software businesses that have assisted us in tracking down and prosecuting child pornographers, child rapists, and human traffickers.

As part of its anti-trafficking efforts, OUR is now building its own web tool that will be cutting-edge in its field. We will make this technology available to host governments at no cost in order for them to be able to conduct their own anti-trafficking efforts in the future.

Fastest Growing Criminal Enterprise

The breadth of the problem is enormous; it is believed that there are 27 million enslaved human beings in the world, which is a greater number of slaves than ever existed during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Many are sex slaves, since sex trafficking is the fastest expanding criminal industry in the world, with more than a million people trafficked every year. Fortunately, there are some credible organizations that exist to communicate information about this problem and promote awareness, and others that serve as aftercare groups for those who have been harmed by this situation.

1. In our research, we discovered that only a small number of people are devoted to the proactive rescue and direct extraction of victims, as well as the capture and conviction of their captors.
2. However, we take great care to ensure that the rescued children receive the rehabilitation and aftercare that they require to help them reconstruct their lives once they have been saved.
3. OUR workers make it a point to visit the rehabilitation shelters every few months to check that the children are receiving high-quality treatment.
4. OUR agents’ ability to operate secretly makes them a sought-after resource for other agencies seeking assistance in sting operations against child sex trafficking.

As part of a collaborative effort with Colombian government officials and Homeland Security Investigations agents based out of our Embassy in Bogota, OUR conducted simultaneous operations in three Colombian cities (Armenia, Cartagena, and Medellin) that resulted in the liberation of 123 trafficking victims, 55 of whom were minors, and the arrest of approximately ten trafficking perpetrators.

OUR performed three distinct types of sex parties for affluent and prominent Americans and Canadians, each of which played to its strengths by mimicking would-be kid sex tourists who were planning sex parties for these wealthy and influential Americans and Canadians.

Our investigators were outfitted with disguised microphones and hidden cameras during each covert encounter, allowing us to record high-quality evidence that Colombian prosecutors are now utilizing to construct strong cases against the people who were detained earlier this year.

Common Occurance

Our cover narrative has worked so well and has been so readily purchased by criminals, which is a terrible statement on our society today, is due to the fact that this sort of sex party and sex tourism occurs on a daily basis in practically every region of the world, which is a sad commentary on our society today. As our operations get greater attention and notoriety, we will be on the lookout for the need to alter our techniques in order to foil the bad guys and rescue even more children from danger.

• Every day, we are on the hunt for experienced operators who have operated in some of the most dangerous parts of the globe and who can join our team to assist us in expanding our activities into Africa, Asia, and the European Union.
• It is our hope and prayer that they will all be liberated one day, and it is our pledge and resolve to devote everything we have to rescuing them until that day comes.
• Please join us in our efforts to assist the O.U.R.
• Please stop by and see what you can do to assist.
• Slavery did not come to an end with Lincoln, and we all have a part to play in ending it.
• Topics include: rescue, human trafficking, and child labor.

I Went on a Vigilante Raid to “Save” Kids Sold for Sex. What We Did Haunts Me Now.

“When the housekeeper answers the door to a man brandishing a pistol, you can see how afraid she is.” Screenshot courtesy of YouTube/Operation Underground Railroad When the originator of Operation Underground Railroad, Tim Ballard, phoned me unexpectedly in the summer of 2014, I had no idea what he was talking about. He was a former Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security and informed me that OUR had an undercover operation planned in the Dominican Republic and that he wanted me to accompany him to record it.

• Local administrations were either overburdened or involved in the situation.
• Ballard said that he knew how to save these children.
• Ballard and I are both members of the Mormon faith.
• My father, who admired my work, saved a few cards with the blog’s details in his wallet for future reference.
• Perhaps this is how Ballard discovered that I was a writer.
• I wasn’t perplexed as to why he believed it was acceptable for me, the author of a mother blog, to document anti-human trafficking efforts.
• I was depressed and lonely since my father, who had been my greatest friend, had passed away not long before.

I think, in my anguish and my desire for meaning, I wished for him to be called by God, hoping that it would imply that, at long last, I would be, as well.

Before I traveled for my trip with Operation Underground Railroad, I exchanged a few emails with the organization, receiving instructions on what to pack, my plane ticket, and the name of the person who would meet me at the airport.

It was the day before the sting that I packed my belongings and boarded an aircraft that took me to the Dominican Republic.

We have grown, as every successful firm must, and we are always striving to enhance our standard operating procedures and processes on a professional level.”) When I went on the “jump,” as they termed it, I was the youngest person and the only woman there.

The production firm was situated in Utah, but it was said to have attracted the attention of Hollywood elite, including Gerald Molen, the Oscar-winning producer of films such as Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List.

We stayed in a large beige house with a befuddled housekeeper from the neighborhood.

I jotted down some notes.

Ballard’s team collaborated with local authorities who were either overloaded or ill-equipped to handle this task on their own, according to what I was informed.

The location and time of the party were communicated to the authorities in advance.

When the OUR team obtained undercover recordings of a trafficker receiving upfront cash in exchange for sex with the children, the police intended to stand by outside.

They would be armed, of course.

Ballard gave me his assurance.

I’d be on the safe side.

Following the meeting, the housekeeper prepared the table for dinner.

Was she going to be safe?

I fell asleep to the sound of members of the jump team practicing CrossFit near the pool, which was a pleasant surprise.

There were a total of 26 of them.

I’d been tasked with inflating balloons in order to create a festive ambiance in the house.

When I met them outside near the pool, I gave out drinks to them.

“I’d been requested to blow up balloons in order to create a party atmosphere in the house.” Inside, Meg ConleyBallard sat with the traffickers, ostensibly discussing the price for the services that each girl would offer.

One of the traffickers came up to me and started making jokes, which I found amusing.

Ballard was putting money on the coffee table, and I was watching him.

The raid got underway.

I quickly fled.

The cameras were rolling in preparation for the much-anticipated television show.

There was a lot of yelling: from the cops, from the OUR covert team, who was pretending to be shocked, and from the drug traffickers.

I was still present when the children, dripping wet from the pool, were escorted through the room and out of the house by their parents.

During the process of being brought away, they walked between us on the ground, dripping water as they did so.

The camera team came up to me and asked for my comments, recording me while I answered.

I wanted to think that what had just occurred was significant—and I wanted to get back home.

When the plane touched down, I immediately turned on my cellphone.

After expressing interest in providing a blurb for my book, he expressed willingness to do so whenever I was ready to do so.

A man who claimed to have been summoned by God stated he was going to endorse me.

In the van with our two children strapped into car seats in the rear, my husband picked me up from the airport and I informed him about the guns and the children.

Then he told her, “You shouldn’t have been in there.” I recall thinking he was being overprotective at the time.

I was in attendance at the screening of OUR’s first documentary when it was released.

I got to my feet.

Ballard’s assertive certainty, on the other hand, quickly became a source of concern for me.

She said that OUR’s raids demonstrated a “alarming lack of knowledge about how complex criminal trafficking networks must be attacked and disrupted,” and she described the organization’s tactics as “arrogant, immoral, and unlawful.” Ballard forwarded the item to me and referred to her as a “bitch.” Then he requested me to prepare a reply to his argument.

• It was impossible for me to come up with anything meaningful to say in response to someone who had dedicated her life to this cause.
• The essay was not written by me.
• The most of them were just as inexperienced as I was.
• The appeals were heartfelt, but they were faulty.
• We spent the most of our time talking about fundraising.
• Towards the conclusion of my association with the group, I confided in someone who was concerned about the recent negative publicity that I was concerned about an organization that placed so much reliance on Ballard and his vision of the future.
• OUR prioritized Black and Latino children in its fundraising efforts, but the organization refused to change its name in response to calls from Black activists.
• Ballard, his wife, and other white people are shown as they transport rescued Black and brown children from human trafficking down an actual train, painted by McNaughton, who is most known for his painting of President Barack Obama burning the Constitution in 2012.
• I was disillusioned and upset, and I wanted to have a better grasp of the group’s position within the anti-trafficking community.

The first thing that sprang to mind when I informed an international anti-trafficking specialist about the 2014 raid I was a part of was, “Do you have any idea how completely wrong everything was?” According to what I’ve gathered from the studies, our 2014 raid was most likely just another childhood trauma for those 26 children.

1. But what she realized in a split second was something that took me years to comprehend.
2. (Ballard did not answer to inquiries concerning the raid that were directed at him.) Is this an indictment on Ballard?
3. However, it is also a criticism of myself.
4. I attempted to find purpose in my own life by putting myself in the shoes of exploited children.
5. Operation Underground Railroad is now well-known for its multinational sting operations, which have gained widespread attention.
6. In 2015, a Silicon Valley businessman put $40,000 into a sting operation and watched it unfold in real time.
7. Ballard brings the drama with him to every interview and fundraiser, for those who can’t afford to go to the situation room.

Ballard’s stories were recently investigated by Vice, which discovered “a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, as well as a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading.” Vice also published details of “disturbingly amateurish” operations, such as the one I attended.

• However, a video of the raid was produced by Operation Underground Railroad.
• It’s still there, believe it or not.
• Towards the end of the video, the sentence “26 victims rescued, 8 traffickers arrested” appears.
• Meg Conley is a writer who lives in New York City.
• There did not appear to be any consideration given to the possibility that OUR had generated a demand.
• I was given only ambiguous responses.

I discovered the truth about what happened thanks to aForeign Policyreport: Following OUR’s first operation in the Dominican Republic in 2014, a local group known as the National Council for Children and Adolescents rapidly realized that it lacked the resources to care for the 26 girls who had been rescued by the organization.

1. According to the story, some people testified.
2. It was only a Coke and a swim that those kids received from us in 2014, yet Ballard came out ahead in the bargain.
3. It entails identifying children who are being trafficked and ensuring that they receive adequate aftercare.
4. It is enacting safe harbor, affirmative defense, and vacatur legislation, all of which are intended to offer victims with a safe transition or to assist them in avoiding the criminal judicial system.
5. It is advocating for racial equality.
6. Anti-trafficking effort, particularly the sort that is effective, does not provide instant gratification.
7. There are no cameos or leading roles.
8. Ballard began the organization’s 2020 online fundraising event by expressing gratitude to those who were watching from their homes.
9. Ballard is represented by WME, one of the world’s largest talent agencies, despite the fact that his reality series never got off the ground.
10. In addition, a new action film based on his life, Sound of Freedom, will be released soon.
11. In the clip, which was published last summer, a blond Caviezel hikes through the Colombian forest in order to save children from a criminal organization.

On the screen, Caviezel sobs righteous tears, as scared boys and girls’ faces, frequently covered in filth, are featured prominently. “Mister Timoteo,” a weeping small kid asks the screen Ballard in Spanish, and the screen Ballard responds. “You’re a kid rescuer, aren’t you?”

Operation Underground Railroad: The Men and Women Who Rescue Children from Sex Trafficking

Jessica Mass works in a field where she encounters a great deal of evil. As someone who has dedicated her career to serving children in crisis due to mental illness, neglect, sexual abuse, trafficking, and emotional and physical trauma, Mass is uniquely qualified to apply her knowledge and experience as the director of aftercare for Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending child slavery and sex trafficking. Mass has worked in the field of child welfare for more than 20 years.

1. They had survived being stabbed in the neck with a knife to drain their blood into a jar and having their genitals amputated, among other things.
2. “It is pure evil.” “I’m at a loss for words when it comes to understanding how someone could contemplate such heinous deeds.” An international police raid on a party intended to support child trafficking was captured on video.
3. This is a screenshot taken from YouTube.
4. In his previous life, Ballard worked as a special agent for the Department of Homeland Security for more than a decade, when he was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and deployed as an undercover operative for the United States Child Sexual Tourism Jump Team.
5. Lines and Ballard first met while working at the Department of Homeland Security, where Lines was an associate special agent in command of the Task Force to Combat Internet Crimes Against Children.
6. Ballard was dissatisfied that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was unable to act on allegations that foreign individuals were engaging in the same activity after apprehending many Americans involved in child sex tourism.
7. “It was worrisome,” Lines recently stated in an interview with Coffee or Die Magazine.

This is a screenshot taken from YouTube.

As much as Lines believed that leaving a government position in an unpredictable economy was a brave and gutsy move, he was not prepared to make the leap with Ballard.

Following his retirement from the Department of Homeland Security in 2016, Lines joined OUR, bringing his 25 years of expertise to the organization and working to expand and enhance OUR’s workforce as well as bolster its fundraising efforts.

“We’re extremely grateful for the generous donations and support of the general public,” he said.

OUR’s undercover agents were infiltrating child-trafficking groups in those nations at the time of Lines’s joining the organization.

A criminal scene after a sting operation was carried out by international law enforcement and OUR.

While “bad actors” in other countries are responsible for a major portion of human trafficking, Lines asserted that “we have our own scourge of child abuse here in the United States.” Lines envisioned a future worldwide network that encompassed the United States in addition to supporting other nations.

Ballard agreed, and in 2016, OUR broadened its scope of operations.

As a result of their collaboration with various law enforcement authorities, they “have jointly assisted in the rescue of more than 10,000 people who were enslaved, exploited, or in danger.” According to Lines, OUR’s operations are always legitimate and have been formally sanctioned by government officials in every country.

• Conversation over coffee or diet soda with one of OUR’s operatives on the psychological toll that the job has on them.
• He has been with OUR for the past three years and has a total of 14 years of experience in the industry.
• According to William, operatives can work for a maximum of five consecutive missions before being subjected to a necessary psychiatric examination.
• “It’s really simply a matter of being proactive and preventative,” William explained.
• OUR operators police themselves in order to preserve physical and mental health while working in the harsh settings in which they find themselves.

According to William, “it’s analogous to a special operations unit inside police enforcement or the military where there’s that specific camaraderie.” “By working together, you acquire a greater respect for one another and the work that you’re doing, and I would say there is a camaraderie that continues beyond certain activities.” Following a raid on a brothel, foreign officials began an investigation.

• This is a screenshot taken from YouTube.
• Criminals had slashed the child’s neck, nicking his spinal cord, causing him to be paralyzed in both legs and his left arm as a result of the injury.
• In addition to being able to ride a bike, the 13-year-old has lately begun horseback riding classes.
• Mass and the other members of her team work as victims’ advocates.
• They make it easier for victims to receive aftercare from the moment of rescue onward.
• “We even have diaries in there so that if they’re recalling traumatic situations, they don’t have to express those memories,” says the therapist.
• The tale of ‘Sabrina,’ who testified in court and whose testimony resulted in the arrest of two more men who assaulted her and the rescue of two more survivors, aged 10 and 12, was shared with you a few months ago.

Operation Underground Railroad/Instagram provided the photo used here.

OUR inspects all possible aftercare institutions and investigates all partner groups months before activities begin to ensure that rescued children are not exploited in the future.

“We cater to birthday parties and graduation celebrations,” she said further.

She stated that no matter what the need is, OUR would set it up in order to provide these youngsters with a better life experience.

We maintain relationships with the governments and aftercare facilities with which we collaborate, and we are constantly expanding our support network for survivors of child trafficking.

We also ensure that rescued children remain out of harm’s way and have a healthy growth after the horrors they have witnessed in their childhoods.

Operation Underground Railroad – Matt Osbourne

Seeing a lot of wickedness is commonplace in Jessica Mass’s line of business. Mass has dedicated her professional life to serving children in crisis due to mental illness, neglect, sexual abuse, trafficking, and other forms of psychological or physical abuse. As the director of aftercare for Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending child slavery and sex trafficking, Mass is well-positioned to put her knowledge to work. Recently, Mass spoke to Coffee or Die Magazine about one of her most horrific cases, saying, “I will never forget where I was and what I felt reading the case file.” In Barnes & Noble, I suddenly burst into tears, thinking of the grief and anguish these youngsters must be through.

• Some of these youngsters had survived being stabbed in the neck with a machete in order to drain their blood into a jar and having their genitals cut off.
• A police raid on a party intended to support child trafficking was captured on video by international law enforcement agents.
• Here’s what it looked like on YouTube: Since its founding in 2013, OUR has brought together professionals in extraction operations and anti-child-trafficking activities to work towards the abolition of child slavery.
• According to the group, its team is made up of former CIA officials, former and present law enforcement officers, and highly competent operatives who work in collaboration with law enforcement agencies in 27 countries, including the United States.
• Our, according to Lines, was inspired by a Latin American operation on which he and Ballard collaborated.
• Lin and his operatives were able to share intelligence with other governments, but they were powerless to force them act on the information they received.
• After a sting operation to save child trafficking victims was completed, foreign law enforcement and OUR agents processed the crime scene.

As much as Lines believed that leaving a government position in an unpredictable economy was a brave and gutsy move, he was not ready to make the leap with Ballard.

He joined OUR after retiring from the Department of Homeland Security in 2016.

From the little old lady who gave us literally $2.50 a month — all of her discretionary income — to the corporations that are so willing to be socially responsible, Lines expressed gratitude to the general public.

Lines joined OUR when Ballard was solely working with foreign governments to create anti-child trafficking tactics and procedures.

Ballard’s work, Lines thought, was critical to the prevention of child trafficking around the world, but he intended to do much more.

Here’s what it looked like on YouTube: According to Lines, while “bad actors” in other countries are responsible for a considerable percentage of human trafficking, “we have our own scourge of child abuse here in the United States.” Aside from providing assistance to other countries, Lines dreamed of a future transnational network that encompassed the United States.

Affirmed by Ballard, the organization’s goal was broadened in 2016.

In collaboration with other law enforcement authorities, they “have jointly assisted in the rescue of more than 10,000 persons who were enslaved, exploited, or otherwise in danger of being killed or injured.” Government authorities have confirmed that all of OUR’s actions are lawful and have been formally sanctioned by them.

1. Conversation over coffee or diet soda with one of OUR’s operatives on the psychological toll that the job has on them Undercover work, tactical operations, and child exploitation investigations are some of his areas of expertise as an officer of the law.
2. We will only refer to him as William in order to protect his privacy.
3. Because they cycle in and out, they don’t have to witness the same heinous things all the time.
4. Our operators have vast expertise in spotting indicators of mental distress or burnout as a result of their work in specific areas of law enforcement or the military, including dealing with homicide, child crimes, and sex crimes.
5. A close-knit group of people, the members of OUR stay in touch on and off missions to ensure that everyone’s health and safety are taken care of.
6. Here’s what it looked like on YouTube: Mass came upon a youngster who had escaped an attempted human sacrifice while working for OUR on one of her very first cases.
7. It was OUR who assisted the young man in obtaining medical treatment, finally transporting him to the United States, where he received surgery that allowed him to walk once more.

He is currently being adopted by an American family who has been caring for him, and Mass said OUR is assisting him with catching up to the necessary educational level for his age.

While the police are investigating a murder scene, Mass and her team quickly begin establishing a connection with the rescued kids.

To keep the youngsters entertained while the scene is being processed, her team presents them with clothing and a package that contains puzzles, coloring books, and other stuff.

“They can take notes,” Mass explained.

In response to Sabrina’s courageous statement, we are pleased to announce that another survivor, this one 13 years old, has been saved and put in our affiliated aftercare facility.” — IN OUR CASES Operation Underground Railroad/Instagram provided the photograph.

To prevent future abuse of rescued children, OUR inspects and analyzes all possible aftercare institutions as well as any partner organizations months before activities start.

Her company “provides birthday parties and graduation celebrations,” she explained.

“Whatever the necessity, OUR will set it up so that these children may have better life,” she stated.

We maintain relationships with the governments and aftercare facilities with which we collaborate, and we are constantly expanding our support network for survivors of child trafficking.

We also ensure that rescued children remain out of harm’s way and have a healthy growth after the horrors they have witnessed in their lives.

Anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad under criminal investigation by Utah prosecutor

Jessica Mass works in a field where she encounters a lot of evil. Mass has dedicated her professional life to serving children in crisis due to mental illness, neglect, sexual abuse, trafficking, and other forms of psychological or physical abuse. As the director of aftercare for Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending child slavery and sex trafficking, Mass is well-positioned to put her skills to work. Recently, Mass spoke with Coffee or Die Magazine about one of her most horrific cases, saying, “I will never forget where I was and what I felt reading the case file.” In Barnes & Noble, I suddenly burst into tears, thinking of the agony and suffering these youngsters must be going through.

1. They had survived being stabbed in the neck with a knife to drain their blood into a jar and having their genitals ripped from them.
2. “I’m at a loss for words as to how someone could possibly consider such heinous deeds.” A police raid on a party intended to support child trafficking was captured on video.
3. This is a screenshot from YouTube.
4. A former special agent for the Department of Homeland Security for more than a decade, Ballard was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and deployed as an undercover agent for the United States Child Sex Tourism Jump Team.
5. Lines and Ballard first met while working at the Department of Homeland Security, where Lines was an associate special agent in command of the Task Force on Internet Crimes Against Children.
6. After apprehending numerous Americans who were involved in child sex tourism, Ballard became dissatisfied with the Department of Homeland Security’s inability to act on allegations that foreign individuals were engaging in the same activity.
7. “It was upsetting,” Lines recently stated in an interview with Coffee or Die Magazine.

This is a screenshot from YouTube.

Lines believed that leaving a government position in an unstable economy was a big and risky move, and he was not prepared to make the leap with Ballard.

After retiring from the Department of Homeland Security in 2016, Lines joined OUR, bringing his 25 years of expertise to the group and working to expand and develop the organization’s personnel as well as its fundraising operations.

“We’re extremely grateful for the generous donations and support of the general public,” Lines said.

OUR’s undercover agents were infiltrating child-trafficking organizations in those nations at the time Lines joined.

A criminal scene after a sting operation by international law enforcement and OUR was carried out.

According to Lines, while “bad actors” in other countries are responsible for a substantial portion of human trafficking, “we have our own scourge of child abuse here in the United States.” Aside from providing assistance to other countries, Lines envisioned a future transnational network that encompassed the United States of America.

Ballard agreed, and OUR extended its goal in 2016.

In collaboration with other law enforcement authorities, they “have jointly assisted in the rescue of more than 10,000 people who were enslaved, exploited, or otherwise in danger of perishing.” OUR’s operations, according to the company, are always legal and formally sanctioned by government officials.

• Conversation over coffee or diet soda with one of OUR’s operatives on the mental toll that the job entails.
• He has been with OUR for the past three years and has a total of 14 years of expertise in the field.
• According to William, operatives can work for a maximum of five consecutive missions before being subjected to a required psychiatric examination.
• “It’s really just a matter of being proactive and proactive,” William explained.
• OUR operators police themselves in order to maintain their physical and emotional health in the harsh circumstances in which they work.

According to William, “It’s analogous to a special operations unit inside police enforcement or the military where there’s that specific camaraderie.” “You develop a mutual respect for one another and the work that you’re doing, and I would say that there is a camaraderie that continues beyond certain operations.” Foreign officials are looking into a brothel following a raid.

• Mass came upon a youngster who had escaped an attempted human sacrifice while working for OUR on one of her first cases.
• OUR assisted the youngster in obtaining medical treatment, finally transporting him to the United States, where he received surgery that restored his ability to walk.
• An American family that has been caring for him is currently in the process of adopting him, and Mass explained that OUR is assisting him with catching up to the necessary educational level for his age.
• When a crime scene is being processed by the police, Mass and her team immediately begin creating rapport with the rescued youngsters.
• To keep the youngsters entertained while the scene is being processed, her team presents them with clothing and a package that contains puzzles, coloring books, and other stuff.
• ‘They can jot them down,’ Mass explained.
• As a result of Sabrina’s courageous statement, we are pleased to announce that another survivor, this one 13 years old, has been rescued and put in our collaborating aftercare home.” — IN OUR.
• In order to ensure that rescued children receive mental health treatment, vocational training, housing, and everything else they require, Mass said OUR forms alliances with local groups.
• Mass said that these official responsibilities are only the beginning of her team’s work.
• “In Mexico, we’ve taken gondola rides down the river.” She stated that no matter what the need is, OUR would set it up in order to provide these youngsters with a brighter future.
• OUR maintains relationships with the governments and aftercare facilities with which it collaborates, and it is constantly expanding its support network for survivors of child trafficking.

This is done while ensuring that rescued children remain out of harm’s way and experience healthy growth following the horrors they have witnessed.

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Under the direction of Underground Railroad and in partnership with the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, in 2012 the Mid-Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force was formed. The task force is comprised of representatives from social assistance agencies, law enforcement, religious-based organizations, and community activists who are committed to eliminating human trafficking in Mid-Michigan and the surrounding areas. The aims of the Task Force, which provides training and education, are to increase community awareness and knowledge of the dynamics of human trafficking, as well as to create remedies to rescue and repair survivors of trafficking.

• Meetings of the Task Force are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 9 a.m.
• Subscribe to the task force’s Facebook page to receive notifications about forthcoming meetings and events.
• 106 or send an email to [email protected] for additional information about the task force, meetings, and how to get involved with the railroad’s community engagement efforts.
• Alternatively, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-800-799-TRAFFIC.

Ambre Blends & Operation Underground Railroad

Ambre Blends is delighted to support the fight against child trafficking by contributing a portion of every online transaction to the organization Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). O.U.R. was established in December 2013 with the mission of rescuing children from slavery. They have brought together the world’s leading professionals in extraction operations as well as anti-child trafficking activities in order to put an end to child enslavement worldwide. They have rescued more than 4,100 victims and helped in the arrest of more than 2,300 human traffickers since the organization’s inception.

Underground Jump Team is made up of former CIA, Navy SEAL, and Special Operations operators who work together with law enforcement agencies throughout the world to coordinate identification and extraction attempts.

They give victims with shelter, food, and counseling while also following a procedure to guarantee that predators are apprehended, prosecuted, and convicted of their crimes.

O.U.R.

What is the definition of human trafficking?

Millions of people and children, both in the United States and across the world, are trafficked for work and sexual exploitation.

Every city, state, and country has its own unique kind of human trafficking. More information regarding human trafficking may be found on O.U.R.’s blog. It is past time to raise our voices in protest; children now more than ever require our assistance.