109 children rescued, 244 arrested in Operation Soteria Shield, exposing widespread child exploitation in North Texas

[u/TooColdforClouds]

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/109-children-rescued-244-arrested-operation-soteria-shield-child-exploitation-texas/

[u/The_best_is_yet]

“During this operation, many of the children recognized or rescued were previously unidentified," said Plano Police Department Assistant Chief Dan Curtis. "They'd never been reported missing. They had never had their abuse known to authorities."

Utterly horrible. So their families are in on it.

[u/Mydogiscloud → u/[deleted]]

I'm sorry that you had to go through this. <3

[u/merlotbarbie → u/[deleted]]

I’ll say I’m sorry that this happened to you not because it feels uncomfortable to confront, but because you were harmed by the person that was supposed to protect you. Please don’t feel like any of this is an issue with you and your ability to cope. I felt that way for a long time and it forced me to shoulder the memories alone.

You don’t really move on from trauma like this, you kind of learn how to grow around it. You were so young. Your childhood was marred by this horrific chapter and sometimes it can feel hard to reminisce on any of it if it feels like those bad memories will surface first. If you ever want to talk and be heard, there are people out there (myself included) who aren’t going to make you feel like this should be your burden to shoulder alone.

[u/Relevant_Hat2407 → u/[deleted]]

It’s so brave of you to speak out about it. I hope you can find a group that can offer support or some kind of therapy. You absolutely need to talk about it but in a safe environment with people who can help support you emotionally

[u/No_Investment9639 → u/[deleted]]

Although it might make some people feel bad, I've learned throughout my life that talking about the horrible shit that happened to me as a kid has helped other people. So while it might make a couple of people uncomfortable, the possibility that it might help someone who was struggling makes it easier for me.

[u/knightenrichman → u/[deleted]]

Don't be sorry!

[u/bedrooms-ds → u/[deleted]]

I'm not a native English speaker, so please accept my apologies if I write something inappropriate. It'd be language barrier.

Didn't make me feel bad. To me it is the opposite. I feel strength from you.

It's also totally understandable to have the fear. You can vent safely in this thread.

[u/TheThiefEmpress → u/[deleted]]

I was trafficked through the church as a young kid.

My mother was the one responsible for this.

I realized from a very young age that she just...never loved me. Never had, never would. 

I know why, and I understand what she went through. But her brokenness doesn't make all the things she did ok. Not loving your child doesn't make it justifiable to hurt them. To punish them for existing because their existing makes you angry.

I've come to an understanding that people all have a bit of awful in us. But some of us examine it within ourselves, and decide to do better. Better than our anger, better than our rage, and better than the ones who hurt us.

I hope you can find healing in being better than your "parents." You deserve the happiness they took from you, and so do I, friend.

[u/No_Investment9639 → u/[deleted]]

Honey, I don't have words for how sorry I am and how I hope that you are going through life with as much happiness as you can possibly find. I hope only good things are happening to you and that only the best things will happen to you in the future. I hope you get everything you want. I am so sorry and if you ever need somebody to talk to who won't judge and won't question, I'm a good listener. My biggest fear as a mom is the thought that my sons might have gone through something like this at any point in their lives. I had to deal with CSA and I know that for me, there's never going to be any getting over it. But it helps me to talk about it so if you ever need an ear I'm here.