What Is Joannie´s Runaway Teenager?

The article I chose is titled “Runaway teenager slowly reveals tale of horrors while away”. (Wilson, 2017) This is the sad story of a teenager girl named Joannie who was a victim of sex- trafficking. In April 2015 she ran away from home in The Bronx, and went to meet her friend, Raymond Johnson, whom she met through Kik messaging app. Then he forced her into prostitution threatening her with a knife and a gun. Thankfully one morning, after about a month of abuse, she awoke to find him drunk and she was able to escape him. Last October Mr. Johnson was sentenced to four to twelve years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sex- trafficking charges. Joannie, who is now eighteen, decided to share her story hoping that this will help other girls who might experience a similar situation. (Wilson, 2017)
Joannie returned home but did not say much about
According to the article Joannie is a junior in high school and always tells her mom where she is at. (Wilson 2017) Stories like this one horrify me. Probably because I have a teenage daughter, many friends who have children, and few nieces and nephews as well. Nine in total to be more specific. This article made me aware of one of the many dangers teenagers face today, which is sex-trafficking. Moreover, the risky situations teenagers face when they find apps, like Kik, that can offer them and predators anonymity. It is astonishing to know how these apps give sexual predators the chance to prey upon young girls trust and innocence. I learn that this is not a case of traditional type of prostitution, but these cases involve criminals who turn young girls into sex slaves ruining their lives. Thankfully Joannie got out of this horrible situation in four weeks, but unfortunately I have heard many people may remain in it for years. I also learned how runaway youth are targeted by sex-traffickers and the trauma and suffering these victims can go