Denton-based nonprofit Ranch Hands Rescue has announced that Bob’s House of Hope, a safe house for young men exploited by sex trafficking to help them rebuild their lives, will officially open on June 1.
Bob Williams, CEO and founder of Ranch Hands Rescue, said trafficking is a raging underground epidemic in America, and that young, victimized men often go overlooked because no one talks about it.
Bob Williams, founder of Ranch Hands Rescue [Photo: Ranch Hands Rescue]
About half of sex trafficking victims are young boys. However, the percentage of male victims might be higher due to the underreported and subversive nature of the crime, according to Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.
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Bob’s House of Hope is looking to help these victims through its first safe house for young men, ages 18 to 24 years old. The all-around care program will provide trauma therapy through Ranch Hands Rescue’s Equine and Animal Assisted Counseling program and will help rebuild these young men’s lives for up to three years.
Bob Williams and Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree [Photo: Ranch Hands Rescue]
“These young men will be the forgotten ones no longer. If we don’t provide shelter for victims of sex trafficking, their abusers are extremely likely to find them and haul them back into the trade,” Williams said in a statement. “No person should be subjected to such a monstrous situation, but trafficked boys, in particular, are being overlooked, and we are going to change that starting now.”
Ranch Hand Rescue, founded in 2008, also offers counseling services, veteran programs, and an animal sanctuary for abused animals. Through Bob’s House of Hope, Ranch Hand Rescue plans to provide a safe place for these victims to recover their inherent worth and dignity alongside animals who have done the same.
“Males oftentimes don’t understand they are being exploited nor do they want to address the stigma that men can be raped,” Williams said. “Once free, trafficked men have increased rates of suicide, criminal behavior, and serious trauma. We must step up to help.”
Photos of Rand Hands Rescue’s recent renovations:
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