A Conversation with Dottie Laster

Over 22 years on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking

Dear Friends,

In this powerful interview, child safety expert Dottie Laster shares hard-won insights from over two decades of rescuing trafficking victims and training law enforcement. What began as a "bolt of lightning" moment during a graduate school presentation on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 became a life's mission that has saved hundreds of lives.

Dottie's work reveals disturbing truths about how predators operate in our digital age—from peer recruiters in schools to sophisticated grooming techniques that can break down even the most well-prepared young people. Her experience shows that the threat isn't just individual predators, but a systematic cultural conditioning that has made exploitation seem normal.

This conversation doesn't pull punches. Dottie discusses the neurological damage of grooming, the reality that recovery is often incomplete, and why she tells parents bluntly: "Spy on your kids." Her message is urgent because the stakes couldn't be higher—as she puts it, "If we let our youth be harvested and destroyed, what does it matter what you do today?"

For parents who want to believe this won't happen to their children, Dottie's case examples—including a straight-A medical student from a model family—demonstrate that no child is immune to sophisticated predators. The interview reveals why traditional "stranger danger" education is inadequate for today's threats and what parents must do to protect their children in an interconnected world.

Prepare for a conversation that will change how you think about child safety in the digital age.

Much Love,

Larry

P.S. We would like thank Red M for hosting Dottie on their podcast!

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