Wyoming teens educate youth about human trafficking on social media
ROCK SPRINGS — Members of Uprising’s Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) from Sheridan recently made a stop in Sweetwater County to deliver a special message to teenagers.
YEP has been providing people, especially the youth, with resources about sex trafficking.
Sex trafficking is any sexual act done in exchange for any item of value where a third party is profiting off the exchange. Labor trafficking, another front of human trafficking, involves the exploitation of labor where people are forced to work for little or no pay and often under poor conditions that violate law, according to Uprising’s website.
YEP members have interviewed a few representatives from various agencies, such as counselors and law enforcement officers, and posting these discussions on Tik-Tok and Instagram.
‘IT’S ANYWHERE’
YEP created a TikTok video at the Sweetwater County Sheriff ’s Office to discuss how human trafficking affects the youth. In the video, YEP member Madaline Walk and Lt. Derek Morrell from the SCSO discuss how teens can stay aware and safe.
Morrell said throughout his 15 years in law enforcement, his focus has been on traffic stops, but he didn’t recognize human trafficking when he saw it. He eventually took advanced human trafficking classes which gave him “a lot of tools and information” to identify human trafficking.
“It is something that we see all the time,” Morrell said. “I think it’s anywhere and everywhere. It’s just a matter of finding the different clues and indicators of trafficking.”
Morrell explained how the SCSO and FBI investigated a case regarding two female runaways, ages 12 and 14, in Washington state. According to an Oct. 24, 2018, Rocket Miner news article, David Peter Vier, a former firefighter, picked them up and took them to Little America on their way to Kansas. Morrell said the girls were able to communicate with authorities, and Vier was arrested. The article stated Vier was sentenced on Oct. 22 to serve 15 years in prison for transporting two minors, with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity from Washington to Wyoming.
“Human trafficking happens to teens everywhere in every portion of the country and all over the world,” Morrell said, noting Wyoming is no exception. “A lot of it unfortunately, is based out of the family home that we see here. It’s been going on for decades and generations, but we didn’t really know what to look out for.
“Now that we have more information and more knowledge on what we’re looking for, we’re starting to see more and more of it.”
He said there are some clues that a person is a victim of human trafficking.
“Being a frequent runaway is a big cry for help,” he said, noting the agency pays close attention to these cases since “something bigger” may be going on behind the scenes.
Teenagers who are dealing with the trauma of human trafficking may use drugs or alcohol as coping mechanisms, but these substances can also be used as control mechanisms.
Morrell said preparation and education are important as well as knowing who to trust. He also pointed out traffickers target teens on social media platforms.
“Don’t be friends with someone just because they sent you a friend request,” he said. “Learn what kind of person you’re trusting and ask why you’re trusting that person.”
He said anyone who constantly asks for favors isn’t a true friend. He also said law enforcement has viewed human trafficking as victim- based cases and that it’s not about judging those who need help or accusing them of being a “bad person.” It’s about helping them.
SPREADING THE WORD
For YEP Chairperson Faithe Holland, it’s about letting teenagers know the dangers and signs of sex trafficking. Holland’s involvement with Uprising began about five years ago when she was invited to Movie Night. She was inspired to become a volunteer on the youth committee after hearing a story about how a young woman was trafficked.
“Human trafficking is a silent and deadly threat and it targets adolescents,” Holland told the Rocket Miner. “What better way to spread the word than having other teens warn them about it?”
She explained YEP’s focus is to create social media content about who they are and what they do.
“The more they see it, the more they will know,” she said. “A lot of people find it fascinating or even scary when they realize how serious human trafficking is in Wyoming — it’s a big problem.”
She said human trafficking is on the dark side of the moon, and people would rather look at the bright side of the moon.
“My peers don’t understand what grooming is, they don’t know what red flags are or what boundaries are,” she said. “They don’t know what we teach, so using social media to get the word out is our goal.”
Holland said that she would like to see more teens help spread awareness across the state.
YEP is still currently working on videos and hopes to post them twice or three times a week on its social media pages.
To know more about Uprising and YEP, visit uprisingwyo. org or follow them on Instagram and TikTok.
This story was published on August 16, 2025.