New campaign: What does the number 13 have to do with sex trafficking in Milwaukee?

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- You might notice the number 13 popping up around Milwaukee. It's there to get your attention about an issue affecting people who live here -- human trafficking.

The number 13 is being painted and displayed on bus stops, sidewalks, signs and shirts to raise awareness of the issue.

13 is the average age of girls who are trafficked for sex.

April Bentley was just one year older than that when she was first forced into that world.

“My story is a little unusual, because unlike most women or girls, I was coerced in by a woman that I trusted at the age of 14 into sex trafficking. She betrayed my trust,” said April Bentley, a survivor.

Now more than 20 years later April is a part of the fight to put an end to it.

“I’m angry. Angry that it’s so big now. It’s everywhere. But at the same time, I’m so grateful that I’m here to say there is life after that," Bentley said.

“Milwaukee has one of the worst rates of human trafficking in the country -- and the only way we are going to start to prevent it is to create awareness,” said Gary Mueller, Creative Director of Serve Marketing.

The campaign is being launched now to coincide with the start of summer -- the season children are outside and unsupervised the most. That is one of the reasons they are reaching out to parents with their message.

“Parents need to know that they need to get involved with their kids’ lives. They need to be nosy. Check your kid's cell phone, and monitor their social media. A lot of the interactions happen through social media and online nowadays. Parents need to involved, they need to even snoop a little. But they need to know who their kids are hanging out with, and who they're talking to," Mueller said.

To learn more about the campaign, or for tips on how to talk to your children about this, go to unluckythirteen.org.