Boston Globe – Wayside CEO speaks out about child sex trafficking
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s CEO, Eric Masi, wrote that human trafficking is not something that happens “elsewhere.” Read his Letter to the Editor as it originally appeared in the Boston Globe here or below.
Harsh light thrown on a shadow industry
The explosive news about allegations of human sex trafficking tied to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa is more of a local issue then even current headlines would suggest. Human trafficking is not something that happens “elsewhere.” Each year Wayside Youth and Family Support Network provides shelter to more than 100 youths with histories of commercial sexual exploitation. These young people are from our communities, groomed when they are at their most vulnerable and powerless. It is critical to bring attention to the plight of these exploited children every day, not just when a celebrity makes this issue a front-page headline.
As an administrator of an agency serving hundreds of runaway and homeless youths in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, I can report that we are constantly fighting against the traffickers by empowering and informing young people about the dangers of sexual exploitation. As we address the pandemic of human trafficking, we must begin by educating our communities in order to protect our children.
Eric L. Masi
President and CEO
Wayside Youth and Family Support Network Inc.
Framingham
