501c3 dedicated to combating human trafficking through innovative research, dynamic education and strategic solutions.
Joined July 2025
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The Script Behind Sextortion: What Offenders Do, and Why It Reaches Every Age
The FBI received more than 75,000 sextortion reports in 2025, and the biggest losses were reported by people 60 and older. Offenders follow a predictable script, and knowing it is how families and agencies interrupt it. Our new Substack article breaks it down:
guardagainsttrafficking.subs…
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🚨 Up to 8 women allegedly trafficked out of a Bradenton motel
Jose Andres Martinez Lujan, 30, of Bradenton, and Hildemar Cabrita Rosales, 26, of Sarasota, each face felony charges of human trafficking through coercion and deriving support from prostitution, according to court records.
Manatee County deputies say the women were told they or their families overseas would be killed if they refused to pay or tried to leave. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are due back in court Dec. 9.
Trafficking can happen in any community, and it often hides in ordinary places like motels. Traffickers rely on threats against loved ones instead of locks or chains, and recognizing that kind of control is how victims get identified and helped.
Thank you to the @ManateeSheriff’s Office for the work behind this investigation and for standing up for these women. This was not a GUARD operation, but it's exactly the kind of work we're proud to support.
🔗 to article: bradenton.com/news/local/cri…
@ali_hopper @aj136123 @PeteBludworth
🛡️GUARD Against Trafficking brings offender-informed insights that help agencies get ahead of this criminal behavior. Field research, education, and training are how we put that into practice. Follow us for content grounded in how offenders actually operate and visit our website at
guardagainsttrafficking.org
GUARD Against Trafficking retweeted
Human trafficking keeps evolving, and so does the fight against it.
@GUARDATOfficial is a nonprofit working at the intersection of research, prevention, policy and frontline operations to identify, prevent and disrupt exploitation. They train law enforcement, educators, parents and community leaders to recognize grooming before harm happens.
I'm proud to support my friend @ali_hopper and the GUARDAT team. If you're able, please consider a donation. Every gift helps protect kids and families.
Donate here: guardagainsttrafficking.org/…
#CHELLESHOCKED™ #GUARDAT #EndTrafficking
Parents used to warn kids about the white van.
That van didn’t disappear but instead went online. Gaming chats and private apps are open doorways: our children have access to the world, and the world has access to our children.
The FBI just recovered a Utah minor after 18 months. DOJ says the grooming started on gaming platforms, moved to private apps, then across state lines.
Ask them tonight:
“Has anyone online ever asked you to keep a secret or switch apps?”
This is why GUARD exists: field research, education, and training that help parents catch it before the next child disappears.
Follow @GUARDATOfficial for info that help you protect your children.
Credit: DOJ / FBI. Not a GUARD operation.
🔗 to article in the comments
As we head into Halloween weekend, make sure your family has had this important conversation! 🎃
A great Halloween starts before the first doorbell. 🎃
A few simple conversations can help children head out prepared and confident.
Explore GUARD’s Halloween checklist for parents in the thread below. 🧵 1/8
#GUARDAgainstTrafficking #HalloweenSafety #ChildSafety #NotOnOurWatch
🚨 Portland Police report criminal charges against 44 sex buyers following human trafficking operations - highlighting why addressing demand must remain a priority in this fight.
Since June, police have worked alongside federal, county, and community partners to investigate suspected buyers and traffickers and connect people with support.
During a separate April–October outreach effort, officers documented:
🔹 555 contacts with people selling sex
🔹 139 people offered advocacy services and resources to help them leave prostitution
🔹 Criminal charges against 44 sex buyers
Demand fuels exploitation and combating trafficking requires accountability for buyers, sustained investigations into traffickers, and meaningful support for survivors.
GUARD will continue advocating for all three. Protecting people from exploitation means confronting the demand that sustains it.
portland.gov/police/news/202…
A great Halloween starts before the first doorbell. 🎃
A few simple conversations can help children head out prepared and confident.
Explore GUARD’s Halloween checklist for parents in the thread below. 🧵 1/8
#GUARDAgainstTrafficking #HalloweenSafety #ChildSafety #NotOnOurWatch
Make space for the conversation after the fun.
Ask about the best part of their evening, then give them room to share anything else. If they bring up a concern, start with “I’m glad you told me.” 🧵 7/8
🧡 Make these conversations part of your family’s Halloween plans.
Bookmark the first post to keep this checklist handy, and share it with another parent.
Visit our website to learn more about GUARD and support our work: guardagainsttrafficking.org
Protection starts with connection.
GUARD Against Trafficking retweeted
🛡️ Help GUARD Against Trafficking protect kids and stop traffickers.
Ali Hopper is President & Co-Founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2025. She's an internationally recognized expert on human trafficking and criminal behavior, and a frequent co-host on #CHELLESHOCKED™ One on One.
✅ Author of Florida's landmark Anti-Grooming Bill, now model legislation in multiple states
✅ Testified before the U.S. House and Senate on trafficking and exploitation
✅ Received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
✅ Trained law enforcement and officials across the U.S. and abroad, including INTERPOL in South America
✅ Interviewed incarcerated traffickers and cartel-affiliated offenders across the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America
✅ Serves on Florida's Circuit 12 Human Trafficking Task Force
Give once, become a Monthly Guardian, or partner as a corporate sponsor. Donations are tax-deductible (EIN 33-2586890).
👉 Donate or sponsor: guardagainsttrafficking.org/…
Learn more: guardagainsttrafficking.org
@GUARDATOfficial
GUARD Against Trafficking retweeted
There is NO OTHER female in the counter tr@fficking movement with as much stamina & dedication as @ali_hopper 🙌 She gives HER ALL to @GUARDATOfficial & the Children of the World.
Thank you Ali, for being THAT WOMAN who will make history in this fight from your selfless soul🔥
I’m proud to see the leadership of the Sarasota County Schools Police Department putting prevention first and giving their officers practical tools to protect children. I was honored to provide training on grooming, sextortion, and child exploitation, and I’m grateful to the officers for their willingness to keep learning.
For me, it’s about what an officer can take from that room and use to recognize the signs early, ask the right questions, and help a child. That’s how awareness becomes action, not just knowing exploitation happens, but knowing what to do when a child needs you.
GUARD Against Trafficking retweeted
I’m proud to see the leadership of the Sarasota County Schools Police Department putting prevention first and giving their officers practical tools to protect children. I was honored to provide training on grooming, sextortion, and child exploitation, and I’m grateful to the officers for their willingness to keep learning.
For me, it’s about what an officer can take from that room and use to recognize the signs early, ask the right questions, and help a child. That’s how awareness becomes action, not just knowing exploitation happens, but knowing what to do when a child needs you.
🛡️ PROTECTING STUDENTS BEGINS WITH RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS
GUARD Against Trafficking President @ali_hopper recently provided specialized training Sarasota County School Resource Officers on grooming, sextortion, and child exploitation.
School Resource Officers serve on the front lines of student safety. Their daily interactions with young people put them in a unique position to recognize warning signs, identify potential exploitation, and take appropriate action.
Awareness is important and knowing how to respond is critical.
This training reflects GUARD’s commitment to providing law enforcement and community partners with practical knowledge to better identify and respond to exploitation.
We appreciate Sarasota County’s commitment to protecting students and investing in the professionals entrusted with their safety.
🛡️ Turning Insight Into Action.
#GUARDAgainstTrafficking #SchoolResourceOfficers #ChildProtection #LawEnforcement #HumanTrafficking
@ali_hopper @aj136123 @PeteBludworth
🛡️ PROTECTING STUDENTS BEGINS WITH RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS
GUARD Against Trafficking President @ali_hopper recently provided specialized training Sarasota County School Resource Officers on grooming, sextortion, and child exploitation.
School Resource Officers serve on the front lines of student safety. Their daily interactions with young people put them in a unique position to recognize warning signs, identify potential exploitation, and take appropriate action.
Awareness is important and knowing how to respond is critical.
This training reflects GUARD’s commitment to providing law enforcement and community partners with practical knowledge to better identify and respond to exploitation.
We appreciate Sarasota County’s commitment to protecting students and investing in the professionals entrusted with their safety.
🛡️ Turning Insight Into Action.
#GUARDAgainstTrafficking #SchoolResourceOfficers #ChildProtection #LawEnforcement #HumanTrafficking
@ali_hopper @aj136123 @PeteBludworth