Trafficking in America Task Force

03/30/2026

Thank you, Ruchira Gupta, and the entire Apne Aap team, for creating this important space for survivor leadership and systems accountability. Those with lived experience carry critical insight into how exploitation operates, where institutions fail, and what true prevention and justice require. I’m honored to stand alongside organizations committed to ensuring survivor voices help shape the solutions.

Survivor leadership must be at the center of anti-trafficking work.

On our "From Harm to Justice" panel this month, Jerome Elam reminded us that those with lived experience hold critical knowledge on how systems of exploitation operate—and how they must change.

03/11/2026

Thank you to Apne Aap Women Worldwide for convening this critical discussion at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
As a survivor of child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse, conversations like this are not theoretical—they are deeply personal.
One truth stood out during our panel: systems of exploitation survive in silence. They begin to collapse when survivors speak and are included in shaping the policies meant to protect others.
Grateful to stand alongside courageous survivor leaders from around the world who are turning lived experience into global action.
Protecting children.
Supporting survivors.
Holding exploiters accountable.
— Jerome Elam
CEO, Trafficking in America Task Force

03/05/2026

For many survivors of human trafficking, escaping exploitation is only the beginning of the journey. The trauma often leaves lasting physical, emotional, and financial consequences.

This report highlights an important federal program designed to help survivors recover medical expenses and lost wages caused by trafficking. These types of programs matter because justice must include restoration, not just prosecution.

As a Marine Corps veteran, a survivor of child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse, and the CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force, I have seen firsthand how survivors are often left to rebuild their lives with little support. Survivors should not be forced to carry the financial burden of crimes committed against them.

True survivor-centered justice means:

• Holding traffickers accountable
• Providing long-term trauma-informed care
• Ensuring financial restitution and recovery
• Empowering survivors to rebuild their futures

Programs that help survivors recover medical costs and lost wages are a step toward recognizing the full impact of exploitation. But we must continue to push for stronger policies, expanded victim compensation, and survivor-informed solutions.

Survivors deserve more than sympathy.
They deserve justice, dignity, and opportunity.

This is why we continue the fight.

—
Jerome Elam
CEO, Trafficking in America Task Force
Marine Corps Veteran | Survivor | Global Human Rights Advocate

A federal program aims to help s*x trafficking survivors recover medical costs and lost wages.

03/05/2026

The federal s*x-trafficking trial involving high-profile real estate brokers Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander is a stark reminder that exploitation often hides behind wealth, power, and influence. Prosecutors say the brothers used a calculated “playbook” — luring women and girls with luxury trips and parties before isolating and assaulting them. Eleven women testified in court about being drugged, r***d, or trafficked over the course of more than a decade. 

What stands out most to me is not just the allegations — it is the courage of the survivors who took the stand.

Speaking publicly about s*xual exploitation requires extraordinary strength. Survivors often face intimidation, doubt, and attempts to discredit their truth. Yet time and time again, survivors step forward because they want accountability and because they want to protect others from the same harm.

As the CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force, a Marine Corps veteran, and a survivor of child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse myself, I understand how difficult it is to break the silence around exploitation. Survivors are often forced to confront powerful individuals, institutions, and social narratives that minimize abuse.

But every survivor who speaks out changes the world a little more.

Their voices challenge systems that allowed exploitation to flourish.
Their testimony reminds us that justice must apply to everyone — regardless of wealth, status, or influence.

Human trafficking and s*xual exploitation are not distant problems. They are happening in our cities, our communities, and sometimes in industries that appear glamorous or untouchable.

That is why advocacy, education, and survivor-led leadership are so critical.

At the Trafficking in America Task Force, our mission is clear:

Protect children.
Support survivors.
Hold exploiters accountable.

Justice begins when survivors are believed, supported, and protected.

If you care about human rights, I encourage you to learn more, speak out, and support organizations working to end trafficking and exploitation.

Together, we can build a world where survivors are heard and predators are held accountable.

Government prosecutors made their final arguments to the jury in the s*x trafficking case against former luxury real estate moguls and brothers Alon, Oren and

03/05/2026

For survivors of trafficking, accountability is not political — it is deeply personal.

For too long, powerful individuals connected to exploitation networks have operated in the shadows while survivors carried the burden of silence. Investigations into those connected to Jeffrey Epstein represent an opportunity to confront difficult truths about how influence, money, and power can shield abuse.

As the CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force, a Marine Corps veteran, and a survivor of child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse, I know firsthand that exploitation thrives in secrecy and silence. Justice begins when systems are willing to look honestly at the structures that allowed abuse to occur in the first place.

Survivors deserve more than headlines.
They deserve transparency.
They deserve accountability.
And most importantly, they deserve protection for the next generation.

The work we do at Trafficking in America Task Force is focused on exactly that — protecting children, supporting survivors, and holding exploiters accountable wherever they operate.

Real change requires courage from institutions, policymakers, and the public alike. The voices of survivors must remain at the center of these conversations.

If we want a world where trafficking cannot thrive, we must be willing to follow the truth — no matter how powerful the people involved may be.

Protecting children is not a partisan issue.
It is a human rights issue.

The House Oversight Committee has asked Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and several others to testify over their connections with Jeffrey Epstein.

02/21/2026

For many survivors, accountability has never been about headlines — it has been about finally being heard.

As a Marine Corps veteran and a survivor of child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse, my work today as CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force focuses on ensuring systems protect victims instead of protecting reputations.

Around the world, I’ve trained professionals and institutions to recognize exploitation earlier, respond responsibly, and prioritize evidence over influence.

Justice is not measured by status.
Justice is measured by whether the vulnerable are protected.

Stand with survivors. Build systems that prevent the next victim.

02/14/2026

For many people, the Epstein revelations feel shocking.

For survivors, they feel familiar.

The newly released files are causing resignations and investigations around the world — not always because individuals abused children, but because powerful people maintained relationships with a known trafficker after his conviction. 

That is the uncomfortable truth about trafficking:
It doesn’t survive in darkness.
It survives in silence.

I lived it.

As a child s*x trafficking survivor and now CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force, I have learned that exploitation continues when society values reputation over victims.

Prevention starts with courage — the courage to believe survivors and confront uncomfortable realities.

This isn’t about politics.
This is about protecting children.

We owe the next generation a world where influence cannot shield exploitation.

Protect children. Support survivors. Hold exploiters accountable.

The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein case is spreading around the world. Politicians, diplomats, business leaders and royals have seen reputations tarnished, investigations launched and jobs lost.

02/06/2026

IMPORTANT 🔎 — Latvia has initiated a criminal investigation into potential human trafficking tied to the recently released Epstein-related documents, which included references to Latvian model agencies and women. Latvian authorities are calling for victims to come forward as part of the probe. 

This is a stark reminder that human trafficking is a global crisis — one that doesn’t respect borders, and one that flourishes when abuses are hidden or minimized.

As a child s*x trafficking survivor and image-based abuse survivor, and now as CEO of the Trafficking in America Task Force and a Marine Corps veteran, I know firsthand how critical it is to shine light on exploitation, center survivors in the fight for justice, and demand accountability from institutions worldwide.

We must keep pushing for transparency, survivor protections, and real consequences for traffickers and enablers alike.

If you are a victim or know someone who may have been affected, please seek help and report it to authorities.

Latvia has launched a criminal investigation into potential human trafficking after the release of documents related to late U.S. s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein that included references to Latvian model agencies and models, police in the Baltic nation said on Thursday.

02/06/2026

Today’s news out of Virginia — that a bridal shop was allegedly used as a “hub” for human trafficking and drug-dealing operations — is yet another painful reminder that the scourge of exploitation continues to hide in plain sight. 

As a Marine Corps veteran, I swore to protect the vulnerable. As a child s*x trafficking survivor and a survivor of image-based abuse, I know firsthand the devastation these crimes leave in their wake — the stolen futures, the silenced voices, and the trauma that follows survivors long after headlines fade.

This isn’t just a criminal case. It’s a human crisis.

For decades, traffickers have profited off coercion, deception, and fear — thriving wherever systems fail to see, recognize, or intervene. Behind every alleged operation are real victims — real people — whose lives were harmed, whose dignity was stripped, and whose stories deserve justice.

I’ve lived the pain of exploitation, and I’ve devoted my life to ending it. As CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force, I’m committed to shining a light into the darkest corners where traffickers operate — whether that’s a back room in a business, a street corner, or behind screens on the internet.

We must:

🔥 Demand accountability, transparency, and stronger enforcement.
🔥 Support survivors with dignity, compassion, and real resources.
🔥 Educate communities so we recognize the red flags — before more lives are harmed.

To every survivor reading this: you are seen. You are heard. You are not alone.

Human trafficking thrives in shadows — but together, we are the light.

Authorities in Virginia say a Roanoke bridal shop is under investigation in connection with prostitution and human trafficking.

02/04/2026

This news matters.

In California, Operation Reclaim and Rebuild resulted in 600+ arrests and 170 victims rescued, including children. Every one of those rescues represents a life interrupted from exploitation—and a chance to heal.

As a child s*x trafficking survivor, survivor of image-based abuse, Marine Corps veteran, and CEO of Trafficking in America Task Force, I know how rare—and how critical—it is to be seen, believed, and protected.

Rescue is not the end of the story. Survivors need long-term care, safety, and justice. And our communities must stay engaged until trafficking is no longer tolerated, ignored, or normalized.

Let’s keep pushing—for every child still trapped, and every survivor still waiting to be heard.

A week-long statewide crackdown on human trafficking resulted in more than 600 arrests and the rescue of 170 people, including children as young as 13.

02/04/2026

This is a powerful and deeply troubling moment for survivors of s*xual exploitation and trafficking. New investigative Epstein files — including recent disclosures that name a Richmond hotel as a potential site connected to trafficking activity — are surfacing across the country. 

As someone who survived child s*x trafficking and image-based abuse, and who now leads the Trafficking in America Task Force, I feel both the weight of these revelations and the urgency of action. Behind every file, every document, and every name — are real people whose lives were forever changed.

We must demand justice that protects victims, not retraumatizes them through careless disclosures. We must support stronger protections and transparency, and we must never forget that exploitation hides in unexpected places.

Thank you to the journalists and advocates bringing this evidence into the open — now the real work begins. 💛

A Richmond hotel was named in the most recent batch of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, with an anonymous individual claiming they and other children were taken there to be s*x trafficked to…