Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in Fort Worth

The first time Carrie Dixon exchanged sex for survival, she was only 15-years-old.

"It wasn't initially presented as 'this is prostitution,'" Dixon said. "It was presented like, 'these guys wanted something, I also needed something, and so it was like a fair exchange.'"

At the time, Dixon did not see herself as a trafficking victim. None of her friends did either. Running away from home had become normal. Trading sexual favors for rides, money or attention felt like survival.

Years later, that survival would leave her with felony charges, addiction, abusive relationships and a criminal record that followed her long after she tried to leave the life behind. Even when she wanted out, finding stable housing or employment felt nearly impossible.

Now sitting in a Fort Worth office helping other women escape the same cycle, Dixon says one of the biggest misconceptions about human trafficking is that it always looks like kidnapping or chains.

"These women think it is a choice that they're making," Dixon said. "So they stay in the lifestyle because they feel like they chose it and that there is not another option."

Dixon's story is one of millions that show just how quietly trafficking can take hold and why escpaing is it rarely as simple as walking away.

Infographic created by TWR on the statistics behind human trafficking. (TWR)

The Scope of Human Trafficking

“Human trafficking occurs where there is labor or sexual exploitation by means of force, fraud, or coercion, or where there is commercial sexual exploitation of a child,” according to the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force.

It is estimated that about 27.6 million people are victims of human trafficking worldwide, with 23% of those victims being involved in sex trafficking. The sex trafficking industry makes around $172 billion dollars annually in profit.

The state of Texas is ranked number two in the nation for human trafficking case reports, with many of the reports occurring right in the Metroplex.

Fort Worth is ranked third in Texas for the most commercial sex advertisements. For instance, in 2024 the state of Texas human trafficking hotline received 2,418 signals to report either their own situation or that of someone they know.

The unfortunate and challenging aspect of human trafficking is that trafficking in itself is a hidden crime, meaning it is occurring all around us, but is difficult to identify. And even when someone can be identified as in need of help, getting them out and helping proves itself to be a whole other challenge. Many victims do not ask for help, they may be afraid or be in a manipulative situation where they do not even realize they are in a trafficking situation.

The biggest misconception associated with human trafficking is that it is women being kidnapped off the streets and sold into sex slavery, when in reality that is not the case majority of the time. “These women fall under the same myth and misconception that the general public is that they’re not trafficking victims because they’re not being held at gunpoint or being held captive, and so they think it is a choice that they’re making,” said Carrie Dixon, a survivor. “So they feel a lot of guilt and shame because they chose this lifestyle.”

The Five Stones Taskforce and Law Enforcement Involvement

Combating trafficking requires many many organizations working together to try and thwart this complex and evolving crisis.

The Fort Worth Anti-Trafficking Coalition, better known as the Tarrant County 5 Stones Taskforce has five key focus areas, awareness, training, restoration, legislative advocacy and demand. Through breaking down barriers and forming relationships, The taskforce works with the community and gets help to those who need it by breaking down barriers and forming relationships.

The taskforce reaches its goals through undercover operations, john suppression, which is targeting the sex buyers, and victim outreach, by calling victims in and getting them connected to services to see if they can get them to make an outcry for help.

An outcry for help is essential in order for the taskforce to form a case and get help to the individual in crisis. “I think the biggest barrier is the fact that we don’t get that outcry from the victims, and when we don’t get that, it’s difficult to have a solid case,” said Felicia Tallent, the program coordinator for the Fort Worth Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit. And if you don’t have a solid case, then it’s difficult to prosecute it.”

It can be very challenging to help people get out of trafficking because of various factors including manipulation and fear.

Police officers receive extensive training to ensure they are aiding in the situation and not aggravating it. All officers go through eight hours of human trafficking training in their academy; 5 Stones provides additional training through monthly meetings, trauma-informed care training, and helping to mediate in intense circumstances.

“Getting somebody out of the life of trafficking, and keeping them out of that life,” said Tallent. “That is true success.”

Tallent explained that when someone is trafficked, they do not typically see themselves as a victim. If it’s all they know, they may not realize that it is not normal.

Understanding the psychology of the victim mindset is essential to comprehending how to properly help victims get out of the trafficking cycle and seek help, which is exactly the goal and purpose behind the work of the 5 Stones Taskforce.

Aerial view of the city of Fort Worth (City of Fort Worth).

The Net: A Central Force in Fort Worth's Anti-Trafficking Work

The Net, an anti-trafficking organization based in Fort Worth, fights this tough battle daily to protect and help the women at risk in the community.

The Net’s overall mission is to “support survivors of trafficking and help disrupt trafficking here in Tarrant County because we believe that everyone is worthy of a chance to rebuild their lives,” said Georgie Nunez, chief of staff.

Reintegration is a major part of the recovery journey for people who have been trafficked. The Net is trying to remove the barriers people face when re-entering society.

Getting a stable job is crucial because without some sort of economic independence, The Net believes women cannot actually be free because they cannot experience the freedom of paying their own bills, providing for their children, paying rent, etc.

Logo for The Net (The Net).

Logo for The Net (The Net).

The Net focuses on helping people get criminal records blocked so that when they are applying for a job, apartment, or car, they are not having to write down that they are a felon, thus it will not impact them getting access to the opportunities they deserve.

While all of this work is essential and making a difference, a common theme is still found among most of these women, they find themselves in a situation where there is no other way for them to provide for either themselves or their children. Due to this, it is challenging for women to leave their situation as they are unsure how to live a different life.

It is through the weekly survivor support groups and programs like RISE, that these women are able to combat the common theme of no way out. The RISE program is a court-mandated program for women wanting to get out of sex trafficking. The women participate in mandatory classes and have tasks and goals to complete in order to successfully graduate from the program.

Women involved in The Net huddle together (The Net).

Women involved in The Net huddle together (The Net).

The team of men who run the MASE program at The Net, led by Ty Bowden (The Net).

Addressing the Demand: MASE Program

Getting women out of trafficking is only half of the equation to stopping human trafficking. The other issue that must be addressed is the demand from men. The Net created Men Against Sexual Exploitation (MASE) to focus on combating the demand for sex trafficking.

“We realized early on that our purchase team could take care of women who have come out of sex trafficking, but unless we got upstream, they would always be taking care of women,” said Ty Bowden, director of MASE. “So we realized early on that we had to address the root cause, which is the men demanding them and who are willing to purchase exploited individuals.”

Bowden said The Net was always going to be a little bit behind the ball if the demand piece was not addressed. MASE addresses the issue through three main pathways that engage the public. First is the MASE quarterly breakfast, which is an opportunity for men to join together and break bread while hearing from a guest speaker on a specific aspect of trafficking. The goal of this meeting is to spread awareness and equip men with the information needed to have those informative conversations with other men in their everyday life.

“We live in a society that has created this system of exploitation and we can all choose literally daily things that help change that. We need men who recognize that and start doing their part on a regular basis,” Bowden said.

The MASE disruption team engages with the men who are actively participating in the sex industry. In a joint taskforce with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the MASE team goes in and speaks with the men law enforcement is arresting about their actions and attempts to get them help. A vast majority of these men do not see their actions as participating in human trafficking, so MASE educates and brings restoration plans to help them understand the realities of the industry.

MASE approaches these men in a sort of two-fold manner, not letting them off the hook but also telling them there is hope for a better way. “We engage in that conversion by walking the line between some compassion with some accountability. This way the men quickly understand because of the posture and tone of the volunteers speaking with them that what they’re doing is serious, but that they’re not there to shame them,” Bowden said.

Bowden explained that shame is not a long term motivator to stop behavior, so their team will call the men to account and let them know what they are doing is wrong, but will redirect by turning them to people and a path that is better for them.

The third pathway provided is the MASE Advocate Program which works to provide direct services to women in The Net’s programs. This can look like helping the ladies move by providing a pickup truck and a helping hand. “It is a way for them to meet safe men who can show them that they don’t need anything in return, they’re not taking advantage of them, but that they are there because they care about them as humans and want to help them in their life,” Bowden said.

Additionally, the program will provide DIY clinics to teach the women important life skills like how to do their taxes, do maintenance on their bike or car, and how to do general home repairs.

Despite these successful strides, both MASE and The Net have come to the realization that trafficking is one of those things where the more you look, the more you find. They attribute this to two major issues, scale and culture.

Scale wise, approximately 40,000 men will pay for sex this year alone in Fort Worth. “I might see maybe a couple hundred of those guys in person,” Bowden said. “We will never arrest our way out of this problem.”

In the cultural aspect, MASE emphasizes that this is not a ‘boys will be boys’ issue that is harmless. “It is going to take our community recognizing that those things play into this culture that exploits vulnerable people,” Bowden said.

Ty Bowden working alongside a member of the MASE team (The Net).

Men engaging in conversation at the quarterly MASE breakfast (The Net).

Members of the MASE team working on their next project (The Net).

Survivor Reintegration: The Worthy Co.

A major issue anti-trafficking organizations have discovered over the years is that as much as they help these women get out of their trafficking situation, it is keeping the women out of trafficking that shows itself to be difficult. Many of these women have marks on their record due to their involvement in trafficking, and because of this, they cannot get a good job or decent place to live.

“Even during the times when I wanted to get out of that lifestyle, it was very difficult to find a decent job or decent place or live because of that initial involvement in the criminal justice system,” Carrie Dixon, a survivor of human trafficking, said.

Due to this, The Net saw a major need for a company that could provide women with a dignified place of employment that would assist them in building up their resumes and learning real skills they could carry to a future job.

Thus, The Worthy Co. was established in 2018 to help women make a living wage and provide for themselves and their family in a dignified place of work. The survivors working at the shop help craft homemade candles and jewelry and 100% of the earnings go right back to the company to help employ more women rebuild their lives.

Many of the women working at The Worthy Co. first came from completing their part at The Net. They have attended months, if not years, worth of educational classes, support groups, and other community engagement activities, to eventually become eligible to work for The Worthy Co.

Roci Ruffin, a senior staff advocate at The Worthy Co., saw first hand the impact the company has had on many women’s career success. “One of our ladies is now a manager at a thriving deli. She built her resume with skills she obtained and the work history she gained. She said that she was hired at The Worthy Co. when no one else would hire her and she used it to build her confidence and her customer service skills.”

The Worthy Co. works to support these women by believing their stories and helping them remove barriers that are barring them from reentering the workforce. Additionally, by working there, the company provides a soft space for the women to learn and grow in a space that wants them to succeed and do well.

Through reintegrating women into society and providing a dignified job that affords economic stability, many of the women that have faced hardships they never saw themselves out of, are able to live a new life that is best for them and their family without being indebted to others.

Two of the women survivor employees work together to make the jewelry pieces that are sold by The Worthy Co. (The Net).

An employee of The Worthy Co. assembles artisan jewerly pieces (The Net).

A survivor employee at The Worthy Co. pours wax into the candles they make and sell, with all of the profits going directly back to the cause (The Net).

Handmade candle comes in a customized box emblazoned with the phrase 'Worthy' on it (The Net).

The Role of Students and Community Awareness

In terms of how TCU is involved in combating the issue of human trafficking, there is one club that is making waves in changing the reality of human trafficking called the International Justice Mission (IJM).

IJM is the largest nonprofit anti-trafficking organization that works to end trafficking at the global scale. TCU’s chapter focuses specifically on spreading advocacy for human trafficking initiatives that work to restore victims. Additionally, they look at the justice system and see what legislation is implemented to make sure that those who perpetrate these crimes are held accountable.

“IJM, through their restorative actions, go through and make sure that these survivors of human trafficking know that they are loved and give them the tools and necessary resources they need to learn. Like, what steps they need to take in order to understand manipulation versus true comfort, love, and support,” Sydney Moltrum, President of TCU’s IJM chapter, said.

TCU IJM members table in the TCU commons (TCU IJM).

TCU IJM members table in the TCU commons (TCU IJM).

Through fundraising events like thrift store clothing sales in the commons, pickleball tournaments, or the Red Sand event, IJM raises money for the broader organization to help send people on missions to help those in need.

The organization also works to advocate and educate the public on the reality of human trafficking. “Trafficking is not just getting abducted off the streets. You might be experiencing emotional abuse. You might be experiencing a friendship where you’re watching and witnessing from the outside, somebody being isolated. And it’s just really important to know the signs so that you know how to react and cannot only help others, but help your loved ones,” Moltrum said.

TCU IJM pours red sand into the sidewalk cracks of the TCU academic commons (TCU IJM).

TCU IJM pours red sand into the sidewalk cracks of the TCU academic commons (TCU IJM).

For instance, the red sand event is an advocacy event to represent the 40.3 million people who slip through the cracks of the criminal justice system. Students involved in IJM go around campus and sprinkle red sand within the sidewalk cracks as a silent advocacy event to represent the many people going through injustices.

The IJM chapter at TCU has been impactful all over campus in advocating for anti-trafficking across the globe and educating students on how they can get involved in putting this humanitarian crisis to an end. This global issue is catching the attention of college students here at TCU and is creating a new generation of advocates for survivors and people who want to aid in the mission.

Challenges in Combating Human Trafficking

Throughout my time investigating the scope of human trafficking in Fort Worth there have been a few consistent challenges that have been brought up with each person I have talked to connecting to a theme that despite progress, trafficking remains difficult to eradicate.

The biggest one being major gaps in survivor support and truly understanding the psychology behind the victim mindset. As Felicia Tallent, from 5 Stones Taskforce mentioned previously, people who are a victim of trafficking do not see themselves as a victim. And without this mindset of being a victim and needing help, it is very challenging for survivor support groups to step in and assist someone who does not think they need help to begin with.

The Five Stones Taskforce works diligently to train officers and other staff in trauma informed care so they can better assist women coming in and seeking help.

Another pressing challenge is the cultural stigma and lack of awareness by the community towards women who have been or still are involved in commercial sex work. A lot of people still see victims as suspects and the stigma is not going to change until that mindset is changed and the community begins to see these women as victims of these crimes and not as suspects or perpetrators of the crime.

Lastly, the last barrier keeping women from stepping over to the other side is the legal challenges they are presented with due to their past behaviors and interactions with the law. By having a record it becomes very difficult to find safe and affordable housing or to find a dignified place to work.

Many leasing places will not permit tenants with felonies on their record, and so these women who are trying to start anew cannot find a satisfactory place to live, and they end up back in dangerous neighborhoods with high crime rates and more temptation to fall back into their old lifestyles. The same goes for a job. It is almost impossible to find a reliable and well-paid job with a criminal record, so these women will resort back to the commercial sex industry since it was the only way they were able to make money.

You see, it is this endless cycle that even women who want out, cannot get out because they have no way to sustain themselves through a good job or decent place to live. As Carrie described to me, the same criminal justice charges from 1994 were still hanging over her head in 2014 when she tried to start anew and get a good place to live. When she could not due to her record, she ended up moving back to the westside. Before she only had one felony charge and after moving there she picked up five more felony charges, which can be directly connected to the environment she was in that was so suitable for someone trying to get clean from a previous lifestyle.

What the Community Can Do

So what can the community do to help make Fort Worth a safer and better place by helping these women escape the trap they are in?

There are plenty of ways to help both big and small. A great starting step could be attending The Net’s quarterly orientation meetings to become acquainted with all there is to know about the world of human trafficking so you both better educate yourself and others around you. If you are a TCU student, getting involved with their IJM chapter is an easy but very significant way to hear from great speakers about human trafficking and the efforts being put forward to make a difference.

Additionally, you can volunteer to bring in a meal for The Net’s weekly support group meetings. Members of the community come together each week to serve a hot meal to the women taking a brave step to come in and meet with other ladies and learn about steps to getting away from the commercial sex industry.

Lastly, members of the community can volunteer to go and visit the women involved in human trafficking who are currently incarcerated and speak to them about getting help once their sentence is over. Building relationships like that can make a big difference in a woman's success once they are out from behind bars and have free will to make their own choices again. By aiding them before that occurs, it can help tremendously in making sure they are successful after their sentence.

The Path Forward

The criminal record remains. The memories remain. But so does the woman who survived it. In Fort Worth, where trafficking continues to hide in plain sight, Carrie Dixon now uses the very same experiences that once nearly destroyed her to help pull other women out of the same cycle.

"I want them to know that they don't need to live like that, and that they are worth more than being reduced to a commodity, and there is help out there and a community of people who loves them," Dixon said.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing human trafficking or exploitation, help is avaliable. The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached 24 hours a day by calling 1-888-373-7888 or by texting "HELP" or "INFO" to 233733. Reaching out for help can be the first step toward safety and recovery.

Carrie Dixon, a survivor of human trafficking, posing for a headshot for her role as Survivor Coordinator at The Net (The Net).