Stop Child Trafficking Now (also called SCTNow) was a organization founded by Lynette Lewis, an author and

public speaker Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech deliver ...

. This

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

engaged in advocacy work in an attempt to bring an end to the

trafficking of children Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labour and exploitation. ...

. SCTNow targeted the demand for human trafficking, focusing on

pedophiles Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

child abduction Child abduction or child theft is the unauthorized removal of a minor (a child under the age of legal adulthood) from the custody of the child's natural parents or legally appointed guardians. The term ''child abduction'' includes two lega ...

s and

child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...

. The group sought to have those who sexually abuse children

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and

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Activities

The organization organized annual walks to raise funds and

awareness Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some infor ...

about the issue. In 2009, organizers claimed to have organized walks in 41 cities nationwide and hoped to raise over a million dollars. The group organized a

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooper ...

Phillips Square Phillips Square (french: square Phillips) is a public square located in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Square was established in 1842 thanks to a gift from Alfred Phillips to the city of Montreal. History In 1842, the square was firs ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in September 2009. The first walk took place in September 2011 in Augusta,

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United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. SCTNow events have been held in more than 35 cities in the United States. A focus of Stop Child Trafficking Now's fundraising campaigns was tapping donors to support an effort led by Clark Stuart, a former U.S. Navy SEAL described as the group's "operations president," for what Stuart described as an elite team made up of former American law enforcement officers and former U.S. military who would hunt down Americans who trafficked children for sex in foreign countries. According to individuals approached by Stuart to make donations, the culprits would be handed over to government authorities for prosecution abroad or in the U.S. Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Chief Chuck Jordan agreed to accept the group's national database of information about child traffickers and child predators for its possible value in assessing child sex trafficking.

Closure

The organization ceased to exist after questions were raised about fundraising improprieties.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stop Child Trafficking Now Anti–child pornography organizations Child abduction in the United States Children's rights organizations in the United States International human rights organizations International organizations based in the Americas Organizations that combat human trafficking