Human trafficking doesn’t only affect people living in faraway countries. Texas is the number two state for hotline tips for child trafficking, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran said at a Sound of Freedom screening on Aug. 10 at Times Square Grand Slam.

Human trafficking doesn’t only affect people living in faraway countries. Texas is the No. 2 state for hotline tips for child trafficking, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran said.

“These are issues that affect us here locally,” Moran said. “We’ve got about 300,000 individuals at a time in the state of Texas, bound by human trafficking.”

To shed light on the realities of sex trafficking in Smith County, Moran partnered with For the Silent to host a film screening of “Sound of Freedom” on Thursday night at Times Square Grand Slam in Tyler.

For the Silent is a local nonprofit organization at the forefront of efforts to combat sex trafficking in the local community and provides support to survivors.

“We’ve rented out a theater, and we want folks to be aware of the human trafficking issue that’s going on, not just here locally in East Texas, but across the state, across the world, because there is evil in this world, and we need to fight back,” Moran said. “We should use every effort we can to push back against those in this world that would create havoc in the lives of children.”

According to NPR, the film is a Christian thriller about rescuing children from exploitation and is based on a real-life, controversial anti-trafficking activist. It took five years for the “Sound of Freedom” film to be presented to the American public. Some criticize it as a vehicle for conspiracy theories and misleading depictions of human trafficking.

“It has such an important message, and it was shameful that Hollywood wouldn’t step up and distribute this film early on,” Moran said. “Because this is a message that needs to be heard worldwide.”

Moran said this is the absolute story that should be told.

To increase community awareness of sex trafficking, Rebecca Cunio, For the Silent executive director, shared insights into the organization’s work and the need for community engagement to effect change.

“The film has been great in that it has sparked a lot of conversation about what this looks like locally, and I believe those conversations likely may have never happened with some had they not seen the film,” Cunio said.

Human trafficking is not human smuggling. There is no need to cross jurisdictional or international waters, as U.S. and state law do not require the element of movement to define trafficking.

“Trafficking is a real danger that’s prevalent and very much a reality here,” Cunio said. “As parents and adults involved in young people’s lives, we are charged with keeping them safe and protected, and the best way to do that is through education and having hard conversations.”

People can effect change by supporting or volunteering at local nonprofit organizations that give back to youth.

“I think that is one way that we’ve affected change on the local level is … through trust-based relationships with adults through education and by empowering our youth and helping keep them safe,” Cunio said.