Human Trafficking Survivor Honored, Shares Story

Gov. John Kasich awarded a Governor's Courage Medal to a survivor and advocate of human trafficking on Tuesday.

Theresa Flores was forced into sexual slavery at a young age and survived to tell her story, and Kasich said the state needed more resources like her to fight human trafficking , 10TV's Glenn McEntyre reported.
 
"Her courage has helped her to turn her experience around and make a difference in countless lives," Kasich said.
 
Flores said she was drugged and raped by a classmate when she was 15, McEntyre reported. She said that she thought it was the worst thing that could happen to her, but the torture continued.
 
"A couple of days later he came to me and said we have pictures of you, and we're going to show them to everybody unless you do what we say," Flores said.
 
Flores said that she shared her story because she is not alone. Her body was used for profit.
 
"They would take me to really beautiful homes and to areas where only the men were allowed, and then I'd be made to really just service them, one after the other after the other," Flores said.
 
Flores said her life in sexual slavery went on for two years, about three nights a week. However, she said that one night in particular stood out to her.
 
"I was taken to a motel in the inner city of Detroit where I was auctioned off to about 20 men in one night," Flores said. "It was horrific."
 
Today, Flores works at a residential facility for who are victims of modern-day slavery in central Ohio.
 
She is also working to pass legislation called the Safe Harbor for Exploited Children Law, McEntyre reported. It would prevent minors from being arrested and jailed for soliciting and would instead put them into treatment.
 
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