Laws, enforcement, citizen vigilance, and safe places are all needed to stop sex trafficking. But a leader in the fight against the modern slave trade says the most important part is someone the government has tried to suppress.

Every year, there are 29.1 million sex trafficking victims in America, and it’s estimated more than 300,000 of them are children. In June, Texas Scorecard interviewed Pastor Heather Schott of The Justice Reform, a nonprofit organization in Fort Worth against sex trafficking. She explained how it is all around us in the Lone Star State, targeting men, women, and children. Schott emphasized victims’ need for a safe place to escape, and outlined what officials statewide—and you—can do to fight trafficking.

She also described the horrific pain of those enslaved, and the wounds left in their minds, bodies, and souls.

In this last piece, Schott shared what TJR has seen heal and restore lives before their eyes.

“Some of our survivors, within six months, we’ve moved them into apartments. They have full-time jobs, are sharing their story around the nation in churches and at conferences, are writing books, [and] are living successful, incredible joy-filled lives,” she told Texas Scorecard.

Schott said these results are not because of her or anyone at TJR. “They were healed and set free by Jesus.”

In today’s popular culture, mentioning Christ and the Bible can generate controversy and backlash. Yet, Schott said the Son of God is the One restoring these shattered souls, replacing their misery with melody.

“The biggest difference between other programs and what The Justice Reform is doing is that Jesus Christ is at the center of it,” she said. “The results, with what TJR’s done so far, speak volumes.”

Contrast that with the LGBTQ values Schott noticed in our public schools, where God was kicked out long ago. “They’re pushing on children … with these new curriculums that they want to bring into schools … in pre-K starting at age three, how to masturbate [and] what sex is,” she said. “We are beginning now to literally brainwash a culture into sex being normalized, to create and develop a hunger in children.”

Taxpayer dollars are funding these efforts. Not enough is going to rescue slaves and stop traffickers, according to Schott. She previously shared that many organizations trying to help address the problem are struggling with not enough funds.

While LGBTQ values get taxpayer dollars, Schott says little to nothing is being given to Christ-based organizations.

“The government doesn’t want to fund organizations that are Christ-based or Christian,” she said. She wants this changed and says she won’t be bribed to drop Christ for cash. “I will never compromise the one thing that has the power to heal the worst abuse that any of us can imagine.”

Schott sees a correlation between removing Christ and allowing the growth of slavery. “Some of the leaders in this realm want to propose that they have the answers, or the curriculums, or the trauma-informed care, and all of the answers that are supposedly working so well. Yet the numbers are skyrocketing, and now America has become the No. 1 nation for trafficking,” she said. “I don’t see anything that’s really working. What I do see is that we have removed Jesus, we have removed [the] Bible from curriculums, from homes, from organizations, and from care. … So, I don’t see the perfect solution yet.”

What I believe [is] the perfect solution is the presence of God being the center of everything that we’re doing.

The Justice Reform will be holding their Justice Run Marathon on October 10, 2021, to raise funds for Justice Residences: safe homes to help transition sex trafficking victims from slavery to self-governance. Registration is still open.

Robert Montoya

Born in Houston, Robert Montoya is an investigative reporter for Texas Scorecard. He believes transparency is the obligation of government.

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