#BoysToo
A feature documentary film
Shining a light into the darkness
of the human trafficking of boys.
The internet is the top recruiting space for traffickers.
Cite: Polaris
#BoysToo is a documentary about the human and sex trafficking of boys and young men, and Bob Williams, the founder of Bob’s House of Hope. The story begins with Bob’s own experience of being trafficked several decades ago, how he found healing and his mission to bring light to the insidious trafficking industry that exists not only in Texas but globally.
Most are keenly aware and on the lookout for girls and young women who are trafficked which allows traffickers to operate stealthily when trafficking males, as society feels they are immune to this horrendous abuse. The story continues with heart-breaking tales of how these boys have fallen prey to trafficking, how they can be rescued and what one organization, Bob’s House of Hope, is fighting to change: how we see and respond to the trafficking of boys.
We are thankful to have been invited to capture Texas Senator Jane Nelson, a fierce supporter of Bob’s House of Hope speaking at the Texas State Capital announcing a 70 city billboard campaign in March 2022.
“Every session we have an opportunity to truly help Texans, and this session, I wanted to make sure we directly impacted human trafficking survivors. I am honored to partner with Ranch Hands Rescue, which provides trauma-informed services to people and animals who have experienced abuse, located right here in Senate District 12,” Senator Nelson, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee said.
The Stories
Brianna
After spending the evening hanging out together, Brianna shuts the passenger door and waves goodbye to Tanya. Tanya’s car drives out of sight and Brianna quickly begins wiping the makeup off her face and changing into “acceptable” clothing before heading to the front door. She breathes a deep sigh of relief as she realizes that the lights are off as she is late for curfew. Quietly she turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. Then like a flash of lightning the light flipped on, illuminating her large father sitting there in his worn recliner, whiskey bottle in hand.
Brianna/Brian hears John call her name.. She quickly brings her attention back to the room, where all the residents are playing video games and joking around.
“Brianna, are you ok?” John asked.
“Yeah” just thinking… then she drifts back into her memories.
Brianna could see the rage in his eyes as he scrutinized her face before the barrage of words began to pelt her in a verbal assault. He quickly notices the bright red lipstick smeared across his son’s face. She knew what would quickly be coming next. She quickly turns and runs from the house in tears, afraid and unsure what to do or where to go.
Later under the cloak of darkness, she returns to the house hoping to get some rest, sure her father is asleep. As she closes in on the front yard she sees her belongings thrown out into the yard. She runs up the steps to the door, only to find that her key no longer works, locks have been changed. She’s no longer welcome in this house, no longer part of this family, not for being late for curfew, a drug addict, or mischievous, but instead for being who she is at her core, a female born into a male body.
A tear slowly rolls down her cheek as her mind rejoins the activities of the house. John hands her the game controller for her to play next. It comes as a welcome diversion from the horror locked in her mind.
Trevor
Lance walks into the room placing his backpack on the chair next to the door. Trevor glances over at Lance and sees his backpack on the chair. His mind races with memories from his past…
Trevor slowly walks out the front door carrying his worn canvas backpack holding all he owns: a few clothes, a few sentimental things, and the only picture he had of his mom. That was it. All of it fit into that tiny backpack. Trevor figured that was about right, seeing as he’s only had 18 years on this earth.
As he walks down the sidewalk, his “foster family” changes the lock on the door he had just walked out. While they were not the worst foster parents Trevor had lived with in the past 14 years, they weren’t his family. They never adopted him, and now, at 18 years old, Trevor was no longer their responsibility, as he aged out of the system, and they had made sure to tell him that as of today, his birthday, he was no longer welcome. Unsure of where to go, he was forced to go.
Since he was four years old, the system that mandated where Trevor would live had failed him. Shuffling through 17 different homes in those 14 years, some were good, some bad, but none of them ever felt like home. Trevor was starting to feel like he didn’t belong anywhere.
He had no real friends, only acquaintances. He had built up a thick skin from all the name-calling and bullying. Now homeless, Trevor has to find a way to survive on the streets with no money, skills, or even a job.
Trevor hears the clanking of pans in the background as he remembers that he is safe and surrounded by friends and a new family. He walks into the kitchen and gathers plates and silverware to set the table for dinner.
John
Dinner is over and the boys gather back in the living area for the night’s entertainment. John is charged with picking out the movie to watch. He scrolls through the selections as his mind drifts to a time that feels like yesterday.
John dreams of being a star, performing on the big screen, gracing the cover of magazines, leaving behind the horror of the life he endures at home as he walks to the corner to hang out with his friends, a much older well-dressed man, Frank, approaches and asks if he has ever modeled before. John gulps down his excitement, explaining that he hasn’t but dreams of being in the movies. Frank now has to hide his excitement, insisting that John join him for a quick photoshoot for a magazine assignment due tomorrow.
John can hardly contain his excitement that his dreams may come true. He followed the man to his studio, but little did he know what was waiting for him in that room.
The man had other plans for John, to satisfy his own needs. The man takes advantage of John, raping him repeatedly. Traumatized by the experience. John feels as if he has no one to turn to, nowhere to go. He is too ashamed to tell anyone what happened and thinks no one would believe him anyway.
John is haunted by that day. He became withdrawn and stopped hanging out with friends. He stopped going to school and lost all interest in his life dreams. His life at home was no better. His family didn’t understand him, and they thought he was just lazy. They would get angry with him and often abuse him.
One day, John couldn’t take it anymore, and ran away. He was living on the street, began using drugs to dull the pain, and turned to survival sex as a way of staying alive.
John shakes his head and spots the perfect movie for tonight’s viewing, The Longest Yard.
Stephen
Popcorn in hand the group settles in for the film. The credits begin as Stephen slowly drifts away from the reality of the space.
Stephen was always one of the best players on the team. His coach, Billy, took a special interest in him, spending extra time with him at practice and even giving him gifts. Stephen thought it was just because he was a star player, but little did he know that his coach had other intentions.
One day, when Stephen was 12 years old, Billy invited him over to his house for a special “training session.” When Stephen got there, Billy told him to take off his clothes. At first, Stephen hesitated, but then he realized that this must be what it takes to be a great football player. He stripped down and waited for his coach’s instructions.
Billy started fondling Stephen’s body and playing with Stephen’s private area. These special training sessions continued to happen for years. Eventually, Billy began to have unique “friends” join in the extra training sessions.
Kyle
Kyle, a happy teen, is desperate to be friends with anyone and never wants to let anyone down. A special boy with a sweet soul, who would forever be dependent on a family to watch over him and keep him safe.
Sadly not everyone felt that keeping him safe was the best plan. One person felt Kyle owed them something, and he was going to get paid one way or another. The home had a “special” room where all of Kyles’s “Uncles” liked to spend time with him. But Kyle really didn’t like THAT room.
Kyle never willingly went into the room. He was forced. His “Uncles” would tell him it was a game, and if he won, he could have anything he wanted. Of course, Kyle always lost, and then the “uncles” would do what they wanted to him. Sometimes they would make him dress up like a girl, and take pictures.
Sometimes they would make him do things to them, things that made him feel icky. But he never said no, because he was scared of what would happen if he did.
These are the stories of human trafficking, but only a small number. The number of ways to traffick a boy is endless; sex, labor, debt bondage, for forced criminal activities, and the list goes on.