Theresa Flores

Theresa Flores is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author and a survivor of human trafficking. In her writing, Flores details her experience at age 15 in Detroit, where she was drugged and raped by a male classmate. The perpetrators used photographs of the incident to blackmail her, leading to two years of exploitation while she lived at home in a Michigan suburb. Flores remained silent during this period due to shame, guilt, and concern for her family's safety. After escaping, she became a licensed social worker, earning a master's degree in counseling education from the University of Dayton and a bachelor's degree in social work from Ball State University.

Flores is recognized as a human trafficking subject matter expert and activist. She has published four books, including "The Sacred Bath," "The Slave Across the Street" (published in both the United Kingdom and United States), 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 an Audie Award in the memoir and biography category and has appeared on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller list for e-books. Flores was featured in the short documentary "The Girl Next Door," which received multiple awards at film festivals across the United States.

Flores founded Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution (S.O.A.P.), a nonprofit organization focused on preventing sex trafficking. The S.O.A.P. program mobilizes volunteers to label bars of soap with the national human trafficking hotline number and distribute them to hotels during large sporting events. Her advocacy contributed to the passage of the Theresa Flores Law in Michigan, which eliminated the statute of limitations for children who have been trafficked. Flores was appointed to the Ohio Attorney General's Human Trafficking Commission and has testified before the Ohio House and Senate in support of anti-trafficking legislation. She was present in the Oval Office for the signing of the SESTA/FOSTA bill, alongside other survivors and the creator of the documentary I Am Jane Doe.

Flores has presented at TEDx events, universities, law enforcement trainings, and medical personnel trainings, and has collaborated with the U.S. Attorney General's office. She is frequently a keynote speaker at conferences and fundraisers and has been interviewed as an expert on national television shows including The Today Show, MSNBC, CNN, 700 Club, and Crime Watch Daily. At the State of the State Address, Flores received the Courage Award from Ohio Governor John Kasich for her work in human trafficking. She also received the Christian Service Award, the highest honor from the University of Dayton Alumni Association, for her work with S.O.A.P. Through her writing, public speaking, and advocacy, Flores raises awareness of human trafficking in the United States and demonstrates how survival can lead to meaningful change.