For the last three decades, I’ve been immersed in trauma: homicides, rapes, sexual abuse, child exploitation, human trafficking … every misery that lurks in the darkest corners of society. It has been a relentless struggle fueled by a desire to make a difference. As a former federal agent and prosecutor, and the current Director of the Human Trafficking Response Unit for the Oklahoma Attorney General, I’ve fought alongside my colleagues for new laws; pressed technology and social media companies to take responsibility for what happens on their platforms; and pushed for new tools to aid investigators in pursuing child predators. Obtaining education and training for parents and caregivers has required constant and diligent effort. We continue to work hand-in-hand with prosecutors to improve how offenders are brought to justice.
Despite all these efforts, there is a grim reality: Technology has exponentially amplified the reach and effectiveness of predators, traffickers, and fraudsters. It has given them unprecedented access to victims while law enforcement struggles to keep pace. The reactionary nature of law enforcement is no match for criminals’ rapid adaptation and innovation. They’re always one step ahead, often exploiting the very tools we use to protect. Lack of funding, resources, and training only adds to the uphill battle.
And yet, we press on. We see nonprofits and organizations raising money, building awareness, and funding initiatives to address various aspects of this massive problem. These efforts look good on paper. They bring hope, rally communities, and provide a sense of purpose. But when you look back one, two, five, or more years later, the question remains: What have we achieved?
The crimes we fight – trafficking, exploitation, and abuse – continue to accelerate year after year. I’ve seen the same stories resurface and an evolution to familiar tactics. For every predator we capture and every ring we dismantle, there’s another waiting in the wings. It’s easy to become disillusioned, to wonder if our efforts are making a meaningful dent in this vast, ever-growing problem.
In these moments of reflection, it becomes clear that we don’t have all the answers. I don’t know anyone who does. The truth is, despite decades of work, despite the tireless efforts of so many, we haven’t found the magic solution. And I’m not sure we ever will. But that doesn’t mean we can stop pushing. We can’t stop advocating for new laws, holding companies accountable, or pushing for better tools and resources. These are crucial battles we must continue to fight. But we also need to take a hard look at what’s been achieved and recognize a painful truth: We are inherently reactionary, and criminals will always be one step ahead of us.
So, where does that leave us?
The real question isn’t how we continue reacting to crimes after they occur, but how do we shift our focus to prevention? What are the access points to trauma and vulnerability? Where can we intervene before the damage is done? This shift requires a different mindset. We’ve spent so much time and energy chasing criminals after the fact, but what if we redirected some of that effort toward stopping them before they begin? What would that look like?
Prevention isn’t an easy road, but it is a necessary one. It means identifying the factors that make people vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in the first place – poverty, broken homes, addiction, mental health issues, systemic neglect – and addressing them head on. It means empowering communities, educating children, and building resilience long before predators come knocking.
We also must come to terms with another harsh reality: No one is coming to save us. Not the government, not technology companies, not social media giants, not law enforcement, not prosecutors, not nonprofits, and not celebrities. The people we often look to for solutions are, at best, part of a complex puzzle and, at worst, overwhelmed by their limitations. We have to stop waiting for someone else to come in and fix this for us.
We, the people, have to come together and figure out what we’re missing. There’s an old saying: “When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” This is what’s been happening for years. Everyone we talk to – whether in law enforcement, advocacy, education, or technology – brings their expertise to the table. But expertise alone is not enough; we need to bring all the pieces together. Collaborative efforts must move beyond surface-level initiatives and tackle the deeper issues that feed this epidemic.
The crimes we face are not isolated. Human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and abuse are all interwoven into a larger web of systemic problems. The cycle will continue until we address the root causes, both individually and collectively. We can’t just focus on laws or technology; we need to look at poverty, addiction, trauma, and all the underlying factors that create an environment where these crimes can thrive.
It’s time for a shift in focus from reaction to prevention, from looking outward for solutions to looking inward at what each of us can do. We need to step up, take personal responsibility, and ask the tough questions about what we can change in our communities, our homes, and ourselves.
We’ve been waiting too long for someone else to save us. It’s up to us now.