ANGIE: LOST GIRLS ONE GIRL'S NIGHTMARE, A NATIONWIDE REALITY. PRESS KIT S T A T 1 Human trafficking is the world’s T 3rd largest criminal enterprise in S r H t the world. a a f u f S T A T 2 t m i i There are 20.9 million victims of human c s trafficking globally. 4.5 million of them k t a are trapped in forced sexual exploitation. i i n c n S T A T 3 s g It is currently the second largest international criminal activity as of 2020, reaping an estimated 32 Billion dollars in the trade of human beings (UNICEF USA). There are an estimated 100,000 child victims of sex trafficking in the United States, and 300,000 American children are at risk. The average age a child enters the commercial sex trade is 11-13 years old. A n g i e , a n i n n o c e n t 1 5 y e a r o l d , i s a b d u c t e d b y t r a f f i c k e r s f r o m h e r h o m e t o w n . W h e n s h e i s f i n a l l y r e s c u e d , s h e t r i e s t o h e a l f r o m h e r t r a u m a w h i l e c o n t e n d i n g w i t h t h e c o n t i n u e d t h r e a t t h e t r a f f i c k e r s p o s e t o h e r , h e r f a m i l y , a n d h e r f r i e n d s s t i l l i n c a p t i v i t y . Angie Morgan is deep in her rebellious teen phase, acting out against her absent parents with her secret new boyfriend, Mario. However, unbeknownst to her, Mario is a reluctant agent of a vast sex trafficking network, and he is forced to drag Angie into a horrifying world of rape and abuse. As the police and her heartbroken parents fight to find her, Angie and the other trafficked girls struggle to maintain hope and stay alive. When Angie finally escapes and is brought home, she is haunted by the atrocities done to her and by the shadowy figures still pursuing her. She must eventually confront the shame and fear instilled in her in order to save the girls she left behind. This story depicts the horrors of sex trafficking in a deeply visceral way, serving as a call to action for many who consider their lives untouched by this world. Beyond that, however, Angie: Lost Girls is also a story of family, of bravery, and of self-worth that cannot be dictated by the world around you. SYNOPSIS RECRUITMENT TECHNIQUES USED BY TRAFFICKERS F o r m a n y y e a r s , t r a f f i c k e r s r e c r u i t e d v i c t i m s t h e m s e l v e s u s i n g h i g h - p a y i n g j o b s o r m o d e l i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s . N o w , o f t e n l e s s o b v i o u s t e c h n i q u e s a r e u s e d , s u c h a s u s i n g o t h e r t e e n a g e r s t o f o r m r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i t h t a r g e t e d v i c t i m s w h i c h a l l o w e a s i e r a c c e s s t o m i n o r s . O u r f i l m s e e k s t o e x p o s e t h e d a n g e r s o f t h e s e n e w d e v e l o p m e n t s b y v i s u a l l y d e m o n s t r a t i n g h o w e a s i l y A n g i e l e t s h e r g u a r d d o w n a n d f a l l s p r e y t o a y o u n g , g o o d - l o o k i n g t e e n a g e r e c r u i t e r . STRUGGLES SURVIVORS FACE I n m a n y r e a l c a s e s , t r a f f i c k e r s h a v e s o s u c c e s s f u l l y i n t i m i d a t e d t h e i r v i c t i m s w i t h v i o l e n t t h r e a t s a g a i n s t t h e i r f a m i l i e s a n d l o v e d o n e s t h a t t h e y a r e t o o a f r a i d t o s p e a k o u t a n d t e s t i f y . T h i s c r e a t e s a n u p h i l l b a t t l e f o r l a w e n f o r c e m e n t i n b r i n g i n g j u s t i c e . S u r v i v o r s s t r u g g l e w i t h P T S D , o n g o i n g v i o l e n t t h r e a t s f r o m t r a f f i c k e r s , d r u g a d d i c t i o n a n d w i t h d r a w a l a s a r e s u l t o f b e i n g f o r c e d t o t a k e d r u g s , o r l a c k o f a f a m i l y t o g o b a c k t o . A n g i e : L o s t G i r l s e x p l o r e s m a n y a s p e c t s o f t h i s a s A n g i e s t r u g g l e s w i t h f e a r , g u i l t , a n d P T S D a s s h e t r i e s t o b r i n g j u s t i c e t o t h e t r a f f i c k e r s a n d h e l p t h e o t h e r g i r l s s t i l l c a p t i v e . STRUGGLES FACED BY ORGANIZATIONS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT P o l i c e T h e f i l m i l l u s t r a t e s t h e e n o r m i t y o f t h e p r o b l e m f a c i n g u n d e r - r e s o u r c e d a n d u n d e r s t a f f e d p o l i c e u n i t s . M a n y g i r l s a r e a f r a i d o f t e s t i f y i n g i n f e a r o f v i o l e n t r e t a l i a t i o n a g a i n s t t h e m s e l v e s a n d t h e i r f a m i l i e s .