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Walk 4 Freedom 5K raises funds to protect youth

Posted at 10:12 PM, Nov 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-05 01:12:25-04

The Walk 4 Freedom 5k occurred Saturday morning.

The annual walk raises awareness and funds to protect children from sexual exploitation by providing prevention education.

According to the Education Director Lisa Hansen, “Most of these victims are hidden in homes or misidentified simply as runaway or homeless youth involved in ‘survival sex,’ the trading of sex for food, shelter or drugs. Students are also pressured by their peers to provide sexual photos or perform sexual acts—which can lead to ‘sextortion’ and sex trafficking."

Based on National Averages, over 2,000 7th-12th grade students in the Tucson area have been involved in sex trafficking.