“I felt imprisoned and powerless. I cried and prayed… ‘Lord, if you’re real, get me out of here!’”

When Ruby* received a private message on social media offering her a job at a computer shop, she saw it as a way to begin a life of independence. Imagine Ruby’s dismay when she discovered the job wasn’t at all what she was offered.

She was trapped in the grasp of a couple who sexually exploited and exposed her online for paedophiles and sexual predators.

Ruby was 16.

“I felt imprisoned and powerless. I cried and prayed… ‘Lord, if you’re real, get me out of here!’” Ruby recalls.

IJM helped Philippine authorities find and rescue her along with 5 other girls. The people who ran the illegal operation were sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Today, Ruby is free and safe. She has even forgiven her perpetrators – praying for them at the back of the courtroom after their conviction.

IJM worked to place Ruby in an aftercare home where she lives as she studies in college. She is considering pursuing a law degree with the hope of helping other girls who are trapped in similar slavery schemes.

Give Where It's Needed Most