Pastor Joel Osteen of 40,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston has announced his congregation’s support of H.R. 2805, the “End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013.”
“The suffering associated with human trafficking resonates strongly within the Christian community, and we know of many churches, like our own, whose compassion for its victims has moved them to act,” said Joel and Victoria Osteen in a statement to The Christian Post on Thursday.
The bill is intended to target criminals who purchase sexual acts from human trafficking rings and ensuring they are prosecuted as such. A raid in late July by the FBI resulted in the arrest of 152 sex traffickers and the recovery of 106 children in 76 U.S. cities.
“Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America,” said Ronald Hosko of the FBI’s criminal division. “This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable.”
