Hello , My name is Tanya Gold . I am a
survivor of domestic trafficking and
I'm just gonna take a little time to
tell you my story . I was
graduating from high school and
I need to tell you that at that time I
had a ton of vulnerabilities . One of
them was that I was a single mom in
high school . So here I am
trying to graduate . I um
was going to a college , a
local community college actually on a
scholarship . And so I knew that I
already had some things that were
statistically could say . I would end
up like on welfare in the system and I
didn't want that for myself and I
didn't want that for my son . So I made
sure even though I had a teenage
pregnancy and had decided to carry the
term , that I still did everything
possible to be able to , you know ,
have a good future . So , as I'm
exiting high school , um , I my I feel
like , you know , I'm in a good place
where I could um continue my education
and make a good example for my for my
son . However , during that time , I
need to let you know that other things
had happened in my life . Like , for
example , I was a victim of child
exploitation and um , and photo images
that are just inappropriate . So , I
felt very detached from the community
that I was in . Um I , you know , had
church family , I had , you know , my
peers and people that , you know , I
had relationships with , but you know ,
I began to feel very detached because
of all the issues that I had gone
through , and , you know , I just felt
like my life was very messy and that
people were afraid of me because of all
my drama . So I tried to live
very , um isolated as much as I could ,
as far as my conversation , or um any
problems or issues that I had , I knew
that I was facing , I just tried to
take care of them myself . So , as I
was exiting high school , we , a couple
of us friends have decided we're gonna
go on a senior field trip on our own .
And so we went to the local amusement
park , I didn't have anybody to go with
me as far as the date , and so , um ,
my really best friend ,
Her friend had a had a boyfriend who
had a cousin , and so it was through
that connection that I was able to have
me a date for the amusement park , and
it was amazing , I mean , he was about
28 years old and I was 18 at the time ,
which for me didn't seem like an issue
because at this time I um well , you
know , I had my own place , I had my
own car , um I was doing adult
things already , so I felt like being
with someone who was much older , it
wasn't really a problem because kids my
age didn't have , it just didn't have
experiences that I had , and um
actually when we were on the date and I
was talking to him just about my
situation , he was , he , he understood
like he got it . Um , I didn't have to
do much explaining . Matter of fact ,
he asked very good questions and um ,
he took the initiative , He was a
gentleman . Um , he was very well
groomed as far as his outer appearance .
Um , he was , um , he could hold a
conversation really well and um , I had
a great time , great mental stimulation
for me . So the , the entire day at
the amusement park was went really well
at the end as we were walking out there
was like this bench and we decided to
sit on the bench and just watch people
walk by us , which was for me very
romantic . And um , he looks at me and
he begins to , you know , asking deeper
questions about my life and that's when
I shared with him my child abuse
experience and he
looked at me and I'm , I'm explaining
this to him and he looked at me , he
said something that no one else had
ever said to me before and that was ,
I'm sorry that happened to you . And
when he said that I just felt this
connection , this validation , like all
these feelings in my heart that I
didn't know was there this sense
of belonging and being heard and
you know , being understood . Um ,
No one had given that to me and , and I
love that when I'm talking to people
about my story , it's just that little
piece right there that , you know ,
people in my community like nurses or
um , I don't know anyone , social
workers decided had a sexual abuse
experience . Um , and you know , family
members , church members , if anyone
would have said , I'm sorry that
happened to you . I don't think the way
he said , it would have impacted me so
much . And here I am sitting here with
him and having all these emotions and
not able to really articulate them all .
But I felt like it was love , I feel
like that's exactly what it was . This
is what it means to be loved and that's
true , right ? Um , but it wasn't
healthy , it was manipulative . We
continue to date for four months .
So it was around , it was the summer
time where he would come and he would
pick me up and we would go shopping ,
he would do things that were really
spontaneous . Um , and he did a great
job with building trust with me and my
son . He was very nice to my son .
There was nothing looking back on that
situation that would have led me to say
or spot that he was a trafficker . He
was just fun , very generous and um ,
always took the initiative with things .
And so matter of fact , friends of
mine would come to me and they would
say how happy and proud they were of me
because , you know , I was in this
relationship and and how happy I had
seemed to be and the other thing was I
was hardly ever home , he would come
and pick me up and we'd we'd go travel
or or do something adventurous . So you
know um to people it would seem like
or it was just seemed very normal in in
their relationship , just that's just
starting out and I had no complaints ,
I can't I can't look back on that
moment and say that he made me , he
ever made me feel uncomfortable . He
was very kind and listened to me really
well well september is coming up and I
am about to go to school um for an
early childhood education degree , I
was super excited about it and
just maybe a couple of days before
school started , he had given me a call
and said that he wanted to talk to me
about our future , which I was super
excited about . And so while we were
having the conversation , he mentioned
that um he and I have been having talks
over the months about owning property
and doing some really big things and he
said that with me having a degree in
early child education , him working at
the post office is what he told me he
was doing um that you know , we
wouldn't make enough money to do some
of the things that we said we wanted to
do and so he said he had an idea , he
wanted to run it by me . So um he said
to me , he said , I'm gonna say a word
to you and I want you to tell me the
very first thing that comes to your
mind . So he says the word madam . And
so I'm thinking the word madam . Like
I'm I say , I don't know , 18 twenties
and stage coaches was , you know , the
first thing that comes to my mind , he
said , nope madam , try again . And I
said , okay madam , it's when an
older woman takes care of a younger
woman and uh the younger woman sell
and she gives the money to an older
woman . The woman promises to protect
her . Like I go into what I have heard
or understood what madam to be . And he
said , correct , my mom isn't adam and
she's giving me the business . Well
this was new information to me , but at
that point I wasn't going to be like
really show how surprised I was because
I wanted to like put up this idea that
I I'm an adult too and I can handle
adult situations or conversations . Um
so I go ahead and let him continue to
explain himself . And I remember him
saying things like um I wouldn't have
to recruit girls . He already had all
the girls that , that he that he needs
and it's a working operation and you
know , I'm lost . I don't even know
what kind of questions to ask , but
he's saying it to me and what he said
to me , I have been watching you over
these last four months and I noticed
that you're very responsible . You take
care of your son . You know , you're
very good at paying your bills and you
know , all of these accolades that were
just amazing . And um so I am I'm
listening to him and he goes , you know ,
and I'm looking for a queen . So I'm
giving a soft yes . Like I'm
understanding , you know what he's
asking me to do at that point , it was
just being his business partner . And
so after he's talking and he's hearing
my soft yes , he says , now I do want
you to understand that I would need you
to go out there sometimes . And I
remember like in my mind I'm thinking
like I wouldn't do that . And so I I
said to him , no I I can't do that .
And he asked me , he says , well why
not ? I said well because I'm not a ho
and I say that very frankly and as
openly as I do because there's a lesson
to learn here and that is
we all have thoughts that we think ,
you know , when we see things happening
or you know , we go ahead and we judge
and we , you know , put people in a box
and and label them and I did this to
I'm calling , I'm saying I'm not this
type of person who would be caught up
in this type of situation . And so he
says to me right after I say that he
says um you're not a ho , huh ? Okay .
He said well how many people have you
had with ? And um then he asked me ,
you know about S . T . D . S . I had S .
T . I had an STD when I was when I
found out I was pregnant actually , and
he's like asking me the series of
questions like you know , what about
your your your baby's father ? Like
where where is he , what is he doing
for you ? And he's asking these
questions and I'm not answering because
of course he already knows the answer .
I had given him the answer the very
first day we met and so I'm just
listening and he looks at me , he says ,
I mean he he says to me um he
says to me , so who's the
real hope ? Because my girls , they get
paid for what they do , what do you
have ? And when he said that to me ,
you know , here's the love of my life ,
right ? Telling me that I am the very
person I had judged , like I'm
having these judgments about what a ho
is and who would actually do this and
here he is telling me and all your
efforts of trying not to be when you
actually are one and just I want to
pause for a moment and just say that
traffickers are master
manipulators , this is their
job and this is what they do and they
do it well and I just remember at that
moment that all the
emotions , all the things that that I
was hiding or that was suppressed ,
they just all began to come up and I'm
feeling bad that I had judged and I
judged others . And I'm the actually
the one who who was being who was being
this person that I was judging and I
have these terrible feelings and he
took that moment and he said you know
what , I'm gonna leave you with that
and I'll call you back . And I
mean I after that phone call I tried to
call him , I you know I was I was
desperate to hear his voice , I started
school , but I was depressed , I am a
very outgoing and talkative person , I
wasn't any of those things , I just
couldn't wait to hear his voice again .
He called me about two weeks later and
he said to me , just very matter of
fact , very matter of factly like he
says , so have you made your decision ?
And I said I'll do it . And right after
that he switches on me and it's the
first time I can ever remember anything ,
you know weird happening or something
that may seem off , he went from
being very matter of fact to I knew you
would do it , that's my girl , I knew
you were the one I can't I'm coming to
get you . I'm coming that daddy's
coming there now you know and for
me that's that's just what I wanted . I
wanted to be loved I wanted to be heard .
I wanted to be valued . I didn't know
what the future looked like but as long
as I was with him I was okay because
being with him was better than anything .
That in my mind I had had
By trafficking experience lasted for
about 18 months . Um When I think about
the type of buyers I had I mean I
had all were men and um the
buyers were from different backgrounds
meaning um you can tell that somewhere
professional somewhere you know when we
think about you know taxicab driver
drivers or bus drivers or just just for
your regular folks in the community a
lot of them were married men um college
students . And unfortunately which
I think is really important to mention
um somewhere definitely a military men
and you know for me we want
military and law enforcement to be the
ones that are protecting us and are
making sure that they are um you know
helping people abide by the law
unfortunately um I was trafficked in
the D . M . V . Area which has a high
presence of military personnel And um
and so some of them were my buyers . It
also reminds me to just some some
people that I still work with our
survivors that I still work with that
have been trafficked um have told me
some of their stories . So my favorite
part of my story is the part where
I had an opportunity to leave that life
and it was afforded to me by a law
enforcement officer . Um
so after quite some
time I had gotten myself in
a , in a space where I realized
that I was no longer just doing this
to keep this relationship that I had
with my trafficker , there was no going
back to what it was like four months
earlier . Um I had this realization
that I needed to find a way out . And
so I like to remind people as they are
thinking of , you know rescuing
survivors or rescuing um those who
are being trafficked is that you know ,
timing is everything because
you know , before I
wasn't ready , right ? I knew
that the situation wasn't something I
really wanted to be in , but there were
too many barriers and uncertainties ,
um , vulnerabilities that I still was
not aware of in my life , that
I just didn't see where coming out
would benefit me because what did I
have to go back to that was promising
or um that was empowering . And
so at this point in my life when I
was out with him , um I
realized that , you know , as the
threats were no longer threats , they
were actually follow through with , you
know beatings and you know , different
types of punishments . Um for not
meeting a quota . I just truly
understood that um it was
time for me to go and I just didn't
know how to do that . So anyway
I had this particular night
where things were going really south
and I had lost money
um had money stolen from me , like it
was just this really bad weekend and
you know um we all had gotten in
trouble for it , but it was my fault
and so our punishment was that he
wouldn't facilitate um the
time and places , you know like
locations for us to meet with the
buyers . We had to figure that out
ourselves and so that is much more
difficult . So but anyway and it takes
more time and so there are many
challenges that the three of us has
three girls this particular night we're
facing as we were setting up for this
evening to make our quota . Um and so
what we did , we were in D . C . At the
time and we had this system set up
where um one person would get into a
car and then the girl behind would
call out the license plate number and
then um that way the driver of
the car of the girl that was getting in
would hear that someone is looking out
and so that's what we did , you know ?
Um and so the other thing is no one
would get into a car unless someone had
come back . So we had the system , it
was working . And uh the
girl who was the queen , she actually
had got into a car that pulled over for
her . I read out the license plate
number and then it , you know , and
then it was her turn to go . So anyway ,
um a car
came right behind hers to get
me and I went to lean over to tell
the driver that I wasn't going to get
into the car . And um she turns and
looks at me and points at her at her
wrist . You know , as I say , we don't
have time , you're gonna have to go in
that car even though there's no one to
call out that license plate number .
And um so being frustrated at that , I
knew I had to listen to her . So I got
into the car , got into the car and I
noticed right away that this driver
was um was off , so I'm telling
him where to go in order to perform
our acts and he's not listening to
me , he's just driving straight ahead
and um he's not acknowledging me , he's
not nodding his head or anything like
that . So I get a little nervous and I
began to say things to him like , you
know , my my pimp , a trafficker , um
he's , you know , he saw me get into
the car , he's probably following us
that you didn't turn , you need to uh
you know , make this next turn , but
still he didn't acknowledge me , he
didn't , you know , respond or anything .
He just kept driving . So I knew that
eventually , you know , in some way he
would make a stop . And I also noticed
that on my right , there was a
there was no door knob , you know , uh
the doors were locked as you didn't see
the door knob anymore . Um So I knew
that um something , I knew that
something was wrong and I really became
very fearful of my life . So I knew
when he would come to a stop , I would
make my way out . We're continuing to
drive . I don't know where I am , but
he pulls into this um area , it's
like um an empty car lot or something
with this chain linked fence around it
and it's under a bridge . Um he pulls
into this this potholed filled car ,
car lot about this gravel and he stops
the car , turns off the light , turns
the car off and he says , looks over to
me and says , give me your money . So
I'm like , I'm not giving you my money .
You know , this is the reason why we
are out here . You know my mind , I'm
thinking I cannot go back to my
trafficker empty handed . That's
ludicrous , I can't do that . And so I
remember in my mind , I'm like we can
fight , we can fight all day , I will
give my life for this , I cannot go to
my trafficker empty handed . And so um
he comes over with a knife in his hand
on top of me from the driver's seat and
we're starting to like battle and I'm
giving it my all . Um but you know as
I'm struggling , everything kind of
goes into this slow motion because I
realize he's getting heavier to
me , like his his strength is gaining
and mine is lessening . And I
remember right at that moment I hear a
voice that's kind of amplified because
the window is up on my right . And I
remember the voice there was uh an
audible voice that kind of like hit me
on my right side and it said what are
you doing ? You have a son .
And it was like I
literally forgot who I was but that
voice reminded me that I'm a
mom and if my if
I would have died that night um
you know my trafficker would have been
the only person that knew where my son
was , my little one , you know because
we had night care for for kids
and so you know at that thought like
the mama bear in me that I didn't even
know was there , you know rose up and I
said okay okay okay you can have the
money and I threw him the money , he
leaned over , opened up the car door ,
pushed me out of the car and drove off
and in anger I read out the license
plate number Because No one did that
for me . Um and
then I'm on the ground crying
on my knees , just crying and screaming
and angry at God because you know ,
God had helped me escape so
many things like there are many other
times where my life was in danger when
I was out in this situation of being
trafficked and I called on God and
there were times that I needed to meet
a certain quota and I would pray and it
would happen that that's just the truth .
Um , I felt like this time God had
failed me because I needed to go back
to my trafficker with my quota in hand .
So at that thought , I'm just , I'm
screaming , I'm angry with God and I'm
down on my knees and then I realized
that , you know , I just have to get up
and I don't know where I am , I have to
find where I am and stand up . And I
realize also that I don't have any
money . I don't have an I . D . All I
have on is my dress and my hooker shoes .
That's it . So I ,
you know , feel that sense of
hopelessness or helplessness and I
raised my hands in the air and in
like such a humbling manner , you
know , I scream out God's name for help .
And when I did that a law enforcement
officer in his car heard me
and put on the siren and when he put on
the siren , he , you know , came over
to where I was and I'm walking over
towards , towards his car , you know ,
because I'm thinking , oh great now I'm
gonna get locked up just this night .
Just keeps getting better and he
rolls down his window and he says ,
what are you doing ? And I look and I
go what , you know , because he kind of
says it in a way that he knows me and
I'm kind of shocked at this and he does
his hand for me to come closer and he
says , what are you doing out here ?
And I just remember feeling like
he knew me and um but understanding
he didn't know me , but he just saw me
as a person , he didn't see me , you
know , as a prostitute or a hooker ,
you know , he didn't see me as that he
saw me as a person who needed help and
um I just started crying like a baby .
I knew that , you know that I had been
heard and um I felt valued in that
moment , you know , because he saw me
as a person . And so I told him
everything told him what was going on
and he paid for me to go back home .
I'm from New Jersey and he
paid for my ticket . I went and got my
son on the , on the bus and then I got
back on the bus and and went home and
um I always say make sure you have one
of those keep one of those crazy
friends in your pocket , in your back
pocket . I had a friend who actually ,
she she's since passed , but um I
knew , you know , who can I call
because no one , no one knew what I was
doing and I had , I had some very close
friends , but I remember thinking who
can I call to tell them to come get me
and my son looking the way that I look
and I was , one person came to mind and
she picked me up , no questions asked .
You know , we just talked later on a
couple of days later and that's when I
began my journey to get back on my feet
into to be the mom and the
person that has value um
who is this person who is now
empowered to help others . I will never
forget where I've been and where I've
come from . Um I've come from a mighty
long ways , as many would say um and
uh so I intend to keep moving forward
to continue to heal and to continue to
show others the way I currently work
with Children and adults who
have been identified as being
trafficked or at high risk for being
trafficked and I get to
sit and listen to their stories and um
not just listen to their stories , but
try to really help them uh get the
resources and services that they need
to help them get their lives back on
track . Um I'm just
when it comes to , you know , military
personnel being involved in this , I
think of two girls , one In particular .
Um she was identified through an
emergency room who a staff emergency
room that called me and said that she
thought she had someone who was who was
trafficking her . But she was taken to
the emergency room for some major
complications she was having and when I
went to go visit her um come to find
out her trafficker was her husband who
was military personnel . And um
he had , he would take her wherever
he was deployed and make her available
to um to people whether they would be
within the military , outside the
military uh to to to
exploit her and they have been doing
this for about two years before this
came to my attention . I will say after
much encouragement and just kind of
sticking with her um throughout her
travels , she would call me from
different phones um every time
just to let me know that she was doing
okay and I would just always encourage
her to leave her trafficker and to
report it . Um She eventually did
and we ended up having to um
reported to military personnel because ,
you know , there was just some
difficulty and challenges challenges
with reporting the incident to law
enforcement versus military personnel .
But she finally did reported to
military personnel . She was able to
get out and go back with her family .
Um , I also had had interactions
with another young lady who was
trafficked by someone who was in the
military . And um , it happened early
in her life . She just , this was her
boyfriend . He's the one that put her
on to this way of living . Um ,
so when I met her , she wasn't with him
anymore , but that is how she got
started . I was with her boyfriend who
was in the military and they were just
trying to make ends meet with her story .
Um , but she ended up , you know ,
using drugs to help her cope with
trafficking . And by the time I met her ,
she was really dealing with drug abuse
and drug addiction really bad and um ,
was able to get services that she
needed , but she ended up having lots
of mental health issues because of her
situation . Um , and so I think it's
important that when we're thinking of
trafficking and we're talking about
eradicating trafficking , we have
to come to grips with how this is
happening , who's doing it . Um ,
so we can become more proactive in the
work and be smart about it . I think
it's important to think like
traffickers to understand how they ,
you can find these vulnerable people
and exploit them . And , and because
it's a money making business , it's
important to remember that anybody who
wants to make money and if that's how
that's their world , like anybody
is susceptible to selling
something or selling a service or doing
something illegal , right ? So I know
it's hard to think about our military
personnel right ? Doing something like
this , but until we start having those
conversations , then it will continue
to happen . And so it's it's our job
as a community to make sure we protect
the most vulnerable among us . Um , and
I think it's important that , you know ,
for people to military and law
enforcement of those who have that type
of authority to hold each other
accountable . So when it comes to , I
think , you know , um
military personnel should be educated
about what what responses
can have on a person . Um , so when it
comes to buying , um , you know , here
in the United States or in another
country , I think it's important that
military personnel , you know , maybe
this is something that they have done
in the past and was used to doing , or
it's just something you know , that um ,
someone does , it's important to point
it out and understand that this act of
exploitation hurts people and it
traumatizes people . And , and just
because you may think as a military
personnel , um , that you're just
paying for and you , and you may see
yourself as the nice person . Um , not
everyone is kind and even that act
in itself to the person who's being
exploited , no matter how nice you
think you are as a as a military
personnel . It doesn't feel nice to us
as survivors in that moment . It
doesn't it's just like anything else
that's that's harmful . It's something
that we get used to , But it's it's
never nice . I don't care how nice you
think you are or your being or how much
more you're paying , um , or how
cordial you're being . Um , it still
doesn't take away or make
make us feel better about what's
happening . So I think that's an
important message to put out there .