Panel to discuss untold story of American sex trafficking victims, April 22, 6 p.m.

The National Press Club will hold a panel discussion on the untold story of American sex trafficking victims on April 22 at 6 p.m. in the conference rooms.

The event is free for members, $5 for general admission. This is a ticketed event. Click here to jump to the ticket form.

Speakers include a former CIA operative who has rescued Americans trafficked abroad and a survivor of sex trafficking from Washington, D.C.

Mary David will moderate the panel. David has been an anti-human trafficking advocate at the local, state, national, and international level. She is the former deputy chair of public awareness for the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, and she has conducted statewide training and outreach for first responders and at-risk youth. She helped to draft some of the first laws in Maryland against human trafficking. David works with advocates across the country to raise awareness about the modern slave trade.

Panelists include:

-- Stacy Jewell Lewis, who was raised in the D.C. metropolitan area and at the age of 19 was abducted into the world of sex trafficking. Her powerful dramatizations have helped the Department of Justice, Shared Hope International, the Araminta Freedom Initiative and the Baltimore FBI Special Task Force assist in the escape of numerous sex trafficking survivors such as herself.

-- Bazzel Baz, who is founder and operations commander for ARC, the Association for the Recovery of Children. ARC is a non-profit organization dedicated to recovering missing and exploited children, both foreign and domestic. A former Marine and CIA officer with
experience in hostage rescue, Baz is also the recipient of the Intelligence Commendation Medal.

-- Heidi Alvarez, who is a case manager in the client services department at Polaris Project, one of the leading organizations in the fight against slavery. Alvarez provides holistic and comprehensive case management to survivors of human trafficking. These services include crisis intervention, emotional support, accompaniment and safety planning.

For more information on this event, contact Mary David at [email protected].