Six dozen school buses made their way through Atlanta on Wednesday to represent the roughly 3,600 children who authorities say are sold into sex slavery every year in Georgia.
State Attorney General Chris Carr and Gov.-elect Brian Kemp were joined by other elected officials and anti-trafficking advocates to highlight a campaign called Stop Traffick that aims to raise awareness of child sex trafficking.
“We will continue to make progress on all fronts, but especially to remove the cloak of anonymity and secrecy that so often surrounds the buyers of sex and the traffickers. This is what allows this evil to flourish,” Bob Rodgers, president and CEO of Street Grace, an organization that fights child sex trafficking, said during a news conference.
Georgia has long been cited as one of the most active states for human sex trafficking, and the 72 yellow school buses that traveled through Atlanta’s streets Wednesday had anti-human-trafficking messages plastered on their sides. The long line of buses — able to hold a total of 3,600 kids — was meant to help people visualize how many children are affected each year.
When people see a number, it’s hard to understand if they’re not directly affected, Rodgers said.
“We’re going to show you in a way that’s too big for us to continue to ignore because child sex trafficking in Georgia and child sex trafficking around the United States of America is a problem that’s too big to ignore,” he said.
The parade of buses ended at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played next month. Authorities say big events like that can cause a spike in sex trafficking.
“By Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, all buyers and traffickers will know that Georgia does not tolerate those who seek to exploit our state’s children,” Carr said of efforts to raise awareness of steps the state has taken to pass legislation that allows prosecutors to build strong cases against traffickers and buyers and for judges to impose harsh penalties.
Shemeka Dawson, an advocate with Street Grace and a survivor of child and adult sex trafficking, said it’s important to talk about child sex trafficking even though the topic often makes people uncomfortable. It’s important, she said, for parents to talk to their children to keep them from becoming victims.
“It happened to me in my own front yard, where I’m supposed to be safe with my parents and my family,” she said. “But that’s where it happened to me.”
