Mary Abbott Children’s House

What if I told you Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation for human trafficking cases per capita? Did you know research indicates a surge in child pornography and trafficking, as COVID-19 has resulted in increased screen time and, in many cases, a lack of supervision? Alarmingly, data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicates that reports of child pornography have increased by 400% since April 2019.

With data showing 50 substantiated child exploitation cases in Cleveland County alone in 2020, our children deserve a diligent and dedicated program to combat, respond to, and prevent child exploitation.

To battle this rising issue, Mary Abbott Children’s House (MACH) dreams of creating a multi-agency taskforce focused on child exploitation. The IMPACT Taskforce will include local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, a specialized Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), and an education team. All agencies involved will be housed together at MACH, reducing response time and diminishing the trauma children encounter with disjointed investigations.

The IMPACT Taskforce will have a three-pronged approach:

1. Combat – Provide a functional space and the equipment needed to identify and investigate child pornography and trafficking.
2. Respond – Reduce trauma and foster healing for child victims through specialized response and MDT training.
3. Prevent – Launch an extensive public service campaign and educational program to bring awareness to child exploitation within our community and schools.

The IMPACT Taskforce will ensure a better response, resulting in better outcomes, and ultimately leading to a stronger, safer community.

For more information visit our website at abbott-house.org.