>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
AND WELCOME.
IM MEGYN KELLY.
SELLING GIRLS. ITS HARD TO THINK ABOUT.
ITS HARD TO IMAGINE.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, IT IS
HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN AMERICA. PREDATORS TARGETING VULNERABLEA.
PREDATORS TARGETING VULNERABLE GIRLS AND WOMEN SOMETIMES AS
YOUNG AS 11. THEY LURE THEM IN ONLINE AND
OFF, FLATTERING THEM WITH
COMPLIMENT
COMPLIMENTS, PRAISE, YOURE PRETTY.ENTS, PRAISE, YOURE
PRETTY.
YOU SHOULD MODEL.
THEY LEARN THE VICTIMS VULNERABILITIES.ICTIMS
VULNERABILITIES.
THEY GAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTROL. THEY ISOLATE THEM AND THEYNTROL.
THEY ISOLATE THEM AND THEY THREATEN THEM WITH VIOLENCE
AGAINST GIRLS OR THE FAMILIES IF
THEY DO NOT DO WHAT IS
INSTRUCTED.
THE GIRLS DESCRIBE FEELING
TRAPPED AND SCARED.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW THEY ARE
BEING MARKETED FOR SEX.
WHO BUYS THEM? IT COULD BE YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR
DOCTOR, YOUR FRIEND.
ALL A PERSON HAS TO DO IS LOGON
TO THE INTERNET, FIND AN AD AND CLICK AND BUY.T, FIND AN AD AND
CLICK AND BUY. YOU WILL HEAR FROM ONE MAN WHO
DID IT, A SUBURBAN HUSBAND AND
FATHER, WHO SAYS ITS JUST THAT
SIMPLE.
SIMPLE.
ITS EASY TO SAY, NOT MY CHILD, NOT MY SISTER,FATHER, NOT MY HUS
HOPEFULLY THIS CONVERSATION WILL
PROTECT YOUNG WOMEN, A
CONVERSATION STARTED BY THE
AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
AT WXIA IN ATLANTA.
WE BEGIN WITH REBECCA BENDER.
SHE WAS A YOUNG SINGLE MOM FROM
A LOVING FAMILY.
AT 18 YEARS OLD, SHE WAS FORCED
INTO SEX TRAFFICKING BY HER
BOYFRIEND.
BOYFRIEND.
>> I HAD MET HIM AT A PARTY. HE WAS THE KIND OF GUY THAT.
HE WAS THE KIND OF GUY THAT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WANTED TO
BE HIS FRIEND.
AND ALL THE GIRLS WANTED TO DATE
HIM.
HIM.
WE DATED FOR SIX MONTHS. AND THINGS GOT SERIOUS VERY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY.
SO, HE PROPOSED THE IDEA OF MOVING TO VEGAS AND SAID, I
CANT ASK YOU AND THE BABY TO
MOVE TO VEGAS BECAUSE THIS ISNT
WHERE FAMILIES LIVE.
AN
AN
AND I THOUGHT, HE THINKS WERE A FAMILY, ILL COME. THINKS WERE A
FAMILY, ILL COME. HE HAD GOTTEN US AN APARTMENT.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT NIGHT, WE
HAD SOME SLEEPING BAGS, I THINK.
WE WERENT EVEN COMPLETELY
UNPACKED OR ANYTHING.
AND HE SAID, GET DRESSED UP, I
WANT TO TAKE YOU OUT ON THE
TOWN.
AND HE DROVE ME TO A DEAD END STREET, INSTEAD OF TO AAD END
STREET, INSTEAD OF TO A NIGHTCLUB.
NIGHTCLUB.
HE SAID, THIS BILLUILDING IS AN ESCORT SERVICE AND YOURE GOINGN
ESCORT SERVICE AND YOURE GOING TO NEED TO SIGN UP.
AND I THOUGHT, ESCORT, THAT
SOUNDS LIKE PROSTITUTION.
THIS ISNT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR.
THIS WASNT MY PLAN.
AND THATS WHEN HE SLAPPED ME
ACROSS THE FACE.
AND HE SAID, YOURE GOING TO GO
INSIDE AND YOURE GOING TO GET
MY MONEY BACK.
AND I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR.
AND HE WAS AN ATTRACTIVE YOUNG
MAN.
MAN. I REMEMBER HIM OPENING HIS
WALLET AND COUNTING OUT A LITTLE
OVER 300 BUCKS.
AND HE PULLED ME ON TOP OF HIM.
AND I WAS IN A DRESS AND HE
PULLED MY UNDERWEAR TO THE SIDE.
I THOUGHT, HOW DID I GET HERE?
HOW DID I GET TO THAT MOMENT
WHERE ITS LIKE GGRADUAL,
GRADUAL, GRADUAL.
GRADUAL, GRADUAL. AND THEN, SUDDENLY, THIS
BOUNDARY YOU SWORE YOU WOULD
NEVER CROSS, YOURE CROSSING.
AND BEFORE YOU CAN BACKTRACK,
ITS OVER.
ITS OVER. >> REBECCA BENDER, WHO IS NOW A
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ANTI-TRAFFICKING ADVOCATE, JOINS
US HERE.
US HERE. REBECCA, WELCOME TO YOU.
>> THANKS.
>> THANKS. >> THIS GUY WAS -- YOU HAD BEEN
DATING HIM FOR SIXTH MONTHS.
HE MET YOUR FAMILY.
HAD THERE BEEN ANY INDICATIONS
EARLY ON, THAT HE WAS
CONTROLLING OR MANIPULATING?
>> MY FAMILY THOUGHT SOMETHING
WAS NOT RIGHT.
BUT I DONT THINK VERY MANY
AMERICAN FAMILIES THINK HUMAN
TRAFFICKING.
TRAFFICKING.
THEY THOUGHT, IS HE A DRUG
DEALER?
SOMETHINGS OFF.
BUT I WAS SO IN LOVE THAT IT WAS
HARD TO CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.
>> HOW DID HE GET YOU TO GO INTO
THAT HOTEL ROOM FOR THE FIRST NIGHT WITH ANOTHER MAN? FIRST
NIGHT WITH ANOTHER MAN? >> WELL, WE WENT TO A TOWN
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
IT WAS A LOCAL CALL.
WE HAD LEFT MY DAUGHTER AT HOME
WITH HIS BROTHER.
SO, IMMEDIATELY WHEN HE SLAPPED
ME ACROSS THE FACE, MY FIRST RESPONSE WAS, I DONT KNOW WHERE
MY BABY IS.
I DONT KNOW MY ADDRESS BY
HEART.
HEART.
I JUST GOT TO LAS VEGAS FROM
THIS TINY TOWN IN AROREGON.
I DIDNT KNOW THE CITY.
I COMPLIED.
I WAS AFRAID AND I WANTED TO GET
BACK TO MY BABY AND I WANTED THE
NIGHT TO BE OVER.
I WANTED TO GO BACK TO BEING
HAPPY AND IN LOVE AND HOPEFUL.
HOPE BREEDS ETERNAL MISERY. >> DESCRIBE THE FEELING THE
FIRST TIME A STRANGE MAN WHO HAD
PAID FOR YOU GOT ON TOP OF YOU.
>> WELL, IT WAS SO FAST THAT
ITS ALMOST LIKE PEOPLE WONDER
WHY YOU MAKE DECISIONS YOU DO OR
WHY DIDNT YOU JUST RUN.
THEY HAVE ALL THESE QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD DO IN
THOSE SITUATIONS.
THOSE SITUATIONS. BUT THINGS HAPPENED SO QUICKLY,
BY THE TIME YOU CAN THINK ABOUT
A PLAN, THINGS CHANGE.
AND YOURE LEAVING, YOURE OUT
OF THE ROOM, YOURE ABLE TO GET
BACK IN THE CAR.
THE HARD PART WAS WHEN I GOT IN
THE VEHICLE AND HE SAID, HOW
MUCH DID WE MAKE?
AND I SAID, I GOT $300.
AND HE TOOK THE MONEY AND HE
SAID, YOU DIDNT HAVE SEX FOR
THIS, RIGHT?
THIS, RIGHT? YOULL DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
AND THATS WHEN I STARTED
CRYING.
CRYING.
I THOUGHT, THIS ISNT WHAT I THOUGHT.T, THIS ISNT WHAT I
THOUGHT.
THIS IS COMPLETE FRAUD AND DECEIT, TO LURE ME AWAY FROM MY
SUPPORT SYSTEM.
SUPPORT SYSTEM. >> THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE OUT
THERE WHO WILL SAY, OKAY, THE
FIRST NIGHT YOU WERE AFRAID FOR
YOUR DAUGHTER.
YOUR DAUGHTER. HOW WAS THIS A SECOND NIGHT?
WHY DIDNT YOU SEPARATE FROM
HIM?
HIM?
WHY DIDNT YOU HITCHHIKE, GET
OUT, DO ANYTHING?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT. THE SAME REASON WHY WOMEN INT.
THE SAME REASON WHY WOMEN IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DONT RUN.
THEYRE VERY GOOD AT
BRAINWASHING AND MANIPULATION.
AND THEY MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE
THERES A DANGLING CARROT YOURE
GOING TO REACH AND IT WILL BE OVER SOON.EACH AND IT WILL BE
OVER SOON.
ONE MORE WEEK. ONE MORE DAY..
ONE MORE DAY. ONE MORE MONTH.
YOU KEEP HOPING THAT THE END
COMES.
COMES.
BY THE TIME A FEW WEEKS OR MONTH GOES BY, YOURE PRETTYKS OR MONTH
GOES BY, YOURE PRETTY BRAINWASHED.
BRAINWASHED.
>> WHAT WAS THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
FOR YOU IN TRYING TO EXTRICATE YOURSELF FROM THIS?O EXTRICATE
YOURSELF FROM THIS? >> THERE WERE SEVERAL.
PHYSICAL ABUSE GOT SEVERE ONCE I
ARRIVED.
ARRIVED.
HE HAD NEVER HIT ME OR WAS
VIOLENT AT ALL, PRIOR TO
ARRIVING.
HE STARTED TOBUSEIVE AND I STARTED TO FEEL LIKE THIS WASNT
WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR.
NEIGHBORS CALLED THE POLICE FOR
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. THE POLICE WOULD ARRIVE.
I THOUGHT FOR A LONG TIME THAT I
DIDNT REALIZE I WAS BEING
TRAFFICKED.
TRAFFICKED.
I THOUGHT THAT I WAS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND MY BOYFRIEND WASTIC
VIOLENCE AND MY BOYFRIEND WAS PRESSURING ME TO MAKE MONEY IN
ESCORTING.
ESCORTING.
BUT I ENVISIONED HUMAN
TRAFFICKING LIKE MOST AMERICANS,
THAT ITS KIDNAPPED CHILDREN IN
OTHER COUNTRIES, LOCKED IN
ROOMS.
I DIDNT REALIZE WHAT IT LOOKED
LIKE IN A FIRST WORLD DOMESTIC SETTING.A FIRST WORLD DOMESTIC
SETTING.
AND THATS WHY WE ARE REALLY GEARED TO TRAIN AMERICANS TODAY
ON HOW TO IDENTIFY HUMAN
TRAFFICKING AND HOW TO RESPOND
IN THEIR OWN TOWN BECAUSE
THERES MANY WAYS IT CAN LOOK.
IF WE ONLY ENVISION KIDNAPPING,
WERE GOING TO MISS IT WHEN ITS
IN FRONT OF US.
>> NOW THAT YOURE AN ADVOCATE,
YOU GOT YOURSELF AWAY FROM HIM,
WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU
FEEL LIKE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW?
>> I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW
THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISNT
WHAT THEY SAW IN THE MOVIE
"TAKEN."
"TAKEN." >> THATS WHAT EVERYBODY THINKS.
THATS WHAT I THOUGHT.
>> THEY GRADUALLY EXPAND YOUR RY
BOUNDARIES IN THEM.
THEY MOVE THAT LINE UNTIL YOU
ARE IN HOT WATER, UNTIL YOU
REALIZE THE WATER IS HEATED UP
AROUND YOU AND YOURE BOILING.
THEN, YOU START TRYING TO RUN.
THATS WHEN PEOPLE START TRYING
TO RUN.
TO RUN. >> THE SEPARATION FROM YOUR
FAMILY, INCREASING CONTROL,
ISOLATION.
ISOLATION.
THESE ARE PATTERNS OF ABUSES YOU