What is human trafficking? Who are the people behind this crisis? How can we help our community combat trafficking? Kim Luckabaugh, Executive Director of a Virginia based anti-trafficking agency, answered all these questions and more during a Fall 2023 Luce Lecture at Clemson University.
Kim shocked the crowd with a heat map of trafficking activity in the United States and statistics displaying the number of victims in the areas surrounding Clemson. Many traffickers use illicit massage businesses (IMBs) to hide the inner workings of a prostitution ring, where women are forced to sell their bodies in order to protect themselves and their families from violent attacks. She highlighted the ways the pornography industry and the modern sexual revolution perpetuate the human trafficking cycle through disguising trafficking victims as “sexually liberated” women.
Kim has been directing the anti-human trafficking organization, Reset180, since May of 2022, Kim first felt a calling to serve human trafficking survivors after a conference at her church in Northern Virginia. Since then, she found opportunities to serve her community by filling the role of executive director at Reset180. She also has previously served as the senior project manager at Volunteer Fairfax and served on Virginia Governor Youngkin’s Advisory Board for Service and Volunteerism before her current role.
