Woman sold into sex trafficking for $10 at age 11 shares her story

Savannah Parvu is sex trafficking survivor

Savannah Parvu is a survivor.

Parvu became a sex trafficking victim at the age of 11 at the hands of her mother, she told News 6 investigator Eryka Washington.

She just started sharing her story 3 years ago so she can help other young girls and boys who may be sex trafficking victims.

"Both my parents were drug addicts and alcoholics,” Parvu said.

Parvu's childhood innocence was stolen as she accompanied her mom to buy drugs.

"When she didn't have money she would prostitute herself for the drugs. When I was 11 I went with her one time and they offered her money for me instead and she's like yeah you can do whatever, "said Savannah.

For $10 worth of crack, Parvu became a victim of sex trafficking.

"She would leave me there and they would take me to other places or have people come there and sell me," Parvu said.

Parvu would be kept for days before returning home to her mother.

"I asked her why she let them do this to me and she said so she wouldn't have to do it anymore," Parvu said.

At the age of 14, Parvu thought she was finally safe when placed in a foster care facility.

"The staff there was friends with my mom’s drug dealers and so it happened while I was in foster care," Parvu said.

"So the people who were supposed to take care of you, sold you for drugs," News 6 investigative reporter Eryka Washington asked.

“I would have doctors' appointments. Instead of going to the appointments they would reschedule them and take me to the drug dealers' houses, " Parvu said.

The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations takes the lead on sex trafficking cases.

"These are people out to make money any way they can," Ron Stucker, director of MBI, said.

"Ron the drugs and sex trafficking often go hand in hand?” Washington asked.

"The drugs trade the drug addiction and the human trafficking are directly intertwined," Stucker said.

Agents say pimps try to get their victims hooked on drugs.

“Here's how you’re going to make the money. I'm going to post you on the internet, I’m going to take you to this bar I’m going to drop you off at this corner and when you have made x amount of money today then you come back to me and I’ll get your drugs for you," explained Stucker.

Agents say for traffickers selling sex is easier than drugs.

"We they are now realizing that they can take a female and abuse her over and over and over again and make money off of her whereas if they sell the drugs they have to go get more drugs, " Dave Allmond, an MBI agent, said.

According to MBI, Florida has the third highest number calls to the national human trafficking hotline number

"You could triple the number of investigators I have for human trafficking and I would keep them all busy...I mean there's that much out there, it was Savannah’s a high school counselor who stepped in her life and saved her,” Stucker said.

"I’m not angry anymore I feel like it doesn't do any good... to be angry. And my mom is dying now anyway. There is never justice because you have to live with it the rest of your life," Parvu said.


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