It is not limited to war-torn countries or remote regions overseas. It is happening here—right now—in the neighborhoods, cities, and communities across the United States. The reality is harrowing: the U.S. is one of the largest hubs for child trafficking in the world, and yet, the average American remains unaware that this evil operates in plain sight.

Major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas are consistently identified as trafficking hotspots. But trafficking is not confined to big cities. It thrives in small towns, suburbs, and rural communities—anywhere there is vulnerability to exploit and darkness to hide in. Traffickers use complex networks, advanced technology, and even legitimate-looking businesses to carry out their crimes undetected. Estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. are at risk of trafficking each year, and disturbingly, some of these operations have been connected to corruption and failures within government systems meant to protect the innocent.