03 / 09
Frequent sleepovers at a friend’s house
As part of being groomed, young girls and boys are encouraged to keep their activities secret. They often lie to cover up what they are doing and who they are seeing—pushed to do it by the trafficker who they believe to be their friend, boyfriend or girlfriend.
“I used to lie to my parents about where I was going … one night, when my parents thought I was sleeping over at my friends’ house, I went to a party with my boyfriend. He told me I had to have sex with his friends. I was so confused I didn’t want to. It was the first time he hit me. I was so scared of him, so I did.”