Lori Reigner is a real estate professional, but she has an unrelated passion to help children and young adults from the slavery of human sex trafficking.

Reigner, with the Starbright Foundation, made a presentation to the Fountain Hills Public Safety Commission May 29, and left the group, many of whom are law enforcement and emergency professionals, stunned with disbelief.

Many law enforcement professionals do not have the training to recognize the victims of human trafficking when they encounter them; they are often treated as prostitutes or runaways, according to Reigner.

Starbright provides information related to this criminal activity.

Human trafficking worldwide in 2007 included 27 million people in some form of slavery, and surpassed drug dealing and the illegal arms industry as the number one crime in the U.S. in 2011, according to Starbright.

Phoenix is the second largest area behind Las Vegas for human trafficking, according to Reigner. She said traffickers use a variety of methods to lure their victims, many of which are remarkably sophisticated using the internet and Facebook. They even work shopping mall parking lots with well-dressed and attractive men and women approaching victims with promises of modeling jobs or acting opportunities.

The traffickers are also very patient; she said they may work months to lure a single victim.

“This is happening in the suburbs like Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, not just in the inner-city,” Reigner said. “This can happen to anyone, these are the kids of police officers and firefighters.”

The traffickers are using technology to reach out to the children and Reigner urges parents to watch and be aware of what their kids are doing on-line and on the smartphone.

A comment was made that the kids are much more adept at handling the technology than their parents. Reigner replied that parents must learn to set the switches and the boundaries.

Starbright’s mission is dedicated to making sure the children are protected, Reigner said. The foundation has a safe house where victims can find help. The site is in Gilbert and is the only such safe house in Arizona.

Starbright needs the help of citizens to accomplish its mission, Reigner said. The group declines state or federal funding because they do not want to be restricted by regulations that can go with public funding.

Reigner said they are unsure who they can trust. She said that rescued victims have told of being sold for sex to on-duty police officers, or being brought regularly to a judge’s chambers.

The Starbright safe house provides on-site help and counseling for the victims they are able to rescue. The safe house is to provide maximum help with crisis counseling, trauma therapy and education.

The group provides information and awareness through public presentations much like the PSAC program. Reigner was contacted by Commissioner Carol Comito after a presentation she heard. After the PSAC talk Reigner was asked about speaking to a local service club.

Starbright is encouraging monetary, voluntary and community assistance with its goals.

The group’s mission statement says, “We strive to be the beacon of light for those children in need.”

Starbright may be contacted by telephone at 480-371-3381 or 480-228-8888.