Estimates range form 450,000 to 2 million runaways each year in the US! Although half return, many times only to runaway again, studies indicate that an estimated 300,000 of these kids each year are coerced into trading their young bodies for a place to stay, food or drugs. These children are often running away from difficult home situations, abuse or neglect... only to discover that life on the streets is much more abusive, much more demanding, much more demeaning... their search for love and safety is used against them by predators that exploit there sexuality in the commercial sex industry. 

To survive, these teenagers convince themselves that they are not victims; they see themselves as surviving a very difficult life. Finding them, working with them, rescuing them from this lifestyle is not easy... and sadly, only a few people around the country are even trying. However, some are reaching them... some are getting through and helping these kids turn their lives around. 
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/us/27runaways.html?hp

Innocence Lost - Cross Country sting operation to rescue children being prostituted in 36 cities includes Tulsa and Oklahoma City. 52 children, the youngest being only 10, were rescued by authorities in a three day sting operation across the nation from truck stops, casinos and internet sites. To date the initiative has resulted in over 500 convictions and nearly 900 children rescued.

Child welfare groups estimate around 2 million children run away from home each year and approximately 300,000 are lured into the sex trafficking industry each year. Most of these are introduced to prostitution between the ages of 12 to 14 by  pimps and traffickers as a means of survival on the streets. How many customers were arrested?

See local article: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Selling-Sex-Online/JmJmn-kXgkimbw3JpEE3QQ.cspx
See world news article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/27/fbi-rescues-children-from-sextrade

THERESA FLORES will be at the CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE to tell her incredible story of being a modern day sex slave while in High School. At fifteen years of age, Theresa was drugged, raped, and tortured for two long years. Kept in bondage and forced to pay back an impossible debt. While living at home, attending school and church, she was being sold late at night in an underground world of modern sex slavery. Ms. Flores endured more as a child than most adults will ever face their entire lives.

Ms. Flores will be speaking at the ORU Mabee center in Tulsa Thursday, Oct. 22nd at 9:00 am.
Go to http://www.oathconference.us/ to register