Theresa Flores

Ms. Flores is the (Human Trafficking) Prevention Education Specialist for Gracehaven (a home for teenage girls who have been trafficked) and has been a licensed Social Worker for over twenty years. She received a Master’s in Counseling Education fom University of Dayton and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Ball State University.Ms. Flores was appointed to the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission in 2009 and has testified before the Ohio House and Senate in supports of Human Trafficking Legislation. Her efforts were a major part of the success of these bills being passed into laws. Additionally, the “Theresa Flores Law” was passed in Michigan that eliminates the statue of limitation for children who have been trafficked.

Flores is a survivor of domestic child sex trafficking and was sold in an underground crime ring in an upper middle class suburb outside Detroit from the time she was fifteen to seventeen years old. She now works with other survivors and is the Assistant Investigator with Global Centurion researching the mental and physical health problems of over 200 domestic trafficking survivors. The study, entitled “The Health Consequences of Human Trafficking”, will provide best practices and systemic recommendations for health care providers.

She has received many awards including the University of Dayton’s Alumni Association 2013 Christian Service Award for her work with S.O.A.P. In January 2012 at the State of the State Address, Ms. Flores received The Courage Award from Ohio Governor Kasich for her work in human trafficking. Ms. Flores was featured by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Museum in a traveling exhibit, entitled Invisible Slavery, and has published four books: The Sacred Bath and The Slave Across the Street (in the UK and U.S.) and Slavery in the Land of the Free - A Student’s Guide to Modern Day Slavery.
The audio version of her memoir was nominated for The 2011 Audie Award, being in the top 5 of all memoirs and biographies and also has been on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller list for e-books several times.


Ms. Flores also has a very popular TED talk. She was featured in a short documentary, The Girl Next Door, which has won many awards at film festivals all across the U.S. Her story has been seen on The Today Show, MSNBC: “Sex Slaves-The Teen Trade”, the 700 Club, CNN/HLN, Glenn Beck’s “For the Record” as well as many local and national radio shows. Her national rescue mission - S.O.A.P. has been featured on Dateline, Nightline and America’s Most Wanted.