Surviving a Decade of Human Trafficking | Angel Power

Angel Power was groomed by her father’s friend, trafficked for nearly a decade, and told by everyone around her that she was safe. She wasn’t. This is her story of survival, reclaiming her voice, and turning darkness into purpose.

In this episode of Behind the Village, Angel shares the reality of how human trafficking happens in ways most people don’t expect. Not by force or at gunpoint, but through trust, unmet needs, and a system that failed her at every turn.

She talks about writing her way out of the pain, reframing survivor’s guilt into survivor’s responsibility, and why long-term support for survivors matters just as much as getting them out. If you’ve ever wondered what trafficking actually looks like in small-town Canada, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew.

Please note that this transcript was made through a software and it may not be entirely accurate.

00;00;02;14 – 00;00;11;03
Unknown
You’re listening to the Behind the Village podcast, where we invite you to join us on a journey to understand how to live a life worth living.

00;00;11;06 – 00;00;32;21
Unknown
Angels, a local woman who endured so much darkness and struggle due to exploitation and human trafficking. She managed to claw her way free and now is passionate about sharing her story, educating others, and supporting those who have found themselves in the midst of similar experiences. This is her story.

00;00;32;23 – 00;01;12;01
Unknown
Yeah. So I, a survivor, survivor of human trafficking and so much more that came with it. I was groomed by my dad and exploited by friends of my dad. And I was trapped in that world for about a decade. And just the world of darkness. Everything that came with it or that you can imagine that came with that, from mental health issues to addiction issues, you know, all sorts of things that were very tough, where I was just stuck in this darkness for, for so long.

00;01;12;03 – 00;01;54;01
Unknown
But I was able to reclaim my life. Ultimately, my last trafficker was charged and convicted. And I am the author of two books, The Darkness and the light and From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly The Transformation from Victim to Victorious. And so I also, kind of reclaimed my life by now, going to where I’m calling to be of service, to, help to expose the darkness and some of the injustices, and to also try to help, to inspire other survivors to see that there is hope, that we can reclaim our lives.

00;01;54;04 – 00;02;23;28
Unknown
And so that’s basically been my journey. I was already, like, I was already a victim of trauma. I was trying to already escape a perpetrator and had already fallen through the cracks in the level of the courts. And was not being protected even on that level. So there was a time when I was seeking protection from this dangerous man perpetrator.

00;02;24;00 – 00;02;48;18
Unknown
And it was actually something as innocent as when I, when I was trafficked. You know, you picture it is by force or a picture like the pimps with guns and that kind of thing. I was going to get ice cream that day. And I always speak of this how it’s, like, uncharacteristically innocent of me. But this one day, I wasn’t even up to no good kind of thing.

00;02;48;20 – 00;03;12;08
Unknown
This one day I was just going to get ice cream. And, when I went to get ice cream beside, ice cream shop, without naming specifics, this these guys came out and they kind of like cat called, did the cat call thing, hey girl kind of thing. But then when they approached me, I realized, like, small town.

00;03;12;09 – 00;03;32;08
Unknown
The one guy was a friend of my dad’s. So then it was like, oh, hey, are you so-and-so’s daughter? And I was like, are you so-and-so? And then I saw it like, this guy just basically then was like, come inside, took me under his wing. So I thought, like, because this guy had known my dad and he actually lived with my dad when I was a kid.

00;03;32;10 – 00;03;48;28
Unknown
I thought, like, he was going to see me differently and not see me in a sexualizing way. And when I told him about how I was trying to escape this, this abuser, this dangerous man, and how the system had failed me and that kind of thing, he just was like, come on in. Like you’re safe with me.

00;03;48;28 – 00;04;08;07
Unknown
No one will mess with you if you’re here. And. And I was like, trying to relocate. I was already like, I didn’t, I was trying to establish a life for myself, but. So that was that was it for me. He offered me, like, protection, safety that I could live there, that he would keep me safe. And then it came to a time where I was like, you know, I got to get a job.

00;04;08;11 – 00;04;26;27
Unknown
I need some money. I can’t just live with you. I need to try to establish my own stuff and get my own place. And then that’s when he was like, I know a place where you can work. You don’t even need to give a resume. You don’t need any experience and basically be able to a party all night, and you’ll be making so much money.

00;04;27;00 – 00;04;51;29
Unknown
And then basically the rest is history. It’s so much easier, even now, to exploit. I didn’t even know that I was being trafficked until about ten years after I was out and safe. So this is something that’s very challenging that sometimes a victim doesn’t even know they’re a victim. So I had people telling me this guy is, this guy is your pimp.

00;04;51;29 – 00;05;06;16
Unknown
You know that, right? Like other girls were saying that to me and I’m like, no, no, no, no, this guy is a friend of my dad’s. He’s known me since I was a kid, and he’s just helping me out. And this guy, too, he was telling me, you know, so he was transporting me there and back, picking me up.

00;05;06;18 – 00;05;26;11
Unknown
And it was a different city, and he was like, I’ll hold ons role in your money because it’s not safe for you to have all this cash. So this guy was like, I have a safe where it will literally be safe in there. And so he was also keeping all my money, holding on to all my money.

00;05;26;11 – 00;05;49;29
Unknown
I thought, one day I was pretty much like, okay, I should have some money accumulated there. I should probably have enough to be able to start my own life, and I’ll be taking that. Thank you. I think I’m, you know, I think I’d like to start looking for apartments in that, this was actually on the ride home from the club one night, and so he was a bit intoxicated, and he just flat out said, like, you’re not getting your money.

00;05;49;29 – 00;06;09;20
Unknown
And I’m going to keep every cent you made tonight. So that’s where it all sort of changed. Like up until then I thought, this guy’s looking out for me. I thought, okay, this was kind of like uncomfortable. Like, you know, I, I was not able to manage without alcohol and those kinds of things. But I didn’t just think it was fun and games.

00;06;09;20 – 00;06;45;18
Unknown
I did just think it was just, a party kind of life. And also I was getting attention, and that felt fulfilling, although it was a false sense of attention. It was negative. But for someone who felt a void there, it felt like some level of false sense of power. And then also because this lifestyle is glamorized so much in movies, in videos, with our top artists or not, so being seen as sexy and that kind of thing.

00;06;45;18 – 00;07;02;29
Unknown
Like we had bachelor parties coming in that we were signing their shirts and stuff. You would feel like a celebrity, sort of, you know, I think I felt cool at a time like them before I, you know, it almost killed me. There were times where it’s like, oh, look at me. I feel like I’m on top of the world, and aren’t I so cool?

00;07;02;29 – 00;07;27;01
Unknown
Or I’m with, like, the cool people or whatever. But anyway, when it all changed that one day, it was when I was getting the ride back to his place, and he told me that. And when he said that, you know, you’re not getting anything, and I’ll keep everything you made tonight. I actually was like, okay, well, I’ll pop the trunk, then I’ll get my bag and I’ll be on my way, like, let me out of this car.

00;07;27;01 – 00;07;49;20
Unknown
So they stopped the car, let me out. I grab my bag and I start walking, not even knowing where I’m going. And it wasn’t like, I don’t know, minutes before I heard like the footsteps behind me, and all of a sudden the car was in front of me and the doors open. I’m thrown in the car and then we’re driving back to the house and, I’m being threatened.

00;07;49;20 – 00;08;15;23
Unknown
This guy’s like swinging from the front seat. And at this point, there’s a time for the defiant self, and there’s a time to be quiet and de-escalate if you can. And I think inherently survival. I knew that, and so I just got through that car ride. And I waited until we are back at the house and I waited until the one fell asleep.

00;08;15;23 – 00;08;34;19
Unknown
The other one went to go get his girlfriend, and I left that house in the middle of the night. And the messed up thing is, is that I. My dad lived just up the street five minutes away. So when I left that house in the middle of the night, first of all, there was money, there was jewelry, there was all these valuables.

00;08;34;19 – 00;08;51;24
Unknown
And I didn’t take anything. Even though my money was there. I didn’t take anything because I didn’t want this guy to have a reason to come after me. And I went up the street to my dad’s house, and I don’t even remember specifically, like two. Clearly. I just remember that my dad didn’t even let me in the door.

00;08;51;27 – 00;09;10;04
Unknown
I’m. He did. He was not helping me, and I was on my own, and he didn’t even let me inside. And he was like, mad at me for something. I don’t know, maybe it was too late or something to knock on the door or something. And so from that moment is when basically I continued trafficking myself because I didn’t know what to do.

00;09;10;06 – 00;09;22;26
Unknown
My my dad had shut the door on me. I felt ashamed to go to my mom and brother. So much love there. But I felt ashamed and kept my secrets with them, which was a huge part of the darkness too.

00;09;22;28 – 00;09;40;00
Unknown
This was difficult to hear. You can see how quickly things snowball in the wrong direction. The most surprising is the fact that victims of human trafficking often don’t know they’re being trafficked until they’re out. How did Angel managed to escape?

00;09;40;03 – 00;10;12;19
Unknown
It seemed like I would never get out. For a long time. So, Yeah. And I, I know of people who don’t get out, you know, and I can imagine, I don’t know of other people’s fates, but like those who maybe didn’t as well, you know, it seems like a long time to have been trapped in the darkness, but really, so many others never get out.

00;10;12;19 – 00;10;42;06
Unknown
So. I really fell through the cracks with police specifically as well. So one part of it is, for so long where I didn’t understand that I was a victim, I just simply that took away my being informed to know, to go to the police, to know, to seek help. So that’s why education is so important. Awareness is so important in that kind of, piece.

00;10;42;09 – 00;11;10;13
Unknown
Because that robbed me of my, ability to seek help for myself for so long. But then when I did realize I need some help here, and when I did seek help time and time again, I fell through the cracks so, so far down the cracks. It seemed like there would never be any light insight or any hope.

00;11;10;13 – 00;11;50;00
Unknown
And then you distrust the system. Well, I think a big part of this where we fall through the cracks was police. Is the victim blaming, the stigmatizing the dehumanizing. So what do you do? Escape? Numb, you know, turn to the vicious cycles. And that’s where things like addiction kept me stuck and things like mental health issues form because of keeping in this, misplaced shame where carrying this shame for so long from these people who should have had the blame all along, having that blame put on the victim.

00;11;50;03 – 00;12;23;25
Unknown
Extremely detrimental, as you can imagine. Very, very harmful. It is a process and not something else that can be a misconception. Statistically, it takes a survivor about seven attempts before you can actually escape or exit. So often we we think like when people say, why does she go back? It’s very common. But for me, it may have been 17, it may have been 70, like it was so many attempts I was trying to get out.

00;12;23;27 – 00;12;56;16
Unknown
Ultimately. So this time frame is kind of unclear to me, understandably, due to the trauma or even assaults or whatever. But, police reports, show that I was found, as they say, beaten and unconscious on the side of a road in Toronto where police intervened. So that’s what it took. I’ll just, you know, emphasize that is what it took before I finally had actual police intervention.

00;12;56;18 – 00;13;34;07
Unknown
I actually had support, kind of intervene and take me seriously. I finally met, one of the good police officers on my pass. And as much as I will never forget the harmful ones, I’ll never forget the good. And this one officer was really passionate about helping me and about convicting my last trafficker. And this was also another reason how I was able to get out is the laws started to catch up with sting, so we didn’t always have laws for human trafficking.

00;13;34;09 – 00;14;04;19
Unknown
We didn’t not only understand what it was or how the terminology, but there was no laws to enforce or to help. So, when this when this last incident happened, they they had laws now and they identified it as human trafficking. And so all of a sudden people cared, people stepped in. And you also have, you know, it can be harmful to have police doing nothing and stigmatizing.

00;14;04;19 – 00;14;25;26
Unknown
It can also be kind of harmful when they have a hero complex, though, which can be kind of like, a newer problem that I experienced. So all of a sudden everyone had a hero complex with this last incident because it’s like drew attention, like left for dead on the side of the road, beaten them unconscious all of a sudden, like, everyone wanted to be like, we’re on this case.

00;14;25;28 – 00;14;46;15
Unknown
And so, like, I was trying to seek help for years before it got to this, and I’ve been telling you. But now all of a sudden, everyone wanted to listen. I mean, I haven’t stopped telling them since. Since they wanted to listen. I am, you know, that’s been a part of what helped me to heal was being able to have a voice to reclaim a voice.

00;14;46;15 – 00;15;13;21
Unknown
I did cooperate with the police, and I just took the help that they were finally offering, and I ran with it. And look at the difference I can make, because I’ve never looked back. And just like things can snowball in a bad way, like they were always snowballing out of control, things started to snowball in a good way, where all of a sudden there was so much clean time, or there was so much progress, or there was so much, accomplished or achieved that there was no going back.

00;15;13;24 – 00;15;35;27
Unknown
There used to be victim compensation for victims of crime. So at the time that was offered to me, and I took that victim compensation money, and I used it to publish my first book. So that was very kind of therapeutic for me because as I say, like I wrote to cope and I couldn’t carry the story within me.

00;15;36;04 – 00;16;01;08
Unknown
I needed to get it out. So I say, like, I just puked out this book, basically, vomited it out. And this book was born, my first book. It’s in memory of the Forgotten and Born for the unborn. And it speaks to those injustices and things that I went through and the victim blaming and the stigmatizing and so much more.

00;16;01;11 – 00;16;36;15
Unknown
So being able to expose that in that way, is really what helped me to reclaim and to now be valued for my voice instead of my worth, determined by my body to be able to actually, be heard instead of silenced. So, that’s something that also kind of gave me a new purpose. And it just helped me to also deal with survivor’s guilt.

00;16;36;15 – 00;16;58;03
Unknown
Because just like when you survive a car accident and someone else doesn’t make it, and there’s that survivor’s guilt going through something like this where I know so many others probably didn’t make it out, or who knows what became of their fate. It could really, really be hard to live with or cope with. So I view it as take survivor’s guilt.

00;16;58;03 – 00;17;25;12
Unknown
I reframe it to survivor’s responsibility. And for me, for my past. Individually, I feel like I have the responsibility to tell the story of what I endured, what I went through, expose the darkness, and to also help be the light, help people see the light. And to to sort of to show people that there is life after surviving.

00;17;25;14 – 00;17;41;12
Unknown
So where does there need to be change? I’m curious to see, in Angel’s opinion, what can be done to help prevent this from happening to others. And what does Angel do now for those who have unfortunately endured similar experiences?

00;17;41;14 – 00;18;10;19
Unknown
I think like education and awareness is huge. So, like talking about these issues that are uncomfortable to talk about, basically anyone is at risk to fall into when you see someone panhandling on the street. Sometimes it’s a woman. So more vulnerable. Just imagine how at risk they are to a trafficker coming by and saying, you know, I’ve got a job where you can make some money or, you know, I’ve got I’ve got some, a place where you will be safe.

00;18;10;22 – 00;18;35;23
Unknown
Another thing, if we don’t have safe housing for people there, that’s another risk factor for within society where, it’s so it makes it easier for the perpetrators to target. Because if we have unmet needs, then there’s always someone coming around the corner, a perpetrator that’s like, hey, I can meet those needs or tell you a story of how they will.

00;18;35;23 – 00;19;10;29
Unknown
And mis mislead you into thinking that they will. It really is such a bigger issue, such a societal issue, when you don’t have the systemic support or you don’t have even, like the social supports or, even just understanding, then it really the, those trying to protect are helpless as well to protect. And that’s another thing that sometimes people don’t understand.

00;19;10;29 – 00;19;45;08
Unknown
We need more support for families of victims of crime who want to help them because they are really they are on their own in the fight, too. And it’s not until we have, kind of collaborating within the different organizations and systems, that we can really see a change when, like I said, it takes a village. So when everyone is in it together and working together, then I think that that’s when there’s more hope for change.

00;19;45;08 – 00;20;18;20
Unknown
But until then, it really keeps us stocked. But we need that collaborative partnerships. I think to really be able to get somewhere within having support within the system. One of the organizations that was helping me on my path, Arise Ministry, specifically works with survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. They were helping me. What became what was like a 12 week program became like a two year, counseling for me.

00;20;18;22 – 00;20;38;11
Unknown
But it was an inclusive space where I felt safe, where I was accepted, where they met me, where I was at on my journey. And then eventually they created a position for me. And I had, like, a lived experience kind of, job role there within that organization. So since 2018, I’ve done peer support for them.

00;20;38;11 – 00;21;13;25
Unknown
I also do like consulting, and speaking through them. So we’ve gone to schools and churches, reserves and different places to speak and educate. But I also do peer support if we have, client that wants to talk with someone who has been through it, then I’m available to support people on their journey like that. So there’s there’s that piece with my books and speaking that also open doors like the books open doors to speaking opportunities.

00;21;13;25 – 00;21;39;02
Unknown
So, like I kind of said before, like I will just go to where and called to be of service. So that’s separate from there’s my work with the organization, and then there’s just wherever I’m guided to be to go individually. I will go and speak or connect with people, to try to help bring awareness to this issue or to try to help others to know that they’re not alone or that there is hope.

00;21;39;04 – 00;22;22;26
Unknown
And then I also started, a support group, in my old community where I lived in like a community housing. A lot of us women were at one point in a women’s shelter together, and then, we got housing, but it was a very corrupt, challenging, difficult place to live. So, after surviving there, I created a group called thrive and started doing just community groups, potlucks and just events and stuff for for whoever wanted to join in and to just have some safe space for just positive experiences.

00;22;23;03 – 00;22;47;11
Unknown
And that was, that’s been active since 2018 as well. I also have a Christmas mission that I do for people who don’t have plans. Because I know that the holidays can be very challenging for survivors or people with addictions or people who don’t have big family supports in that. So that’s another, part of what I do.

00;22;47;14 – 00;23;12;27
Unknown
I also am a fire keeper with, traditional grandmother, for moon ceremonies. And that is also where I can just everyone is invited to be part of a safe space where it’s also inclusive, but it’s another form of kind of healing and turning to our spirituality to cope. So, that’s a big part of my life, too.

00;23;12;27 – 00;23;50;06
Unknown
And those are all ways that I’m able to kind of give back and be of service and kind of feel that I’m making an impact. I think that’s like a part of it is just to be able to find our voice is huge. To be able to reclaim, to realize our worth. These things. I hope for survivors, but as much as I hope for survivors to find their voice, I hope for society to listen.

00;23;50;08 – 00;24;38;10
Unknown
And I think that that’s really my future hopes, is that we begin to actually listen to survivors on our survivors. Stop victim blaming, stop stigmatizing, stopped you humanizing. Put the blame on the people that it belongs, even if they are people in positions of power or people who you wouldn’t, you know, that had respect prior. I really hope that we can have a societal, systematic cultural shift in this way and a better understanding, for what really what really goes on and also the, the hopes and the demand, which seems so complex, so impossible.

00;24;38;13 – 00;25;18;17
Unknown
But it’s all about supply and demand. And if we didn’t have that demand, we wouldn’t need that supply. And so if we can really try to make a change there where people are, it’s not only criminalized, but it is completely just, it’s not so glamorized and normalized to objectify or to sexualize. So there’s so many things that need to happen there, like I said, like culturally, societally, even within, mainstream media and things.

00;25;18;17 – 00;25;49;11
Unknown
But we need to end the demand. I think also, to have more trauma informed with law enforcement, for victims rights within the judicial system because we have criminal rights, but we really need to protect victims and for there to be more advocacy and clear rights for victims. And there is some work being done there, and I am actively trying to be a part of that and help with that.

00;25;49;11 – 00;26;20;01
Unknown
I’ve spoken with like attorney generals and different people in power, and we are sort of looking at ways to somewhat rewrite the system where we can, but we need more of that and we need, it to be survivor informed. So when we create more positions for lived experience for survivors, then I think that that’s also where there’s a hope for, for the future as well.

00;26;20;04 – 00;26;39;08
Unknown
And I think the last thing to to just touch on that, I think is really important is just also that we have long term supports and not just within the immediate crisis, because like I spoke of, some people have like a two year old complex and they want to step in when there’s this immediate big crisis and they want to help in that moment.

00;26;39;10 – 00;27;07;27
Unknown
But if you don’t have long, long term sustainable supports for a survivor for after they’re out, they will just fall back in. So it’s one thing to get them out, but how do we help them to stay out and not. Yeah. And that comes back to things like housing and just long term supports and all kinds of again, like systemic and societal, responsibility is.

00;27;07;29 – 00;27;18;15
Unknown
Thank you, Angel for being open to sharing your story, and thank you for using your voice to help others and to help educate.

00;27;18;18 – 00;27;38;05
Unknown
Thank you for listening to the entire episode. All the links and info you heard in this conversation will be featured in the show notes on our website. If you’d like to know more about anything we mentioned in this episode, make sure to check Villager Magazine Talks Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening from.

00;27;38;07 – 00;27;46;29
Unknown
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