First time poster....
I'm both impressed and intrigued by the amount of time people have put into this thread. I have come to realize that there are people all over the world working on this case, and simple things such as "pocket dials" and using a GPS to get home are not common things to everyone (yes, I use Waze religiously to get home in time for the school bus in Atlanta traffic!). With that said, I feel that it is only fair to shed some light on a certain topic that is very rampant here in Atlanta, and although it has been touched upon in this thread, I want to make sure we are all in the same page, whether or not you feel it directly applies to this case: Human Trafficking. I'm not trying to make any suggestions, I just want to be clear about what I've learned from living in Atlanta.
I am an educator (experience with Autism) and mother, and have tried to gain as much information on human trafficking as possible. I have been to workshops and symposiums with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Attorney General, along with former victims, safe house workers, psychologists, and family members. It is a horrific situation here and it is NOT limited to the inner city as people assume. First, "pimps" are not who you would expect them to be. They are not men with gold chains driving Cadillac Escalades with tinted windows. Furthermore, the "streets" are no longer shady places with dark alleys. Pimps are oftentimes suburban men and the "streets" are the internet, so this is a huge problem because there is not a lot of physical evidence of "solicitation while hanging out on the corners." We are not talking about women choosing prostitution, rather victims of human trafficking. With human trafficking, the VICTIMS are not personally getting paid by the clients (who are oftentimes white collar men - husbands, fathers, men traveling for business). The pimps deal with the money, and in turn, "take care" of the ladies, who are a "reusable resource" according to the GBI. Unlike drugs that that are gone once they are smoked, sniffed, or injected, these women can be used over and over again.
Pimps are CONSTANTLY combing through social media and physically watching for young women to "groom." The girls oftentimes have a vulnerability to them which is EXACTLY what the pimp desires. They pay attention to them, buy them nice things, and meet their needs (or so they think), and getting the victims closer and closer to them which means further away from their families I still well orchestrated. In turn, the women fall victim to the pimps and are soon being sold for sex. As much as they didn't set out to do it, many of them do not know how to leave, and many don't want to leave because they actually feel like the pimp cares for them and they don't want to let them down (this is why the pimps seek out the vulnerable ones). If the victims threaten to leave, the pimps always have the upper hand because they are their sole provider. The victims are not given the money for their services as in regular prostitution (or if they are, the pimp coordinates the transaction and knows exactly how much money to receive), they have no choice but to stay because if they leave, they will have NOTHING. Unfortunately, they feel loyal to their pimps because they are having emotional needs fulfilled (being wanted) by the pimp. It is a very scary symbiotic relationship where oftentimes they feel no way out, but become so brainwashed that many choose not to leave even when given the chance.
I pray this is NOT the case for Jenna, and I pray for her safety, wherever she may be. Hopefully this sheds some light as to whether or not you feel human trafficking is pertinent to this case.
Thanks for all you do and blessings to all!
