Community Service Officer Paul Davis of Whitehall Township Bureau of Police introduced Kim Checkeye to attendees at September’s Whitehall Township Crime Watch meeting, providing information, insights and growth of her organization in the war against human sex trafficking.

Checkeye is the president of Truth for Women Center, “a therapeutic residential home offering dramatically changed lives and hope-filled futures to survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. The home offers a safe place where motivated women who want an opportunity to rebuild their lives. The home provides a warm, family setting for women, consisting of eight to 12 months in an intensive therapeutic environment,” as the organization’s website states.

Checkeye has work experience in the legal field but felt her true calling in life was to help victims of human sex trafficking. Upon receiving much training in sex trafficking, she started and became the president of Truth for Women Center.

“After drug trafficking, [human sex trafficking] is the second-largest criminal industry in the world,” Checkeye reported. “It’s estimated that there (are) 27 million victims in the world, and it generates over 31.6 billion dollars every single year.”

This statistic is from 2008, so the estimates for today are greater, Checkeye said.

With trafficking, there are three main words that define the term: “force, fraud and coercion,” Checkeye said.

One may ask how does an individual even get into a situation of sex trafficking. Checkeye said. “[The traffickers] lore them (by) showering them with love and affection, promising them a better life. The traffickers will break or condition the victims, introducing them to sexual exploitation, and the victims form what we call trauma bonds with them.”

Traffickers can be anyone and everybody, Checkeye warned. “They are even the attorneys, the doctors, the police officers, [a husband] who’s married and has four beautiful daughters, the pastors.”

In addition, Checkeye told attendees that a brothel can be any house or building.

Upon a woman entering the center, she often has no identification with her. Checkeye, along with other organization members, helps her apply for IDs, schedule doctor appointments, provide counseling, provide life enrichment classes and prepare her to reenter the community.

Truth for Women Center has been open for one year and has helped a total of 24 women.

Crime watch meetings are held 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month in the public meeting room of the Whitehall Township Municipal Building, 3219 MacArthur Road. Meetings are open to the public.