Shaniya Davis: the ultimate victim of child sex trafficking

What everyone feared had become a reality. Brad Lockhart's five-year old little girl, once missing, had been found. On November 16, 2009, Shaniya Nicole Davis's body was discovered in a woodsy area off the side of the road.

What makes this tragedy more appalling was the alleged culprit behind Shaniya's disappearance that ultimately led to her brutal demise. Shaniya's own mother, Antoinette Davis, was being charged with felony child abuse. Investigators said that 'she gave her daughter with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude', otherwise known as prostitution. Antoinette Davis was being charged with engaging in human trafficking with her own child as her victim.

Many of us would prefer to believe that America is immune from such atrocities. But the fact remains that children everywhere are vulnerable to the wiles and perversions of these predators who take their deplorable compulsions underground, preying upon the most innocent and defenseless. Unfortunately, there are those within our own country, the home of  the free, participating in the slavery of children. According to the U.S.Department of Justice, 300,000 children in the U.S. are at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation.

And this horrific industry is rapidly growing, generating tens of billions of dollars annually. That's the bad news.

The good news is that there's a fairly new kid on the block to take this on...one that is well-researched in the dynamics of human trafficking. Taking a different route, Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) addresses the problem by getting to the root of this disease. Working on the basic economic principle of supply and demand, SCTNow targets the predators who drive up the demand for these children. They feel that if they decrease the number of sexual offenders, then they decrease the demand for the supply of children forced into sexual servitude.

The method behind this innovative approach? Elite operatives consisting of former CIA operatives, experts in counter-terrorism and retired navy SEALs, all of who have devoted the rest of their lives to fighting this crime against children. These highly qualified professionals know what it takes to get the job done, and get it done right. They pursue the predators and accumulate the intelligence needed to bring them to justice. Through each conviction, they send a message to other predators.

Jason Weis, SCTNow National Walks Director, said, 'Last year, the main focuses for SCTNow was the (fund-raising and awareness) walk, working on agreements with law enforcement, and funding the special operatives. Now that the funding for the operatives has been distributed, we're in the field. We are making progress, and we are making a difference. Continued support is essential because the fight is ongoing.'

And it's a fight they obviously take seriously, putting their money where it's needed most. With 84% of SCTNow's funds going toward operations, the world may just be a safer place for our children after all.

For more information, visit www.SCTNow.org.