Homeless youth center officials warn sex trafficking exists in the Valley

WASILLA — January is Sex Trafficking Awareness Month. The people at MyHouse, the Mat-Su Valley’s homeless youth center, are all too aware of how common that particular problem is in the Valley, despite how little the general population knows about it.

“It’s all around us but it’s pretty subtle and it’s pretty hidden,” MyHouse Empowerment Coach Lynda Chud said.

Chud said that many people think sex trafficking is a problem that other countries have to deal with and the Valley is exempt. But the sober reality is that it’s hiding in plain sight. She said that a lot of times, people think of sex trafficking in one way when it shows up in many different ways.

“People are so unaware it’s a problem. It’s here. It’s right under our noses,” Chud said.

Many might think of a dramatic abduction, some young girl taken away. Others may acknowledge there is sex trafficking in Alaska but that it’s just in Anchorage. MyHouse executive director Michelle Overstreet said that most times, the victims are homeless youth. She said that youth are rarely abducted for sex trafficking and in most cases, the victims are emotionally involved with their recruiter or have been “sold” by their own parents.

Overstreet said recruiters usually seek out young people, ones they detect as vulnerable. These children are typically homeless or have poor living conditions with parents addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. She said that they have numerous reports of parents who sold their children into sexual service in exchange for drugs or money, usually starting when the children are about 12 years old.

Overstreet said that it’s very common for young girls to find themselves with a man who pretends to be their boyfriend, taking them through a “grooming process.” These recruiters use each person’s circumstance to an advantage. They typically feed a victim’s addiction if they already have a habit, create an addiction if they don’t, or buy them nice clothes and other gifts.

“It really brain washes them,” Overstreet said.

Grooming doesn’t stop there. Overstreet said that as time goes on, these victims are stripped of their identification, warm clothes, shoes and other items to keep them from escaping. She shared a story from February of 2017, saying that she picked up a 19-year-old from a local hotel during a white-out storm. That teen told Overstreet that she and nine other young women were being trafficked out of the hotel. The teen got into Overstreet’s car wearing bedroom slippers and no coat.

“She literally couldn’t do anything,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet said that this teen was actually a MyHouse client who already underwent training, not just life and work training but also on how to avoid this very situation. They trained her at the Steam Driven Boutique and she lined up a nice job with three suitcases full of nice clothes to wear at work.

“It was one of those deals that was pretty terrifying. We didn’t have any idea she was in that situation until she called,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet said that the teen’s abuser was on probation and eventually went to jail on a different charge. She said that the teen is doing better now, getting into treatment.

“She’s doing better than a lot of them,” Overstreet said.

Overstreet said that the sex trade is connected to the opioid epidemic. She said that recruiters often use opioids and other drugs to keep victims dependent.

“The drug trafficking and the human trafficking go hand in hand,” Overstreet said.

Chud said that many victims end up going back to their abusers for a variety of reasons. That’s why she continues the empowerment course, striving to empower these victims, to show them that they are worthy, valuable and have a voice.

“Basically what we do is walk alongside girls and pray they don’t go back. It’s pretty touchy. You can’t force people out of it. You can be light house,” Chud said.

Chud said that these victims are not just female, and there are plenty of cases involving male victims. She said that regardless of the gender, these victims are treated like objects, like a commodity.

“It’s pretty heartbreaking, and it keeps going. It’s not like drugs. You can sell a girl again and again. It’s heinous. It’s a horrible, horrible crime,” Chud said.

Overstreet said that she see’s young homeless people with major red flags on a bi-weekly or sometimes weekly basis. Chud said that the problem is so far spread that it can be overwhelming thinking about how many victims continue to suffer on a daily basis, so she tries to focus on one person at a time.

“You just have to pay attention to the one who’s in front of you. We just need to walk with our eyes open to people that are hurting wherever we go,” Chud said.

The MyHouse Empowerment class meets every Monday at 1:30 p.m. and is open to anyone who feels they need it. The MyHouse Supper Club provides free meals and consultation Monday through Friday from 3 to 4 p.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com