| Type | IGO[inconsistent] |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To combat thetrafficking of children |
Official language | English |
Key people | Lynette Lewis |
| Website | www |
Stop Child Trafficking Now (also calledSCTNow) was anot-for-profit[clarification needed] organization founded[when?] by Lynette Lewis, an author andpublic speaker.[1] Thisnonprofit organization[2] engaged inadvocacy work in an attempt to bring an end to thetrafficking of children.[3] SCTNow targeted the demand forhuman trafficking, focusing onpedophiles,child abductions andchild pornography.[4] The group sought to have those whosexually abuse childrenprosecuted andconvicted.[5]
The organization organized annual walks to raise funds andawareness about the issue. In 2009, organizers claimed to have organized walks in 41 cities nationwide and hoped to raise over a million dollars.[6][7] The group organized aprotest atPhillips Square,Montreal,Quebec,Canada in September 2009.[8] The first walk took place in September 2011 inAugusta,Georgia,United States.[9][failed verification][inconsistent] SCTNow events have been held in more than 35 cities in the United States.[10][failed verification]
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.[11][failed verification] 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.[12][failed verification]
The organization ceased to exist[when?] after questions were raised about fundraising improprieties.[13][failed verification]