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Trish

I was introduced to the sex trade at a very early age; I was 12 just about to turn 13. My mom had been kicking me out or sending me wherever she could to escape her parenting duties. I found myself 12 years old living on the streets and at youth shelters, they weren’t keen on taking me because I wasn’t yet a teen, but they did. Met a guy who said and did all the right things, he prayed on my weakness and my naive ways and lured me in.

I lost my virginity to a pimp, something I will never forget. I was very hesitant and scared but the more I resisted the more painful it was for me. His niceness wore off very quickly and he became aggressive. I didn’t get to keep much of what I earned and still stayed in and out of shelters. By the time I was 16 I was basically a “free agent”.

I was doing the only thing I knew how to do to earn a living. I went to an alternative school in the days because the one thing I knew is that my education was important to me; the nights well they were long and hard but I had to pay my rent. At 18 I was working in an escort agency, I was tired of standing on the streets.

I continued on until I was 22 and then one day something hit me.....I found my worth and realized how much potential I had. I made big changes, I met the man of my dreams, or so I thought and started a family and started college. I have 2 beautiful boys and a police foundations college diploma; I am currently pursuing a justice degree, and I strive to be a strong voice for woman like I was.

W5: Rescuing the girl next door from the sex trade
Human trafficking doesn't often conjure up images of the girl next door, but a young woman from your neighborhood may be trapped against her will in the sex trade. W5's Sandie Rinaldo speaks with victims who are living right here in Canada.
Read more: [Click Here - CTV News]