*Hannah was manipulated by her boyfriend
Hannah was struggling with behavioral issues when she ran away from home.
After leaving, Hannah started spending more time with her adult boyfriend. She wanted to be independent. In her eyes, he was helping her do it. She was a teenage girl putting her trust in the wrong man.
One day, Hannah’s boyfriend took her to a Green Bay motel. He had arranged for her to meet up with another man who she didn't know. To this day, Hannah won't say what happened.
Because Hannah had been reported missing, police were able to trace her cellphone to the motel. They found her inside with the man and quickly realized she was being sex trafficked.
The detective called our
Sexual Assault Center
to get her the help she needed.
Hannah's road to recovery hasn't been easy. She's had many ups and downs. I also want you to know that Hannah doesn’t consider herself a victim of sex trafficking. Like many other survivors, she views the situation in a different light.
“Due to the manipulation, these kids often do not see themselves as the victim of a crime,"
said Shelby Mitchell, sex trafficking victim advocate for the Sexual Assault Center of Family Services.
"They see it as helping a friend or a boyfriend who they have a relationship with, rather than someone who is taking advantage of them.”
Hannah's boyfriend was never charged in the case because she was still trying to protect him. However, he was arrested and is now charged in another case involving a different teen. This case was very similar to Hannah's.
*Name has been changed to protect the client's privacy.