An Idyllic Life Shattered
Theresa Flores seemed to have an idyllic life as a 15-year-old living in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. Raised in a strict Catholic household, she was a good student and a talented athlete. However, her life took a harrowing turn when she accepted a ride home from an older boy named Daniel. As Theresa recounted, 'It wasn't like he was a stranger. He was handsome, cool, and older, and I was thrilled to be noticed.' ## Trapped in Human Trafficking
Tragically, this encounter led to a traumatic chain of events. Daniel took Theresa to his house, where he drugged and raped her. She remembers the moment vividly: 'I had always known when to tell somebody to stop, but when I told him to stop, he just didn't. He got angry and violent and even though I screamed, there was no one in the house. He raped me. It happened in 15 minutes and it was devastating.'
The trauma deepened as Theresa was blackmailed with photos taken during the assault. Daniel's cousins threatened to expose the photos, forcing her into two years of sex trafficking while she continued to live at home. She became withdrawn, her grades plummeted, and she fell into depression. 'During the time I was trafficked, my grades fell from A's to C's and D's, I dropped out of track, and was falling asleep in school,' she explained.
Theresa's ordeal ended only when her father's job relocated the family. Yet, the silence persisted. It wasn't until her senior year that she confided in her boyfriend, who encouraged her to go to the police. This marked the beginning of her transformation from victim to advocate.
Fueled by her faith in God and a desire to protect others, Theresa pursued higher education in social work and counseling. She founded the non-profit organization S.O.A.P. (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution) in 2001, which distributes soap bars labeled with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number to motels and hotels. Her advocacy work also led to significant legal changes, including the passing of 'Theresa Flores Law' in Michigan, which eliminated the statute of limitations for trafficking victims.
Theresa's journey from captivity to advocacy is a testament to her resilience and faith. She attributes her ability to endure and fight back to her Catholic upbringing and her unwavering belief in God's support. 'We have to battle this on all fronts,' she asserts. Through her efforts, Theresa has become a beacon of hope, helping to save countless others from the nightmare she survived.
