Lompoc Rotary Club Hosts Forum on Trafficking

In this digital world, exploitation is exploding with just a “click” and a “like” and a “check.”

The Rotary Clubs of Northern Santa Barbara County will host a forum teaching people how to keep their kids safe from trafficking, sextortion, and gaming & social media exploitation. It is free to the public with mandatory registration online at LompocRotary.com/event/the-trafficking-forum/

The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at The Hilton Garden Inn, at 1205 North H St. in Lompoc. Seating is limited.

Due to the adult and graphic nature of the topic, children under the age of 13 will not be admitted. Minor children will need to register and be under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

The keynote speaker is Opal Singleton, president and CEO of the nonprofit corporation, Million Kids, and producer of the documentary, Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic. According to its website, “Million Kids is dedicated to preventing sex trafficking, child pornography, and sextortion through education. As we spend thousands of hours researching and staying on the cutting edge of new technology, we see a convergence where the entire world is connected, artificial intelligence knows everything about you, the monetization of most apps through crypto-currency, and the availability of mass audience live streaming.

“This vortex of technology will create the perfect opportunity for pimps, predators, pedophiles, gangs, cartels, and organized crime to access, groom, exploit, recruit, and blackmail innocent, children, teens, and young adults generating a global explosion of sexual exploitation crimes.”

Also speaking at the forum are Santa Barbara District Attorney John Savrnoch; Jeff Shaffer from the Santa Barbara County Human Trafficking Task Force; Brian Jaramillo, the assistant superintendent of Lompoc Unified School District; and Lucy Thoms-Harrington of the Lompoc-Vandenberg branch the American Association of University Women, who will be speaking about the proposed California bills AB 1394 and SB 287.

After the presentations, there will be panelists, including representatives from the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protective Center, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Task Force, the Lompoc Unified School District, and others to answer questions from the public. There will be a Spanish translator available.

“We are happy to help educate the public on this important and serious subject,” noted Heather Bedford, Lompoc Rotary Club president and organizer of the event. “We will be focused on questions such as: How do I keep my kids safe online? Are video games dangerous? How old should my child be to gain internet access? What makes kids vulnerable to predators? What laws are being passed to address these issues? We hope to answer these and many more questions with our excellent speakers and panelists, who are all experts in their fields,” she added.

 “This is the most important issue facing families today, so our goal is to give people the tools to protect their loved ones.”