Cherokee School staff hear trafficking warning

Do you think it's by coincidence that these games are free for kids?”

— Stacy Besch

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Cherokee School staff were given the opportunity to learn more about the issue on Monday, Jan. 20. Stacy Besch, an activist and speaker from Algona, warned about the prevalence of human trafficking in the state, urging them to be vigilant and educate themselves.

Besch, who has been traveling across Iowa for two years to raise awareness about the issue, told the district that Iowa ranks third in the nation per capita for human trafficking.

“People think it doesn’t happen here,” Besch said. “I thought it was about kidnapping, about the white van and puppies and candy, transportation down our interstates. That’s what I thought human trafficking was. But 92% is non-abduction. 92% is right here.”

Besch is a volunteer with Team Iowa, a group affiliated with Team America. She described the national organization as “a group of Christian patriots” who works to bring awareness to high priority issues. 

She presented the documentary “Gridshock,” which highlights the realities of sex trafficking in Iowa, followed by a slew of anecdotes from across the state. Cedar Rapids. Ames. Iowa City. Renwick. Humboldt. Pella. Sioux City. Fonda.

“You can sell drugs one time,” Besch said. “You can sell a human being over and over.”

She emphasized that many victims are exploited by people they know, including family members. “Half of the people being trafficked are done so by people they know,” she said. And she wanted to be clear it was not just girls who were being victimized. She bluntly informed the crowd that “boys 10 years of age or younger are the highest paid commodity.” 

She noted that traffickers are increasingly using social media platforms like Snapchat, Roblox, Discord and Grand Theft Auto to groom and exploit children.

“Do you think it's by coincidence that these games are free for kids?” she asked. “It’s by design.”

Besch urged parents to have open and honest conversations with their children about online safety and the dangers of human trafficking.

“Parents are supposed to protect, not be their friend,” she said.

Besch’s presentation was followed by brief comments by Iowa Senator Lynn Evans. He spoke on the Legislature’s efforts to formalize the definition and penalties for grooming.

In the 2025 Iowa legislative session, two bills have been introduced to address the issue of “grooming” in schools. One addresses mandatory reporting to the Board of Educational Examiners and defines grooming behavior as “the process of building trust and emotional connections with a student with the intent to exploit such a student.” The other relates to the criminal offense of grooming and the sex offender registry. 

Evans added that the legislation should allow steps to be taken to “get those people out of our school systems.” “You don’t want to be working with them, I certainly don’t want to be supervising them,” he said.