Report a Crime

Indicators of Human Trafficking:

• Restricted or controlled communication or transportation
• Someone has their identification and travel documents
• Barbed wire or bars on windows to keep one in
• Large number of occupants for living space
• Signs of torture such as scars, branding, or malnourishment
• Massage parlors refusing to service women
• Men come and go frequently
• Individuals who have no contact with friends or family or access to identification documents, bank accounts, or cash
• Homes or apartments with inhumane living conditions
• Workplaces where psychological manipulation and control are used
• People whose communication and movements are always monitored
• Places where locks and fences are positioned to confine occupants
• For more indicators, click here.

Report if you suspect human trafficking or slavery:

• 911
• National Human Trafficking Hotline                 888.3737.888
• Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking     800.655.4595
• Children of the Night                                      800.551.1300
• Treasures Ministry                                         323.937.9525
• Equal Employment Opportunity                      213.894.1046
• Law Enforcement                                          866.347.2423
• FBI: Tips webpage                                        https://tips.fbi.gov/

Cited from Slavery No More and the FBI.

I am a Treasure

Earlier we posted about an amazing woman who shows love and compassion to women in the sex industry. Having experienced the industry herself, Harmony Dust now lives to reach, restore, and equip women in the adult industry. Her powerful organization, Treasures, reaches out to these women. This video shows more than we could tell you about her organization; who they are, what they do, and why. Take a look.

Here are Simple Things You Can Do to help Treasures:

• Share
• Donate
• Sponsor
• Work the web (Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter)
• Volunteer
• Shop Treasures
• Educate Yourself

To find out more about Treasures, click here.

To learn more about Harmony Dust, click here.

To learn more about Harmony’s book Scars and Stilettos, click here.

An Interview With Harmony Dust

Who are you?

I am a girl on a journey with God.

How did you end up in the stripping industry?

Ultimately what led me into the sex industry was a long-term abusive relationship with a guy from my neighborhood who essentially became my pimp. I met him when I was 11.  At the age of 13, my mother left me alone to care for my 8 year old brother. When my mom left, he came around, bought me food, made me feel protected and showed me the male attention I so desperately desired.  Some people would call this “grooming”. He came from a pimp mentality and had it in his mind to “sell” me from the get go. I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a victim of trafficking, although there was definitely a lot of coercion that went into me ending up in a strip club. And each night, I came home and gave him all of my money.  By the end of it, he had recruited one of my co-workers to do the same.  I felt completely hopeless and trapped.

How can we help prevent more young girls from being sucked into this industry?

I believe that early intervention for victims of sexual abuse is needed. When a victim is identified, it is important that she (he) has a safe place to talk about these experiences (ie counseling, support groups, a school counselor etc). This will help reduce the shame and isolation they feel. Also, hopefully they will be less likely to connect their sexuality with their self-worth.

What is Treasures?

Treasures is about reaching and restoring women.  Our core message to the women is that they are loved, valued and purposed. This message is so powerful that many women collapse in our arms and weep at hearing it. We believe that true transformation is the result of a heart changed by the love of God.

The Transformation of an Exotic Dancer

Reading through the first few pages of the book, I was introduced to a whole new way of life. A lifestyle far from what I have ever been used to. Scars and Stilettos, written by Harmony Dust, offers an honest portrayal of a young girl lost in the exotic world of stripping and her transformation to a whole new life.

Harmony opens up her past and provides a heart wrenching book that draws you closer to her emotional struggle. Through a vivid description of her life in the sex industry, you are not only drawn to the unknown lifestyle but captivated by Harmony’s authentic conflicts; her battles with abandonment, exploitation, and sexual and emotional abuse. Harmony exposes the realities and constant battles within the industry, not the glamorous entertainment that Hollywood portrays.

Beginning in the early stages of her life, Harmony introduces us to the fundamentals of how it all started. At the young age of nineteen, she grazed the back rooms of clubs, working her way up and earning more money. She openly shares the toxic relationships that introduced her to this dark world and reveals the life she held while stripping. While most of the book provides deep details of her exotic lifestyle, it also introduces her transformation and how she escaped.