This closed roundtable discussion brings together community leaders to address the urgent threat of digital exploitation
PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, February 28, 2025 /
EINPresswire.com/ --
The Exodus Road and
The Lighthouse are partnering with the office of Senator Tartaglione to host a Digital Safety Roundtable event in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 6 from 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. The Lighthouse is hosting the event at their facility in Kensington, PA.
The invitation-only roundtable will bring together key community leaders to address the urgent threat of digital exploitation, a danger that impacts every youth in the Philadelphia region. In just three years, reports of online exploitation of minors have increased by 300% in this city. This follows national trends, which indicate that 1 in 5 teenagers reports being sexually solicited online. These abusive interactions can lead to online exploitation, sextortion and even human trafficking.
The conversation will be facilitated by Bill Woolf, former acting Director of the Office for Victims of Crime at the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Woolf brings extensive experience in addressing human trafficking and exploitation and implementing protective measures for youth across multiple government agencies.
"Our kids are growing up in a digital world that presents real dangers, and we can’t afford to look the other way,” said Senator Tartaglione. “The rise in online exploitation is alarming — these aren’t just statistics, they’re our children, and we need to do more to protect them. This roundtable is about bringing together experts and community leaders to find real solutions and ensure our kids are safe online."
“No matter where on earth you are, human trafficking should never be the norm,” says Edwin Desamour, Executive Director of The Lighthouse. “I’ve seen the horrors of trafficking and the way it can impact students like those that Lighthouse serves. There’s no way I could stay out of this fight.”
“The Exodus Road is honored to be a part of this crucial conversation about better protecting kids in the Philadelphia community,” adds Laura Parker, CEO and Co-Founder of The Exodus Road. “We have spent nearly 15 years combating the worst-case scenarios that can result from digital exploitation. We are excited by the opportunity for systemic change that this roundtable represents.”
The roundtable’s agenda includes themes such as national trends in digital exploitation, impact on the Philadelphia area specifically, digital safety challenges and development of strategic solutions. In addition to representatives from The Exodus Road, The Lighthouse, and Senator Tartaglione’s office, attendees include educators, law enforcement, nonprofit leaders and legislative representatives.
Although the conversation itself is closed, press is invited to arrive at noon to cover concluding thoughts from roundtable participants. An after-action report will be shared with all participants for future collaborative efforts.
The Exodus Road is a globally-recognized leader in the anti-trafficking space with a U.S. satellite office located in Philadelphia. The Exodus Road has begun to propel the digital safety conversation forward through their project Influenced, a curriculum offering training for both vulnerable kids and their caregivers. The Lighthouse is a trusted Kensington nonprofit that has been serving residents since the community center was first founded in 1893. Together, they represent passion and proven expertise in protecting vulnerable youth populations.
To learn more about this event, email events@theexodusroad.com. For press and media inquiries, please contact mbarnett@mbandassociatespr.com.
About The Exodus Road
The Exodus Road is a global nonprofit disrupting the darkness of modern-day slavery by partnering with law enforcement to fight human trafficking crime, equipping communities to protect the vulnerable, and empowering survivors as they walk into freedom. Working side-by-side with local staff, NGO partners, and law enforcement around the world, The Exodus Road fights to liberate trafficked individuals, arrest traffickers, and provide restorative care for survivors. Since its founding in 2012, the organization has assisted police in the rescue of 5,600 survivors and the arrests of more than 1,700 offenders, numbers that grow almost daily. The Exodus Road’s approach to freedom incorporates intervention, training and education, and aftercare efforts.
In training and education, The Exodus Road offers a suite of online and in-person curriculums, including: INFLUENCED, a curriculum equipping United States parents and teens to participate in the online world while avoiding the dangers of exploitation; TraffickWatch Academy: Brazil, an online training curriculum specifically designed for law enforcement partners; and Equip and Empower, a human trafficking prevention education curriculum for at-risk youth in Thailand. Cumulatively, the organization has trained more than 52,000 officers and citizens through its educational curriculums.
The Exodus Road combats human trafficking in the U.S., Thailand, the Philippines, India, Brazil, and another undisclosed Latin American country. The nonprofit was founded in 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and still calls the city home for its U.S. office.
About The Lighthouse:
The Lighthouse is a local Philadelphia non-profit providing educational, recreational, cultural, social, and economic improvement programs to families to improve the quality of their lives. Founded in 1893, The Lighthouse knows that lasting personal and social change comes about when everyone works together. That’s why strengthening community is its cause. Every day, The Lighthouse works side by side with its neighbors to make sure that people of every age, income level and background have the opportunity to learn, develop, grow and thrive to be positive contributing members to the community.
Preston Goff
The Exodus Road
+1 719-941-9755
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