Survivor | Jose's Story
Jose Alfaro grew up in an abusive home in a small, conservative town in Texas. Jose was gay, and he was bullied both at school and at home because of that. Once, his dad even physically assaulted him, and instead of helping Jose, the police suggested he leave home. His parents shipped him off to stay with his aunt in hopes that something in Jose would change, and change he did. Just not for the better. He was a lonely 15-year-old in Austin, Texas, when he met a 36-year-old man online. Eventually, they started seeing each other in real life, and the older man used Jose for sex, all while pretending to love and accept him.
After that relationship failed, Jose formed another relationship with an older man who promised a better life and even to help him further his education. Instead, the man groomed Jose. He was a massage therapist and claimed that Jose could learn that trade from him by watching and participating sometimes. It wasn't until he agreed that Jose found out the man provided erotic massages and used Jose to get more customers. The man would take Jose's shirtless pictures and post them on Craigslist to get potential clients' attention and force Jose to participate when the client came in. Jose felt degraded and scared but thought he had nowhere else to go!
Eventually, he got the strength to run and found someone who truly wanted to help him. He helped Jose get back to school, gave him a safe place to stay and a healthy, loving relationship. After escaping, Jose also realized that there was a name for what he experienced in Texas: trafficking. With the help of a prosecutor, Jose's trafficker was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Jose now works to spread awareness of human trafficking and make a positive change to help other vulnerable children.
To read his full story, follow the link below.