GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – In Outagamie County, this weekend Bikers hit the road to help support survivors of human trafficking.
For Ted Maedke Saturday’s Ride Against Human Trafficking means a bit more to him than the others.
“I know somebody that went through it and it almost ruined her life completely, turned her into a drug addict.”
Trafficking turned personal after he watched a friend cope with her experience. He tells FOX 11 everyone should be concerned about these victims. And he has a question for traffickers.
“Are you soul-less? Do you have no conscious? Do you have kids?”
There are thousands of people in situations like Maedke’s friend.
The Human Trafficking Hotline says over 10,000 cases have been reported this year.
That’s just a fraction of the nearly 52,000 cases reported since 2007.
Even closer to home a 2018 human trafficking operation by Brown County authorities led to 19 arrests and 409 warnings.
“It kind of turns my stomach,” said Maedke. “It’s hard to believe there people out there that can do that to another human being.”
With two daughters at home, he says the least he can do is help groups like this one.
Becky Jacobsen is president of Bikers Against Trafficking’s Wisconsin chapter.
“We want to raise awareness we want people to know it’s out there and we want people to be our eyes and ears and just be aware of the situation.”
Jacobsen tells FOX 11 addressing the problem is more than making people aware.
“From not having a place to live which is one of the main goals we want to try to build some transitional housing for the survivors to go to we want them to feel safe.”
Described as a form of modern-day slavery, the human trafficking hotline says there have been 134 cases in Wisconsin as of last December.
Jacobsen says if her group can help just one of those victims, events like these are well worth it.
“They need a lot of support.”
