Anti-Human Trafficking Month: Addressing illicit massage businesses - MSN

[Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez]

MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Illicit massage businesses are a major spot for human trafficking across the country and The Basin, shared several leaders in Texas.


“Illegal institutions that are popping up across the Permian Basin and they’re setting up shop next to daycare centers and next to schools,” said Sen. Kevin Sparks (R) District 31.

Reflection Ministries alongside Sen. Sparks hosted a luncheon to come up with solutions for this issue.

“I don’t know that we necessarily came to any conclusions that I heard today but I do believe that there are probably a few legislative things that we may take a look at this spring as we being the 89th legislature next week that might give law enforcement some additional tools and law enforcement some tools,” Sparks said.

In the U.S., there were over 16,000 human trafficking victims identified by the national human trafficking hotline and more than 1,700 victims in Texas.

Joe Madison, who is founder of Demand Disruption spoke at the event and says the main way to stop this crime is by stopping the demand for human trafficking.

“Supply and demand,” Madison said. “Well who is fueling the demand and what factors are causing that and so we look at things across our culture. Things in our culture that we’ve all kind of just accepted.”

Madison also encourages people to recognize misconceptions they may have regarding human trafficking.

“Some sort of perception that women want to be doing these things for a living,” Madison said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact they say it is a choice. It is not a it is a redemption of so many terrible choices that often times has roots in their own sexual abuse or some sort of horrible childhood or background so when we understand that we start looking at the contributing factors in our culture then we start to understand where we can intercede and make a difference.”

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