“I was on the streets for six years. I was trafficked by multiple people who took advantage of a drug addiction I had developed. They would intentionally make me sick and use drugs to torture me until I did what they wanted.

“Once, I was forced to perform sex acts with multiple members of MS-13 while they threatened me with an axe and knife. Even after that, I did not even consider calling the police.”

“While in jail on a drug-related charge, the police hounded me to report my trafficker. They had recognized me from my time on the streets and were trying to prosecute my trafficker.

“At that moment, I refused to help them. I told them I had no idea what they were talking about. Because at that moment, my trafficker was in jail with me. He had other girls who could harm me. I was convinced and afraid that if I talked, someone would hurt me or worse. I felt so trapped; the police wanted to get me and my trafficker wanted to get me.”

— Laura Mullen, sex-trafficking survivor, co-founder and president of the Human Trafficking Survivor Advisory Board for the Empowerment Collaborative of Long Island.

The organization works in conjunction with law enforcement and 34 partner agencies to educate the public about trafficking, inform victims about resources........

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