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2 min read • Field Operations

Two Provinces. One Day. A Race to Rescue Children in Ecuador 

6-year-old girl and 8-year-old brother rescued, half-brother arrested  At the beginning of the year, Ecuadorian authorities were handed a disturbing lead: a thumb drive found abandoned on a bus near the Amazon region, which contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The team urgently needed to locate the survivors and put…
1 min read • Field Operations

48 Hours in Indonesia – Part 1

 First two operations in Indonesia of 2025 strike deep into the heart of digital trafficking networks – 2 suspects arrested.   Part 1: Operation Borneo Bound  Deep in an isolated region of South Kalimantan, one man was quietly distributing images that should never exist. Behind the closed doors of his…
5 min read • Our Perspectives

A dog trained to protect children also saved my own life

By Chaz Balogh, Our Rescue ESD K9 Program Relationship Manager  A highly trained, excitable and lovable detective named Spike saved my life. I don’t say that lightly. He brought me back to life, really, giving me a new purpose and rejuvenating my career in my lifelong mission to protect kids.
2 min read • Field Operations

From Prosecution to Urgent Survivor Care: 12-Year-Old Boy Rescued in Peru 

After three years of sexual abuse, a twelve-year-old Peruvian boy had completely withdrawn from his regular routine. Sinking into a deep depression, he rarely left the house and stopped attending school.   The perpetrator? A twenty-seven-year-old man who had befriended the boys’ family after he began working construction in the rural…
8 min read • Online Exploitation

Why Age-Appropriate Online Safety Conversations Matter 

In today’s digital world, kids are online earlier and more often than ever before. A recent report from Common Sense Media found that by age 4, more than half of children have their own tablet, and nearly one in four have their…
9 min read • Networks & Organized Crime

The Impact of Illegal Massage Parlors on Sex Trafficking

The Hidden Crisis Operating in Plain Sight Across the United States, an estimated 7,500 to 9,000 illicit massage businesses (IMBs) operate as fronts for one of the most pervasive forms of human sex trafficking in America today. These illegal massage parlors represent far more than isolated criminal…
2 min read • Field Operations • Homepage Featured • Operations

From Coast to Coast: Our Rescue Supports Nationwide Stand Against Human Trafficking 

Across the United States, human trafficking doesn’t always happen in the shadows. Often, it’s woven into the fabric of everyday life.  In neighborhoods, in businesses that seem ordinary, in places people pass by every day without a second thought. Illicit massage businesses (IMBs) are one of the most common covers…
Our Rescue Shield
14 min read • Prevention & Awareness

Our Shield™: A New Online Safety Superpower for Caregivers and Kids

We are raising a generation of children in a world more connected and complex than before in an ever-evolving digital maze. From toddlers swiping tablets, tweens in group chats, and teens navigating TikTok trends, our kids are growing up in the new wild west. This digital frontier—rooted in smartphones, social…
2 min read • Field Operations

A Quiet Room, a Hidden Crime — and the Team That Brought It to Light 

In a quiet town in Central Thailand, a young boy was suffering in silence.  He was just 15 years old — a student, a son, a child whose life should have been filled with friends, school, and the promise of the future. Instead, someone he trusted used their position of…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Peru and Ecuador Teams Reach Across Borders to Help in Child Trafficking Case 

It wasn’t long after a fourteen-year-old Peruvian girl didn’t return home from the market that her family’s fears were confirmed: she had been kidnapped and trafficked. The Peruvian National Police began an investigation and identified her trafficker as a Peruvian national with a history of sexually abusing children. The abuser…
4 min read • Online Exploitation

Internet Safety Tips You Need to Know to Protect Your Family in 2025

Protecting Children in the Digital Age  Every child deserves to grow up free from exploitation and harm—both offline and online. At Our Rescue, we’re committed to creating a world where children can safely navigate digital spaces without falling prey to those who would exploit them. The fight against trafficking and…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Supports First Operation in Romania

Authorities Dismantle Trafficking Operation in Eastern Europe, Rescue Two Survivors   In Romania, a 57-year-old man allegedly spent five years trafficking two women in Eastern Europe and forcing them into being sexually exploited for his profit.  According to Romanian authorities, in 2020 he began targeting women who came from at-risk situations,…
1 min read • Field Operations

Electronic Storage Detection K9s Sniff Out CSAM, Leading to Arrests in Ecuador 

During a string of recent successful operations in Ecuador to arrest perpetrators of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one of the most important partners was on scene to help secure justice. Along with provincial and national police, the State Attorney General and even U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, specially trained Our…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Donation Supports Carteret County Sheriff’s Office in Child Exploitation Cases 

At Our Rescue, we know that the right tools can make all the difference in stopping child predators. That’s why we provide essential technology and training to law enforcement agencies around the world—including here in the U.S. In Carteret County, North Carolina, equipment donated by Our Rescue recently played a…
2 min read • Field Operations

Two-Decade Reign of Abuse Ends with Life Sentence for Child Predator 

ESD K9 Heroes Help Bring Justice in Iowa Child Exploitation Case  For over 20 years, a man named Carl Markley used fraud and coercion to get dozens of teens, mostly boys, to engage in sex acts. As a nurse practitioner and business owner in Ames, Iowa, Markley used his position…
3 min read • Field Operations

Ghana Operation Uncovers Massive Cyber Trafficking Network 

In the early morning of April 17, 2024, Our Rescue Ghana joined Ghanaian authorities in one of the largest anti-trafficking and cybercrime operations in the nation’s history. Over 200 survivors—mostly young men and boys—were rescued from 22 locations across an 80-unit housing estate, many of whom had been lured from…
6 min read • Field Operations

National Police Week 2025 and Our Rescue’s Partnership with Law Enforcement

During National Police Week 2025, law enforcement officers across the United States will gather in Washington, D.C. to honor fallen heroes on the frontlines. The memorial march and planned events from May 11-17 will unite police survivors and active-duty officers in a major event that transcends remembrance. This year's gathering holds special significance as Our Rescue celebrates unprecedented achievements in supporting law enforcement agencies nationwide.
1 min read • Field Operations

Multi-Country Operation Dismantles Pedophile Platform: Bulgarian Cybercrime Directorate Helps Protect 39 Children

In March, Bulgarian law enforcement delivered a powerful blow to online child exploitationthrough a Europol-supported global crackdown on a major child sexual abuse material(CSAM) platform, Kidflix. With nearly two million users, Kidflix has become one of thelargest known platforms for CSAM. The General Directorate Combating Organized Crime’s (GDCOC) Cybercrime Directorateplayed…
3 min read • Our Perspectives

The Cases We Carry

 A National Police Week Message from Our Rescue CEO Derek Benner All of us who are serving or have served in law enforcement have peered into some of the darkest corners of humanity—investigating human trafficking, child exploitation, gang violence, cartel crimes, narcotics smuggling, illicit financial schemes, and fraud and scams.  …
1 min read • Field Operations

No Expiration for Justice: Thai Authorities and Our Rescue Take Down Repeat CSAM Offender 

Nearly ten years after a Thai man filmed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving a nine-year-old boy, he was still distributing the video online. CSAM has no expiration date—and neither did his crimes. Previously arrested, jailed, and then released after distributing similar material, he continued sharing the video of the…
5 min read • Training and Prevention

Our Rescue Joins Rotary VTT Team in Australia to Combat Sex Trafficking: A Global Effort for Change 

In March 2025, member of the Our Rescue Training & Prevention team embarked on a transformative month-long journey to Western Australia, invited by Rotary District 5300 as part of Rotary International’s Vocational Training Team (VTT) program. This initiative, backed by a Rotary Foundation grant, allows professionals from around the world…
6 min read • Sextortion

Online Sextortion Targeting Teens Surges Nationwide

A Q&A with two detectives on the frontlines of this growing crime ARLINGTON, Texas — The crime of online sextortion is surging across the nation, increasingly targeting teenage boys and in some tragic cases, the young victims have taken their own lives after being blackmailed with compromising…
1 min read • Training and Prevention

Our Rescue Donates Digital Forensic Device and Helps Stop Abuse of Minors  

For a 26-year-old man from Middletown, New York, TikTok wasn’t an entertainment site. It was a hunting ground and a place to meet girls under the age of 18. Even though he knew the explicit texts and FaceTime calls he instigated with a 15-year-old were illegal, that didn’t stop him…
5 min read • Sextortion

An Open Letter from a Mom of Teen Boys, Warning about Sextortion 

Allow me to introduce myself. I am the SVP of Marketing at Our Rescue. It is my job to help share stories of the vital work Our Rescue is doing, alongside our partners.   I recently read an article that kept me awake long after I shut…
Survivor from First Our Rescue Operation in Europe Reclaims Future with New Business
2 min read • Survivor Care

Mission Update: Survivor from First Our Rescue Operation in Europe Reclaims Future with New Business 

**In this story, the survivor’s name has been changed to protect her identity.  Two years ago, Our Rescue worked alongside authorities to help dismantle an international trafficking ring preying on vulnerable women from Latin America and Africa. The traffickers lured them to Greece with false promises…
2 min read • Survivor Care

Redefining the Future: A Survivor’s Path to Entrepreneurship 

**In this story, the survivor’s name has been changed to protect her identity.  Tsehay thought the opportunity to go to Lebanon and become a domestic worker would be a good way to provide for herself and her family.   Instead, Tsehay suffered traumatic abuse at the hands of her employers,…
4 min read • Human Trafficking Statistics

The Dark Market Economics of Human Trafficking

The Dark Market Economics of Human Trafficking  Beyond the Human Cost  A $172.6 billion industry thrives in the shadows of our global economy, profiting from human suffering (International Labour Organization [ILO], Global Estimates Report, 2023). Human trafficking generates profits that rival some of the world’s largest…
1 min read • Field Operations

Operation Amanecer III: Our Rescue Assists in the Arrest of Children’s Music Teacher in Ecuador After a Decade on the Run  

A man in Latin America was wanted on charges of rape of minors and the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since 2014. The suspected pedophile worked as a children’s music teacher, taking advantage of his trusted position with students to sexually exploit them. Despite his crimes and the…
2 min read • Sextortion

America’s Hidden Crisis: Online Sextortion and the Deadly Risks for Teen Boys 

Daily Wire Reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo Highlights Our Rescue CEO Tammy Lee in Coverage of Sextortion Crisis  A devastating trend is quietly claiming the lives of young boys across the United States: online sextortion. A recent Daily Wire article and Morning Wire podcast…
8 min read • CSAM

What is CSAM?

Understanding CSAM: Definition and Terminology  Child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, refers to any form of media that depicts the sexual exploitation or sexual abuse of children. This can include images, videos, or even live streams that show minors being sexually abused or exploited. The term…
1 min read • Field Operations

Wyoming Man Faces 548 Years in Prison for Creating and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material of 16-Year-Old Girl 

A 34-year-old Wyoming man faces 548 years in prison if he’s convicted of all the charges for the manufacturing, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following his arrest.   The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,…
6 min read • Child Exploitation • CSAM • Human Trafficking

Sounding the Alarm: Why the Fight Against CSAM Can’t Wait

ARLINGTON, Texas — Sex crimes against children are surging online, creating a backlog of digital evidence piling up faster than police officers across the US can sort through. Cyber tips for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases have tripled nationwide since 2020. This leaves police departments facing a logjam of…
2 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Partners with Peruvian Authorities to Dismantle Sex Trafficking Network 

70 survivors identified and 7 suspects arrested in collaborative operation   The Peruvian town of Llacuabamba, nestled in the rugged Andean mountains, is far from any typical tourist route. Located a grueling 15-hour drive from the coastal city of Trujillo, it is separated by miles of barren terrain and challenging mountain…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue and Thai Authorities Rescue 12-Year-Old Boy and Dismantle Illicit Chat Group  

An informant for the Thailand Internet Crime Against Children (TICAC) program thought the group on the chat app seemed suspicious. His instincts were correct. For 150 Thai Baht, equivalent to $4.45, anyone could purchase a lifetime membership to the group and get access to a trove of Child Sexual Abuse…
2 min read • Field Operations

A Father’s Love Leads to Criminal Arrests and the Rescue of Eight Trafficking Survivors in Peru 

In January 2024, a desperate father pleaded with authorities in Peru to help him find and rescue his 17-year-old daughter, who had been kidnapped by a Venezuelan Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) and trafficked to a southern Peruvian coastal town for sexual exploitation.   To help with this lifesaving mission, the Peruvian…
2 min read • Field Operations • Homepage Featured

Our Rescue Partners with Police in Greece to Bust Human Trafficking Ring 

Thirteen women from Latin America and Eastern Europe arrived in Greece with dreams of a better future. They believed they had secured stable jobs, only to have their passports ripped from their hands and their identities stripped away. Trapped in a nightmare, their captors forced them into sex work under…
1 min read • Training and Prevention

Congratulations to the K9 Class of Spring 2025! 

We are excited to announce the graduation of eight new Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s from the Jordan Detection K9 training program! These incredible dogs completed their training on Friday, March 14, and are being placed in police departments across the country and Canada to help fight child exploitation. Our…
3 min read • Survivor Care

Lives on the Line: The Urgent Need for More Survivor Shelters Near Nepal and India Border 

Lives on the Line: The Urgent Need for More Survivor Shelter Near Nepal and India Border  Charimaya Tamang was just 16-years-old when her life and dreams were violently disrupted, as traffickers forced her across the border from Nepal to India.  For nearly two years, she endured unimaginable abuse, suffering, and…
2 min read • Policy & Legal Advocacy

Breaking: Teacher arrested, 20,000 files of suspected child sexual abuse material seized, 15-year-old removed from teacher’s home

Earlier this month, a family in Thailand made a devastating discovery — a teacher was sexually abusing their nine-year-old son. The child revealed the teacher was coercing him into performing explicit acts, which the teacher filmed and uploaded online. His parents immediately reported the crime to the Cyber Crime Investigation…
Our Rescue female team members
11 min read • Homepage Featured

International Women’s Day 2025: Women Leading the Fight Against Human Trafficking

International Women’s Day is a global movement fueled by collective action, celebrating women’s achievements since its start in 1911, while confronting the work still needed to achieve true gender equality.  At Our Rescue, we are proud to be a women-led organization empowering female leaders. This day is…
2 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue Works with Thailand ICAC to Rescue Six-Year-Old Girl 

On February 19, a coordinated effort between Our Rescue and Thailand’s Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) Task Force led to the successful rescue of a six-year-old girl and the arrest of the family member who was abusing her.   The Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children (TICAC) Task Force, supported by the…
Photos of Our Rescue pillar work
5 min read • Our Perspectives

From Darkness to Light: The New Our Rescue

One year ago, I took on the opportunity of a lifetime as Our Rescue’s new CEO. I accepted this pivotal role with one goal: to transform the organization as a leading partner in the mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation.   I said ‘yes’ because I saw so much…
2 min read • Europe • Homepage Featured • Mission Stories • Prevention & Awareness • Training and Prevention

Our Rescue Helps Strengthen Malta’s Fight Against Human Trafficking 

In February, Our Rescue’s Training & Prevention, Survivor Care, and Rescue Operations teams traveled to Malta—a beautiful island country on the Mediterranean Sea–with a shared mission: empower those on the front lines of justice.   Malta is on the Tier 2 Watchlist of the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons…
group of kids drawing on a paper heart
3 min read • Training and Prevention

Help Fund a Shelter in Nepal

For over six years, Our Rescue has partnered with Shakti Samuha, a pioneering survivor-led organization established in 1996. Shakti Samuha is dedicated to providing comprehensive support for survivors of human trafficking, including shelter, education, vocational training, and legal aid. In addition, the organization works closely with law enforcement to combat…
Quote from Lindy Borchardt
2 min read • Organization

A ‘Survivor-Centered Prosecutor’ Helps Transform Justice System as a Champion for Sex Trafficking Survivors 

A “Survivor-Centered Prosecutor” Helps Transform Justice System as Champion for Sex-Trafficking Survivors  Assistant Criminal District Attorney Lindy Borchardt, of Tarrant County, Texas, sets the gold standard for what we champion at Our Rescue: to be the light in the darkness in the fight against human trafficking.  Lindy, who serves on…
6 min read • Prevention & Awareness

The Transformative Shift in Prosecuting Sex Trafficking and Child Exploitation

Learn how survivor-centered approaches are transforming justice systems, with groundbreaking results in Tarrant County, Texas. As the conversation around human trafficking gains urgency in the public eye, a transformative shift puts survivor care at the center of the process, from the first intervention on the streets all the way to…
1 min read • Field Operations • Homepage Featured • Operations

Operation in Greece Dismantles Major Human Trafficking Network  

In a significant step against sex trafficking, Greek authorities, with support from Our Rescue and nonprofit A21, dismantled a criminal trafficking organization in December of 2024.   The Directorate for Combating Organized Crime led the investigation, uncovering a network that had been operating since 2019. The traffickers targeted vulnerable women abroad,…
1 min read • Human Trafficking In The Media

Debunked Images Found on Google Maps in LA Ignites Conversation around Real Threat of Human Trafficking

Over the past day, disturbing markings such as “HELP” found on Google Maps in LA went viral, sparking fears of human trafficking in the area. While the Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed there is no legitimate threat, and the images are over a year old, the incident highlights a…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue ESD K9 Cruzer Uncovers Key Evidence in Federal Child Sexual Abuse Material Case  

Jesse Blaine, 42, of Harlan, Iowa, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Cruzer and his handler helped search his home, finding hidden electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material.   The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center…
1 min read • Our Perspectives • Statistics & Research

Our Rescue CEO Tammy Lee Joins National Podcast to Discuss Combating Human Trafficking in Short-Term Rentals 

Human trafficking is happening everywhere, including in all 50 U.S. states, and short-term rental properties are not immune. Our Rescue CEO Tammy Lee joined the “Short Term Rental Secrets” podcast to discuss how this pervasive issue can infiltrate communities in unexpected ways. Short-term rentals are typically homes and apartments rented through…
3 min read • Statistics & Research

Our Rescue Invites Communities Across the Nation to Join the Fight Against Human Trafficking on January 11 

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, observed on January 11, is a call to join our collective movement to protect vulnerable individuals from human trafficking around the globe. As an organization, we partnered with communities across the U.S. and asked them to take a stand and Join the Fight™ against sex trafficking…
1 min read • Field Operations

Our Rescue-Supported Operation in Ghana Results in 19 Rescues, Including 8 Minors 

In November of 2024, Our Rescue proudly collaborated with the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service to support a crucial rescue operation.  The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit initiated the operation, following an investigation that found children had been trafficked from Nigeria into Ghana and then forced into illicit cyber…
2 min read • Important Dates

11 Ways to Join the Fight™ in January 

January 11 is a call to action: join our fight to eradicate sex trafficking and child exploitation here and everywhere. To mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States, we are shining a light on the global disgrace of human trafficking and inviting you to join as a…
2 min read • Field Operations

Multi-National Rescue Operation in Bangkok: Eight Survivors Rescued, Three Offenders Arrested 

In December 2024, eight survivors of sex trafficking were rescued by authorities in a coordinated operation in Bangkok, Thailand. The survivors included seven Tanzanian women, aged 22-36, and one Kenyan woman. Additionally, the operation resulted in the arrests of three offenders connected to a transnational criminal organization.  Arrested Offenders:  49-year-old…
1 min read • Field Operations

Suspect Arrested in Panama for Sexual Crimes Against a Minor 

This month, the DIJ Judicial Police Sexual Crimes Unit in Panama, supported by the Our Rescue team, successfully apprehended an adult male suspect for the sexual exploitation of a minor. The suspect, a cousin of the minor, had been allegedly abusing the fifteen-year-old girl for a period of two months.
2 min read • Statistics & Research

Top 11 Sex Trafficking Myths Debunked

There is a lot of confusion about the realities of human trafficking and sex trafficking. Many people have unrealistic ideas about sex trafficking based on sensationalized movies, the media, or assumptions. Dispelling myths helps to raise awareness about the true nature of sex trafficking.  If you want to help people…
3 min read • Prevention & Awareness

11 Sex Trafficking Red Flags in Youth 

Several factors make children and adolescents more susceptible to sex trafficking. Most traffickers know their victims, either through family, friends, or online connections. Traffickers often present themselves as a love interest or trusted mentor/parental figure—gaining the victim’s adoration, affection, and trust, before eventually exposing them to sex trafficking.   Having…
2 min read • Prevention & Awareness

11 Sex Trafficking Red Flags in Adults 

There are many signs of sex trafficking. While not every warning sign means someone is being trafficked, each additional warning sign leads to a greater possibility that human trafficking is taking place. Remember, traffickers can be of any age or gender; they can be a relative, romantic partner, neighbor, acquaintance,…
1 min read • Survivor Care

12-year-old survivor in Latin America walks again

Alejandro is a 12-year-old boy in Latin America who was born with a severe disability and epilepsy, facing unimaginable challenges from the start. His condition from birth left him with limited mobility, and his early years were marked by both physical and emotional abuse. Devastatingly, Alejandro was also trafficked, which…
2 min read • Our Perspectives

Our Rescue helps bring police partners together to dismantle sex trafficking ring and rescue survivors

Sex trafficking is a worldwide crime against women and children. Predators often form sophisticated networks to transport unsuspecting victims across international borders and then trap them in a life of sexual servitude.  Stopping these sex traffickers requires a coalition of organizations from different countries working together. That’s where Our Rescue…

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