As the individuals paced the room with dozens of students quietly squirming in their seats, Eric and Heidi Barnes, a married couple involved with the “Set Free” organization, discussed statistics, stories, and ways to reduce the vulnerability of teenagers becoming sold to sex traffickers. The couple came to Eastmont High School on November 29th with the ambition to help people recognize and prevent sex trafficking. “I realized then that there was evil in the world,” Eric Barnes stressed.

They became involved with the “Set Free” organization after learning about Ulee, a Hungarian 17-year-old and close friend of the couple, had been sold into sex trafficking. The Barnes had lived in Hungary for two years but have since returned to the United States.

“When we came back some six years later we realized she had been trafficked,” Eric Barnes said, “but what could I have done? I had no idea she was at risk.”

This connection to human trafficking impacted both Heidi and Eric Barnes on a personal level and the couple knew they needed become members of the “Set Free” organization.

“There are more than forty-five million slaves in the world today,” Heidi Barnes explained, “and over one billion dollars had been made in 2014 for traffickers.” Not only does sex trafficking happen all around the world but it also happens right here in the Wenatchee Valley.

“This is something that happens in our Valley. You don’t need to be scared, you just need to be aware,” declared Heidi Barnes to her audience.

“What does a sex trafficker look like?” Heidi Barnes asked. Teenage voices erupted with replies such as “trench coat” or “bald,” Heidi Barnes revealed the hard truth that sex traffickers could look like an average person. Heidi Barnes emphasized how, “traffickers can be men or women, young or old. It’s really important to be aware.”

The couple closed their presentation by explaining what can one do to reduce the risk of your peers being trafficked.  Teens are more vulnerable and many victims, who usually start out as runaways, become involved in trafficking as quickly as 45 minutes.

A final note of emphasis was placed on the topic of pornography.  While porn is considered the “new drug,” a big part of the porn industry is using victims of human sex trafficking to produce content.

“Porn can lead to addiction and that can lead to selling more people for sex,” Heidi Barnes stated. Although avoiding porn has a tremendous impact on the fight to end human trafficking, there are multiple other ways to aid victims and help prevent trafficking. In a closing statement, Heidi Barnes exclaimed, “This is a reality. Share what you know, and keep learning!”