The Austin 20 believes that every life matters.  We advocate for children ensnared in the horrors of sex trafficking by ensuring Austin Texas is equipped to fight this crime and to treat the survivors.

Child sex trafficking is a growing problem right here in Austin. (Texas has the 2nd highest number of reported cases in the US.)  

The Austin 20’s current project, Nicole's Place was born out of the urgent need for a safe place for first responders to take child survivors after rescue. In most cases it takes up to 6 weeks for placement in a long term care facility for minors who are trafficked for sex.  Without emergency housing like Nicole’s Place, these children often have no place to go and end up homeless, incarcerated or fall back into the hands of their traffickers.  Nicole's Place will help break this cycle by providing trauma informed care in a safe setting. 100% OF YOUR DONATION WILL GO TOWARD BUILDING THIS NEEDED FACILITY.

“I have had firsthand experience working with A20, they are tireless victim advocates and their work is crucial across all platforms.” - Demetrie Mitchell, Director, Special Investigations, Texas Department of Family and Protective Service

Definition of sex trafficking: The use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts against his/her will. Minors who are sold for sex only need to be induced for the defininition of trafficking to apply. 

• Austin is part of what is referred to as the “ TRAFFICKING TRIANGLE” where criminals move children between Dallas, Houston and Austin to provide a fresh “supply”. 

• Selling people for sex in some cases has become more profitable and often carries less legal risk than selling illegal drugs, attracting the most sophisticated criminals. **Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry, generating $32 billion dollars this year.  

• Social media and online gaming are used by predators to systematically groom children. 

• According to the U.S. based International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, about 750,000 sexual predators worldwide are online at any moment. 

• The number of victims is staggering and sadly, there are very few places for these children to seek care for their specific trauma.

The Austin 20 is comprised of Austinites who are driven to protect our children, take care of those victimized, help stop this crime in our community and provide justice for survivors. With a focus on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, (DMST) The Austin 20 has raised over $1 million to help fund prevention and survivor programs in our city and raise awareness for numerous initiatives since inception in 2017.  The Austin 20 has no paid staff or offices, maximizing the impact of your donation.

Contact us:  theaustin20@gmail.com  

www.theaustin20.org

The Austin 20, 3801 N. Capital of Texas Highway, Suite E240-180, Austin, TX 78746

In the news!

https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20190501/how-one-woman-started-austin-20-to-help-child-sex-trafficking-victims

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2019/10/26/austin-group-fundraising-to-build-center-for-sex-trafficking-survivors