Summerville church hosts an auction to stop sex trafficking

A Summerville woman says she’s on her God-given mission, and she hopes to create a home for women caught in sex trafficking rings.

Friday, Sharon Rikard partnered with area businesses and Faith Assembly of God in Summerville to host an auction to raise money for a shelter.

Rikard said she first heard about sex trafficking through her church. After months of planning, she’s ready to open a shelter for women rescued from the sex trade rings. Rikard said she’s working with area organizations to finalize a training and education program for her non-profit organization Open Doors International.

“Right now we need a home for the girls that can come and be set free, empowered and transformed,” she explained. .

The silent auction begins at 6:00. The live auction begins at 7:30. Faith Assembly of God is the host of the auction.

Sharon hopes to raise $10,000 for the shelter.

Here in the Lowcountry, according to police, a young woman was rescued from a home in North Charleston where she was held against her will and forced to work as a prostitute.

According to the FBI, recent problems stretch from Atlanta to the West Coast. In Georgia, this month a judge sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for trafficking minors. On July 29, five family members in Sacramento were charged with sex trafficking minors. The same day in Maryland, a man pleaded guilty to selling a 16-year-old girl

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