http://mercer.edu/stop/


 

The 360 members of S.T.O.P. thank Chief Mike Burns and the entire Macon Police Department for taking the first strong steps to stop trafficking in Macon, Georgia. The operations over the summer sent a powerful message to traffickers that Maconites will not tolerate slavery in our city.





Welcome to anyone interested in fighting modern day slavery in middle-Georgia, in America, and around the world.

We're glad you found us.



      "My life is gorgeous. I never had peace, and now I have peace in my heart."  
          - Trafficking survivor Kika Cerpa, after being freed from sex slavery


What is sex trafficking?

Sex trafficking is nothing less than sex slavery: women coerced into sex acts through fraud, deception, threats, and/or debt slavery. 

The Southeast has become a hub of sex trafficking in the last ten years.  Atlanta has grown to the fifth largest center of human trafficking in the nation and the first in child sex trafficking.  Police raids on Atlanta's Asian massage parlors (AMP's) have yielded scores of trafficked women within. 

What does middle-Georgia have to do with it? 

As Atlanta begins vigorously fighting these abuses, traffickers look to cities like Macon and Warner Robins for friendlier territory to expand their business.

Macon, Georgia is home to over twenty massage parlors and spas, most of which are known for offering a "second menu" of services ranging from masturbation for hire to sexual intercourse. If Macon's Asian massage parlors (AMPs) are anything like those in other American cities, there is a strong likelihood that many of the women at these spas are victims of sex trafficking.

What can S.T.O.P. do?

S.T.O.P. will work with the community to raise awareness about trafficking in Macon and middle-Georgia. Macon is a city abounding in untapped resources from faith-based organizations and educational institutions. Our hope is to bring people together across the political and religious spectrum to discuss ways of fighting sex trafficking, to link law enforcement with cities which have successfully curtailed trafficking, and to bring nationally recognized speakers on trafficking to the Macon community. 

What can I do?

In just thirty minutes, you can begin to understand the complexity of sex trafficking and begin to fight it in Macon.

1. Watch the 16-minute video at Shared Hope International (the short version is safe for churches and schools): Click here.  

2. Take 10 minutes to read this article about sex trafficking in Asian Massage Parlors: Click here.

3. Sign up for Macon updates and action alerts by sending us a message at mercerstop@gmail.com. 


We will only succeed in freeing trafficked women and children, bringing their captors to justice, and shutting down trafficking in middle-Georgia when we join together as one.

We are all responsible now.