In February, Kansas Judge Michael Gibbens came under fire in national news for claiming that two girls, ages 13 and 14, acted as “aggressors” in a situation of exploitation in which a 67-year-old male, Eugene Soden, paid them to have sex. While public reaction to Gibbens ruling was appropriately harsh, the reality is that his […]
Ambassador of Hope’s Ripple Effect
She had an idea, and followed it! You start with your first invitation, and someone in the audience asks you to come to their group, and someone there asks you to their school, and the ripples multiply until you have to build a local team of Ambassadors to keep up! As a new member of […]
Survivors of Child Sex Trafficking are Never the Aggressor
Joint Statement by Shared Hope International and Center for Combating Human Trafficking on Sentencing by Kansas Judge Michael Gibbens Under Federal and Kansas state law, persons who purchase sex from minors commit child sex trafficking; in fact, Kansas law specifically criminalizes such conduct as “Aggravated Human Trafficking.” Therefore, by definition, minors […]
Ohio Ambassador in Action
There is a lot of work and time required of Ambassadors as they support the work of Shared Hope in communities across the nation. Regional Coordinator, Amy Ryan Rued, and her husband, Jack, work closely with the Ohio Ambassadors, and specifically Greg Pace: “Here in central Ohio we do everything we can to create speaking opportunities. With each […]
Why Present at the 2019 JuST Conference?
This year the 2019 JuST (Juvenile Sex Trafficking) Conference will be hosted October 15 – 17 Cincinnati, OH! In the center of Cincinnati, a few blocks from beautiful views of the Ohio river, we’ll gather anti-trafficking professionals, experts and advocates from around the country for 3 days of inspiring and empowering training. Interested in contributing […]