Police Aim To Raise Awareness About Child Sex Trafficking in Brookhaven

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- The Brookhaven Police Department and Brookhaven Christian Church are partnering up to host an event to raise awareness about child sex trafficking.

The event, which will be held on Dec. 11 from 3:45 to 6 p.m. at the church, will feature a 90-minute documentary titled "8 Days," which is about a girl lured into the sex trafficking industry. The film will be followed by a panel discussion.

Greg Chevalier, the director of outreach at the church and organizer of the event, told Patch that parents in Brookhaven need to understand that the abuse and exploitation of children is not only happening locally, but it's spreading across the state.

"This is not an issue isolated to 'just the airport' or 'seedy parts of town' as many often believe," he said. "We absolutely have to suppress the demand from those that feel it’s acceptable to purchase our children for sex. The more the community becomes aware of the issue the better off we are in identifying buyers and elicit activities that perhaps lead and individual to the desire to purchase a child for sex."

Atlanta has been ranked as the No. 1 hub for child sex trafficking, as Patch previously reported.

The issue of child sex trafficking will continue to resonate in 2017. January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Read more about the event here.