Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2223

Tonight's special guest is Shannon Martinez from Washington, DC, a survivor of maternal sexual abuse, domestic human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and trauma. After her successful recovery, Shannon became a speaker and consultant on Domestic Human Trafficking. Having been a US Navy Ombudsman for several years, Shannon was afforded a unique perspective that assists relevant populations on domestic human trafficking, sexual exploitation, childhood trauma, foster care, and life after trauma. "I present law enforcement and other applicable agencies with an ethnographic perspective of domestic human trafficking,” she says. "I also present to the medical community on the effects of trafficking and how they can recognize it in the office." Shannon advocates for victims through their exit from being prostituted, and has created programs to train organizations, educators, and law enforcement agencies in the topics of general awareness, recovery, and reduction techniques. She has been working to end sexual exploitation through her two organizations, ‘Shannon Speaks’ to share her expertise and ‘Shame Eaters’ which has “boots on the ground treading in places that even the Devil fears to go,” since 2014. Shannon has two books coming out soon: 'Post-it Notes' and 'Dear John,' written with her daughter. She explains, “I am reaching out to all to bring awareness to the silent epidemic that is taking our girls.”