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-5-4. <br />INDIAN RIVER COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S MEETING —1/29/2024 <br />Florida Faith Alliance Presentation <br />Good morning, Chairman Flescher and esteemed Council Members. <br />Thank you for helping our community to become aware of the fastest growing <br />crime in the world today, CHILD sex trafficking! <br />I am here today because we are in a crisis for our children, and we believe <br />addressing the crisis of human trafficking through awareness and action alongside <br />our government leaders is one of the keys to bringing an end to this travesty. <br />Since the pandemic, Child Sex Trafficking has become the fastest growing crime in <br />the world. America is now the biggest buyer of sex and Florida is #3 in the nation <br />for hotline calls. The buying and selling of humans is a multi -BILLION dollar global <br />market. <br />Sex Trafficking is in every state and community. This horror is happening right here <br />in Indian River County. Over the last year and a half there have been 14 related <br />arrests for trafficking and child exploitation, all of these have included child <br />pornography. <br />Social media has opened the door for predators and traffickers to bait and groom a <br />child so they will come to them willingly. Sexting and Sextortion is now the fastest <br />growing gateway to child trafficking. According to Homeland Security, recruiters <br />within our schools, many the same age as our children, are being used to start <br />these sexting rings. In the Treasure Coast, 4 TEACHERS have been arrested for <br />sexting with students. <br />Florida Faith Alliance has created powerful trafficking prevention videos called <br />"DON'T TAKE THE BAIT", for middle and high school students. The Indian River <br />County School Board voted unanimously this past year to bring these videos into <br />all IR County schools. We are now training school district employees and students. <br />In 2025 we will be affecting over 70,000 children and 7,000 employees across 2 <br />counties. <br />Florida Faith Alliance founder and COO Lynne Barletta worked with FL House <br />representative Toby Overdorf to help get HB 3 passed and as of Jan. 1s' PORN HUB, <br />the most viewed porn website in the world, has pulled out of Florida! <br />