NAMEC officially became a California non-profit charity corporation, with both state and federal tax exemptions, in May of 2017. Since that time, we have been moving full steam ahead to build an administrative infrastructure to support our mission. It’s important to take a step back to understand how NAMEC came to be.

Two years ago in Oceanside,California, NAMEC President, Joseph Travers, formed Saved in America (SIA), a non-profit with ex-Navy SEALS, retired special operations agents and law officers as volunteers to track, and rescue at-risk runaways. As of NAMEC’s first Board meeting in August, 2017, SIA had recovered 43 girls from the hands of child sex traffickers. As of this writing, they have recovered 55 girls, thus adding to the importance of why NAMEC was started sooner, rather than later. You’ll understand more as you read on.

SIA’s 2nd rescue was a 15 year old from DelMar County, California. Two Seal teams followed her all over the country and she ended up in Jacksonville, Florida. The team was ready to get on the plane but needed people on the ground, in Florida, to gather intel in Florida. Joseph reached out to his friend, Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI) President, Tim O’Rourke who lined up 4 FALI members to assist. The team rescued the girl and the bad guy went to jail. This is what first made him realize this could go National.

Fast forward to earlier this year when Joseph decided to document his journey with SIA in a book that would serve as a “how-to” manual of sorts, for other organizations wishing to conduct similar operations. He reached out to his friend Mark Gillespie, a well known Texas private investigator, and past president of the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators (TALI), to write the forward.

After reading what Mark wrote, Joseph picked up the phone to call him, and Mark was already on the line. They had called each other at the exact same time. Neither phone had rung. They both had the same idea of using the PI profession to take this national by enlisting the help of others. They compiled a list of PIs throughout the country who they knew would work to make this vision a reality. They also knew that NAMEC had to be more than just a vehicle for recovering victims. SIA may have been the inspiration for NAMEC, but it was meant to be one of many, many, partners in dealing with this horrendous epidemic.

Runaways and missing children, when found, are often left vulnerable to become prey again to sex predators. Without proper care, and post-rescue support, victims have little to build their lives off of. It’s easy to focus on the joy of rescuing someone, without realizing that the trauma doesn’t end when the trafficking does. The process of protecting victims extends to helping them after rescue, and making sure they aren’t re-victimized.

When recovered, the children have no place to go except government transitional housing, or probation camps, where gang members recruit. For those that can go home, their families may not be equipped to help with rehabilitation. There are thousands of social service agencies, and non-profits, throughout the country that are working to assist victims. NAMEC is working to be the bridge to incorporate these organizations into the process.

As of this writing, the NAMEC Board has met for their second Board meeting, this one was last week via Go To Meeting. An important thing we would like to relay to our Charter Members, and those considering becoming Charter Members and/or Sponsors, is that NAMEC has a dynamic Board of Directors of individuals from different backgrounds, and experiences. They have already come together as a team to take the concept of NAMEC and start molding it into a reality. As you read the Committee updates below, you will see how much work is getting done to build NAMEC’s infrastructure.

Joseph and Mark fully acknowledge that they may have put the cart before the horse when they created NAMEC. They could have spent the next few years building an infrastructure before going “public” with NAMEC. There are children all over the country who are victims of Child Sex Trafficking and living a nightmare many of us can’t even conceive of, especially those of us with children of their own. NAMEC is needed NOW! Your participation is needed NOW! All of us have something to contribute, and know others who can contribute as well.