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Kidnapped at 15, a Sex Trafficking Survivor Turns Trauma Into Advocacy

Marlene Carson is doing what she loves to fight what she hates.
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Kidnapped at 15, a Sex Trafficking Survivor Turns Trauma Into Advocacy
Marlene Carson, founder of Black Leaders Against Sex Trafficking, in this file photo. Courtesy of Marlene Carson
Savannah Hulsey Pointer
Savannah Hulsey Pointer
6/2/2026|Updated: 6/3/2026
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Fifteen-year-old Marlene Carson stood on a street corner in Columbus, Ohio, as a man haggled with her handler over the price to pay for sex with her. The man finally agreed to $200.

To her astonishment, what she expected to happen next didn’t happen. Instead, once they were alone, the man read the Bible to her and told her how much God loved her.

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Savannah Hulsey Pointer
Savannah Hulsey Pointer
Author
Savannah Pointer is a politics reporter for The Epoch Times. She can be reached at [email protected]
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