This episode pulls back the curtain on how an Oceanside-based gang recruited and controlled teenage girls — and how federal agents finally intervened.   Nora was a teenager when she fell for a man who seemed protective, attentive, and devoted. That relationship quickly shifted once she became entangled with his gang. Threats escalated. The gang showed her photos of her younger siblings and warned they knew their school routes. Keeping her in the life was no longer about affection — it was about terror.   Everything changed when the FBI raided a motel room where Nora was being held. After removing everyone else, a female agent stayed behind with her. The agent told Nora they had been watching her — documenting movements, collecting evidence, and building a case against the gang.   Nora denied everything, clinging to the rule every trafficked child knows: you don’t snitch. Then the agent placed photos in front of her and said, “We know who you are. Are you sure you’re not Nora?” It was the moment she broke her silence.   Nora was taken to Children of the Night, where she began the long process of rebuilding her life through safety, education, and unconditional care.   Her case illustrates a critical truth: Gang-run trafficking is organized, scalable, and deeply violent — far more complex than single-pimp operations — and children caught inside it require specialized intervention and long-term support.   ⸻   Highlights: How gang-controlled trafficking systems operate Why threats toward siblings and parents keep teens silent The FBI’s role in dismantling multi-offender networks Nora’s moment of truth with a female agent How Children of the Night provided safety, schooling, and emotional restoration ⸻   Listen Now: 🎧 New episodes weekly on Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Podbean, and wherever you listen.   Follow & Support: 🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org 📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenightinc 🕊️ X/Twitter: @COTNight 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

When Victoria arrived at the Children of the Night home at just 13 years old, she stood out — not for what she’d been through, but for how brilliant she was. She quickly became the highest-testing student the program had ever seen, even as she navigated the trauma of her past.

A teenage night out turns into a nightmare when 15-year-old Nancy is trafficked hundreds of miles from home. Her story reveals how easily teenage rebellion and family conflict can be exploited — and how our justice system still fails to see children as victims. Nancy was just a teenager — curious, restless, and searching for independence — when a party with older guys changed her life forever. Instead of coming home late, she was shipped to Southern California against her will and forced into the sex trade. Her story exposes the vulnerabilities traffickers prey on: adolescent defiance, loneliness, and the longing to be seen. It also sheds light on how relentless pimps are, how other women in “the life” can become violent enforcers, and how police often misidentify exploited children as criminals instead of victims. Through her brave and candid testimony, Nancy reminds us that what looks like “teenage mischief” can mask deep pain — and that every child deserves to be treated as one.   Follow & Support: 🌐 Website: childrenofthenight.org 📲 Facebook & Instagram: @childrenofthenightinc 🕊️ X/Twitter: @COTNight 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this podcast to help us reach more listeners and protect vulnerable children.

This is Part 2 of Erika’s inspiring two-part story. After surviving years of exploitation, Erika reflects on her time at the Children of the Night shelter home (1992–2017) — and how the love, structure, and care she received there changed the course of her life. Erika shares how that foundation gave her confidence, guided her toward college, and helped her become the mother, professional, and advocate she is today.

Dr. Lois Lee speaks with Erika, a Children of the Night alumna whose story spans child trafficking, addiction, motherhood, and redemption. Her courage helped expose those behind a network that preyed on vulnerable youth — and set her on a lifelong path toward healing and faith.

Dr. Lois Lee speaks with Juli, a Children of the Night alumna whose story spans child trafficking, addiction, motherhood, and redemption — a powerful portrait of survival and purpose.

Dr. Lois Lee speaks with Michele about the court giving Lois custody of Michele and how that changed their lives.