In the July 17, 2025, arrest of Boynton Beach construction company owner Antonio Michel, Lynne Barletta, CEO of the Florida Faith Alliance, underlined the importance of reframing how society talks about child victims in sex trafficking cases News 12 – Default+14WPEC+14WPEC+14. Barletta emphasized strongly: “We have to take the word ‘prostitute’ out of the picture, because there’s no such thing as a child prostitute.” Her point was clear — these young girls were coerced, manipulated, drugged, and violently treated. The label “prostitute” falsely implies agency and ignores the brutal reality of trafficking victims. Barletta condemned this mischaracterization as fundamentally unjust WPEC.
Drawing on more than a decade of experience working with survivors and training law enforcement across Florida, she warned that traffickers prey on vulnerability, particularly among children in foster care and those who run away. Citing distressing statistics, she shared that “sixty percent of all foster care children have been trafficked.” Runaways are often targeted within 24 to 48 hours, making them extremely susceptible to predators who promise basic needs or affection WPEC.
Barletta also called for broader public awareness and stronger preventative measures. She is collaborating with the Florida Department of Children and Families to expand statewide training and awareness programs. She urged parents, educators, and community members to look for warning signs such as controlling adult companions, inappropriate clothing, suspicious tattoos or markings (like barcodes), and signs of exhaustion in class. Her message: “This is not about how good your kid is… this is about the expertise of traffickers and predators. They know exactly what they’re doing to prey upon innocence.” WPEC+3WPEC+3WPEC+3
By reframing the conversation, training frontline professionals, and engaging families and businesses, Barletta advocates for a shift in public perception—from victim-blaming to survivor protection. Her commentary shines a light not only on individual criminal cases but on the broader systemic need for awareness, compassion, and action around child sex trafficking.
Following the shocking arrest of construction company owner Antonio Michel for allegedly trafficking underage girls in Palm Beach County, Lynne Barletta, founder and director of Florida Faith Alliance, delivered a powerful public response. She reminded Floridians that there is no such thing as a “child prostitute”—only victims of exploitation. “These girls are not criminals,” she said. “They’re children being sold, raped, drugged, and manipulated by adults who use and discard them.” Her words echo the mission of Florida Faith Alliance: to fight child sex trafficking through education, prevention, and survivor support.
Barletta, who has worked in this field for over a decade, emphasized the urgent need for language that protects children, not blames them. She referenced a troubling trend—how traffickers target vulnerable populations, particularly children in foster care and runaways. “Sixty percent of all foster care children have been trafficked,” she warned. “And traffickers find runaways within 24 to 48 hours.”
Through Florida Faith Alliance, Barletta partners with the Florida Department of Children and Families, schools, law enforcement, churches, and businesses to raise awareness and offer frontline training. The organization equips teachers, healthcare workers, and faith communities to recognize red flags: controlling adults, unusual tattoos like barcodes, isolation, exhaustion, and behavioral shifts.
Beyond training, Barletta’s team offers trauma-informed care, survivor mentorship, and advocacy at the policy level. Florida Faith Alliance recently launched a global initiative, U-ACT.org (United Against Child Trafficking), uniting communities under a shared mission of prevention and rescue.
As Barletta stated, “This isn’t about how good or protected you think your child is—it’s about how manipulative and calculated traffickers are.” Her voice is clear and resolute: only through united, informed action can communities shield their children and dismantle the trafficking networks preying on them.
