The heartbreaking sight of a minor alone at the southern border, clutching only a piece of paper, has become tragically familiar. Approximately 540,000 unaccompanied children have been apprehended at the southern border since President Biden took office in 2021, according to Border Patrol data. Many of these children fall prey to sex traffickers and face unimaginable conditions and exploitation.
Fox News recently spoke with a 20-year-old man who is a survivor of sex trafficking, but we agreed to hide his identity for his safety. He still lives in fear that his captors will find him. He was trafficked from South America to Mexico, crossed the border, and was finally rescued when he was 18 years old and brought to Bob's Hopeful Home.
Bob's House of Hope is the nation's first safe house specifically for male sex trafficking victims. Victims detailed their harrowing experiences of being trafficked six to eight times a day, being beaten and threatened with death if they spoke out.
“I've seen good people die,” he said.
Judge approves emergency order closing Aurora, Colorado apartment complex infested with immigrant gangs
Male immigrant survivor of sex trafficking speaks to Fox News. (Fox News)
Safe House founder Bob Williams was inspired to create the shelter based on his own experiences.
“They just feel like it only happens to girls and women,” Williams said. “And that's the problem. That's the stigma we have to change. In fact, we believe that up to 50 percent of human trafficking victims are boys and men.”
Bob's House of Hope welcomes both U.S. citizens and immigrants. He works with law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
“As a survivor, I said I would take anyone who came along because immigrant children are protected under federal sex trafficking laws,” Williams explained.
Shockingly, many of the victims of Bob's House of Hope have been trafficked by their families, seen as little more than dollar signs.
Illegal Honduran immigrant arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting 13-year-old in Florida: Police
“Most of these children are being trafficked by someone they know, whether it's an uncle, a neighbor or someone else,” Williams noted.
Williams describes a disturbing cycle in which many migrants are trafficked during the day and forced into sex trafficking at night.
The question he often hears is, “Why can't the boys escape?” He explains that they are not only threatened with violence, but also controlled by addiction, especially fentanyl.
Approximately $4 million worth of fentanyl seized by the Los Angeles Police Department lies on a table. Bob Williams said traffickers intentionally feed their victims with fentanyl addiction and use it as another way to control them. (Los Angeles Police Department)
“This fentanyl problem is so serious that young people are hooked on drugs,” he said. “That, combined with the fear of threats to their families, dominates their minds.”
A recent Office of Inspector General report found that ICE has lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors in recent years. Williams has little doubt that many of these children are being trafficked.
“We know that many of these children are trafficked by their families into gangs and human trafficking groups,” he said. “Predators prey on vulnerable children. In one case, a young man who was trying to reunite with his family in Florida was picked up by a gang under the guise of a ride to Miami. But that ride was never given. It didn’t happen.”
Bob's House of Hope's mission is to help these young people heal from the trauma they have experienced. The program lasts four years and provides a safe space with housing, therapy, animals, and education.
Bob Williams founded Bob's House of Hope to help male victims of sex trafficking. (Fox News)
The goal after graduation is to transition to an independent life with a car, a job, and the opportunity to attend college.
Landon Dickerson, chief operating officer and therapist at Bob's House of Hope, sheds light on the challenges young immigrants face.
“They were often rejected from birth by their parents and grandparents, and often sold for money to be brought to the United States for further abuse,” Dickeson explained. “They arrive here in a state of disarray, don’t speak the language, struggle to navigate our systems, and are incredibly vulnerable.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The survivors we spoke to expressed gratitude for the sense of family and comfort they found in a safe home and expressed a desire for a better life.
“All I can say is don't lose hope, don't give up. There's always light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Along with increased border security, Williams believes tougher penalties for families of traffickers and co-conspirators are needed, as well as increased funding for programs like his that help victims.
