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SALT LAKE CITY — A person is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds in the United States, and a child is sexually assaulted every 9 minutes.
That's according to the Malouf Foundation, the Logan-based nonprofit organization dedicated to finding solutions to combat child sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking and online abuse.
The foundation held its third annual Education Summit on Friday in the Rotunda at the Utah State Capitol. Two of this year's keynote speakers were Elizabeth Smart and John Walsh, the creator and host of "America's Most Wanted" and co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The goal of Friday's summit was to bring people together who care about fighting sexual violence and exploitation and start a grassroots effort to share ideas and find ways to combat it, and "move the needle on helping people understand why it's important that we stop it," said Kacie Malouf, board chairwoman and co-founder of the Malouf Foundation.
"The main thing today is we just really want to raise awareness about sexual violence and kids. It's one in five in the state of Utah, and that's a hard number to hear," she said. "I think the biggest message we want to get out is, it's unacceptable. It's something that everybody needs to believe is happening and then work to prevent it."
Malouf says sex trafficking is not just about children being kidnapped off the street and forced into prostitution, which she says happens but represents only the most extreme cases. She says the foundation recently had its first graduate who benefited from its scholarship program: a woman who when she was young, her father would have his friends over, drink beer and his friends "could have his daughter for the night for an hour."
Malouf said combating child sex trafficking and abuse starts with adults talking about the issues and recognizing the signs of abuse and reporting it, "because it really is in every neighborhood, every community, even though we want to think it isn't."
Walsh agreed that the public can help solve the problem.
"Look at the huge success of "America's Most Wanted." I caught the uncatchable. I caught people that cops couldn't catch," he said. "Because I just simply said to people, 'Help me. I don't care who you are. I don't care what your name is, don't tell me. Tell me where that dirtbag is and I'll figure out a way to catch him.'"
Walsh praised both the Malouf and Elizabeth Smart foundations, saying they could be used as role models for the nation.
"I think this entire city should be proud of Elizabeth and the Maloufs because this is a tough subject," he said.
Smart first met Walsh 20 years ago, after she was rescued from her abduction. It was a sketch artist drawing of Brian David Mitchell, known only at that time as Immanuel, that first aired on "America's Most Wanted" that ended up being a major break in the case. Mitchell was arrested one month after the drawing was aired.
"I admire John from the bottom of my heart, and I look up to him so much and what he's accomplished and everything he's done. I'm so grateful for his example and honestly, the trail that he has blazed over the last 20 years that I have known him," Smart said Friday.
As for Friday's summit, Smart said she had been looking forward to it for over a year.
"Today means more than anything to me right now," she said.
Smart agreed with Malouf — whose organization formed a partnership with Smart's a year-and-a-half ago — that the first step in combating trafficking, exploitation and abuse is bringing social awareness to the issue.
Everyone knows what "stop, drop and roll," means, Smart noted. But why isn't there isn't a similar protective measure for sexual assault — something far more likely to happen — ingrained in the minds of children? she asked.
"We had Dr. Susan Madsen (Utah State University) talking. She said, 'I can't understand why we're not moving heaven and Earth to combat this. This is unacceptable.' I couldn't agree more with her. We need to combat this," Smart said. "We need everyone. It can't be just me. It can't just be the Maloufs. It can't just be John Walsh. We need everyone."
