Betty Simons is a tenacious private investigator, specializing in recovering missing children and combating human trafficking, co-founding the non-profit NMA in memory of her sister and achieving an astonishing 44 out of 45 successful recoveries. The interview with Betty Simons was done by V4CR Kim Kelley.
I was able to personally watch the live discussion through Linkedin. However, you can also see this interview on the YouTube platform.
During the interview, I caught some real issues involving this situation.
- Houston, Texas is a hotbed for sex trafficking involving children. It is named as one of the primary hubs in United States for this activity.
- There are many organizations created to assist those trying to escape sex trafficking. Some of these organizations receive state and federal funds, along with donations and contributions. Yet, most of the money is used not for the victims, rather the organization itself. Betty Simons mentioned one particular organization (she did not name it) promoting themselves to provide shelter for escaped victims, yet only provide a $25 dollar gift card.
- There are many within the police organization desiring to combat and put an end to the sex trafficking issue in Harris County, Texas. However, with poor legislation, inefficient resources, and a revolving door for those trafficking the children, the system is setup for failure.
My thoughts to combat these issues.
- This is not a localized phenomenon. The issue involving sex trafficking with minors is not a localized issue. Rather a world wide issue. According to reports, United States is one of the primary consumers involving sex trafficking. In fact California, Texas, and Florida are named the states with the highest human trafficking statistics. While an individual may not be able to combat all the perpetrators in United States, each of us can review our state’s laws, representatives, local police force, and begin to hold accountability. Learn what is going on in your area with this growing issue. Do what you can, with what you have. Start talking about this with your family and friends, to raise awareness. Check out my article, ‘How can I help involving child trafficking?‘ to learn more what you can personally do.
- Sex sales. Sex trafficking is a $150 billion dollar industry and rising. It will soon surpass all illegal activity, including guns and drugs. When you have that much money involved, the sycophants and leaches will come to feed off the enterprise. This includes organizations created for their own self profit. They cannot let an opportunity go to waste. Human trafficking shelters are created to assist in preventing human trafficking, supporting survivors, and advocating for policy changes to better protect vulnerable populations. Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a state listing for some agencies and organizations combating child sex trafficking. Before you assist in any organization, understand where the money goes. Does it go primary into the organization or truly used as a resource for the victim. Ask questions. Demand them to open their books and be transparent.
- Everybody is corruptible. Public trust in government remains low. A pew report in 2022 cited only two-in-ten Americans trust the government. Working in that type of environment can only be demoralizing. Attempting to do what is ethical and seeing little difference as a return for your time and energy is crushing. As citizens of the United States, it is our duty to assist those working to combat this issue. Learn your local landscape. This includes your district representatives, your state laws combating this issue, and understand the process. By understanding the landscape, find the weak points and push your region to harden and strengthen. These kids are going through hell every day. It is an ethical duty for us to utilize our time and resources to help those fighting this war and trying to end the victim’s suffering.
Betty Simons organization is called Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative (txcti.org). The organization Performs Investigations to Assist Families and Law Enforcement Agencies in the Location & Recovery of Juvenile Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation.
Betty is also the founder and CEO for Valor Investigations. The company’s main page conveys it to be, a woman owned licensed professional investigations and process serving firm operating in all of Southeast Texas. You can check her information here.
Kim Kelly works with the organization Vets for Child Rescue (vets4childrescue.org). The organization’s mission statement is, Veterans For Child Rescue (V4CR) is a 5O1C3 nonprofit organization that was founded in April of 2017. Our team is comprised of military professionals, former and current law enforcement, senior intelligence community veterans, child abuse and trafficking survivors, and people who are willing to do whatever it takes to end child trafficking in the USA. You can check out their free documentary, Contraland.
You can check out Matt’s LinkedIn account, Youtube Channel, or Podcast.Introducing my new books, ‘The Art of Critical Thinking’ and ‘The Critical Thinking Model’. Both can be read for free with Kindle Unlimited or $2.99 each via Kindle.
Cross post: LinkedIn