From Witness to Ally

Around ten o’clock one dark night this past July, Christian Kennedy, her son, and his friend were traveling their familiar route on Highway 45 in northeast Mississippi. Exhausted from an eventful day at a water park in Alabama and the long drive home, Christian was struggling to stay awake. In the backseat, her son was asleep, and his friend was quietly scrolling on his phone. As they neared their exit, she glanced down to adjust the radio, hoping music would help her stay awake for the last stretch. However, the instant she looked up, the scene unfolding before her jolted her fully alert – and kept her that way for most of the night.

Christian was traveling in the left lane with a truck beside her on the right. As her eyes darted from the radio to the road, she witnessed a woman fling herself out of the speeding truck in front of her and into the middle of the highway. Upon impact, she rolled like a ragdoll until she halted in a pool of blood. Christian and the truck beside her swerved to dodge the young lady, and as they came to a stop, the truck in front of them shot backwards in reverse, stopping beside her lifeless body.

Since Christian had worked with an insurance company, her initial response was to quickly grab her phone and begin videoing for proof that this was actually happening. Although her video was only about two seconds long, she captured a blurred image of the man dragging the limp lady, wearing nothing but her underwear. He shoved her in his truck and immediately fled.

Shaken to the core, Christian chose not to follow the truck since she had children with her and didn’t want to put them in danger.

“I was completely horrified. I never dreamed I would see anything like that. It literally lasted all of ten seconds, but it was such a helpless and traumatic situation,” she recalled.

Anxiously, she waited at the scene for the police. When they finally arrived, she shared her experience and also the video. Unable to focus on anything else once she returned home, she posted the video on her Facebook page, begging the public to help find the lady and make sure she was alive.

“You never want to think that trafficking could take place in your quiet community, but it was definitely one of my first thoughts. Having also worked in law enforcement and knowing that we are close to an international airport, I knew it was a possibility,” Christian said.

Her video quickly went viral, with most viewers assuming it was a case of human trafficking. The vast majority of commenters were outraged – demanding answers, along with justice. Like Christian, the public also felt powerless and flooded the comment section with questions: What should someone do in a situation like this? Were there red flags someone missed? And how had things gotten so dire that she felt her only option was to escape a vehicle moving at 75 miles per hour?

Although it was never publicly confirmed that this was a case of human trafficking, Haley Chapin, Program Director of Transformation Garden (TG) in north Mississippi, said, “The moment I saw the video, I was wondering if we were witnessing a sex trafficking situation or domestic violence. It’s often very hard to tell the difference because they can be so intertwined, and oftentimes the victim is initially unaware she is in a relationship with what we refer to as a ‘Romeo trafficker.’”

Typically, when thinking of sex trafficking, our minds associate a child being kidnapped and sold into a life of sex slavery. However, greater than 95% of those referred to the TG have experienced domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) that ultimately led to trafficking. This is the most common factor identified among victims referred to TG from the southeastern states.

DM or IPV frequently escalates into sex trafficking when the abuser forces the victim to perform a commercial sex act in exchange for anything of monetary value – such as cash, drugs, rent, gas, etc. – without the victim receiving benefits.

According to Chapin, the Romeo traffickers seek out vulnerable women who are in economic, emotional, or mental distress or have existing substance abuse issues. Romeo traffickers identify the need and quickly begin to fill it. For instance, if a female feels abandoned by her father, he will provide and protect. If a woman’s greatest desire is to be romanced and loved, he will buy her nice things and take her places, reminding her that she belongs to him. When targeting a woman who is homeless, jobless, or without a car, he will be the knight in shining armor and fill the void to make her totally dependent on him.

Then the trafficking begins.

“Once he has gotten the hook in and she believes she is truly loved, he begins to tell her she has to help provide by meeting with other men,” explained Chapin. “The victims at TG have reported that when girls are uncooperative, the Romeo traffickers will often send in a crew to gang rape beat them into submission. The experience is beyond traumatizing and leaves women utterly broken. From that point on, he controls with force, intimidation, and fear.”

Chapin emphasized that most victims then comply with their traffickers to avoid further abuse and torment. These individuals also begin to battle overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, and hopelessness. It normally takes up to nine months for a survivor to realize they were never loved, just exploited. It’s a hard reality, but the painful acknowledgement is a crucial step in the healing process.

So what should citizens do if they find themselves in a situation similar to Christian’s?

Pray. Chapin’s best advice is to immediately seek the Lord’s guidance and direction, while also storming the throne room of Heaven on behalf of the victim for swift deliverance.

Along with calling local authorities, Chapin encourages the public to share concerning information, photos, and videos on a new, free app created by Mississippi’s Attorney General’s office, in partnership with the nonprofit Safe House Project, called Simply Report.

Since opening in 2021, TG has provided life-changing care to survivors of sex trafficking. To date, 68 survivors have received residential services, six are receiving after-care services, and over 20 have received outreach care.

TG’s mission begins with help - meeting the physical needs of survivors and countering the lie that their situation is hopeless. As trust and relationships are built, TG offers hope through the gospel message. Finally, healing comes through ongoing discipleship.

Thus far, every TG graduate has accepted Christ and experienced profound transformation and freedom.

Currently, TG has a bed capacity of 16, but due to a lack of funding, only 12 can be housed. Church partnerships, along with donations, are desperately needed in order to continue caring for these women.

For more information regarding the ministry of Transformation Garden, applications, and ways to donate, visit their webpage.

If you are being forced, deceived, or threatened to sell your body or if you know of anyone who is, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline, (888) 373-7888.

Show Comments

Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting (longer on weekends). Please limit your comment to 300 words or less and ensure it addresses the content. Comments that contain a link (URL), an inordinate number of words in ALL CAPS, rude remarks directed at the author or other readers, or profanity/vulgarity will not be approved.