COLUMBUS (MS)
The Commercial Dispatch [Columbus MS]
April 3, 2026
By Braden Simmons
Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Heidi Evensen said she was exploited by adults who took explicit photos and sexually abused her.
Years of physical and mental abuse took their toll on Evensen, and she felt invisible.
Until one day, when Evensen was 9 years old, one of her abusers approached her, looked Evensen in the eyes and actually talked with her. She still is not sure to this day why.
“It was one of the worst times of my life, … (but) she squatted down, and she said, ‘I see you,’” Evensen said. “… And if you think those three words are not enough for a child that you see in harm’s way, even if you don’t know what to do, you can say those three words. You can say, ‘I see you,’ and you can follow it up with, ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’ … (Those words meant) enough to me.”
Evensen said it was well into her adulthood before she could escape the abusive situation, in part due to a lack of general awareness about the inner workings of human trafficking or a place to go for help.
Now, with modernized resources both locally and nationally, Evensen hopes she can inspire others to help children in similar situations.
Evensen shared her story Thursday as part of the Exchange Club of Columbus’s hour-long community awareness program Thursday for child abuse and human trafficking, where Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Rhonda Sanders and John Almond, founder and executive director of the Dream Center Golden Triangle, also discussed resources and challenges for victims in Lowndes County.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the exploitation of others. Victims include all people of all backgrounds, genders and ages.
The United States broadly recognizes two primary forms of human trafficking: forced labor and sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs when a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or when the person performing the commercial sex act is a minor.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline website, the hotline received 303 signals from Mississippi in 2024 and 45 of those were received from victims of human trafficking. From those calls, 195 cases were identified, with 300 victims involved.
Evensen, who now serves as an advocate for victims of human trafficking, said that there are several signs to look for in children who are victims.
Typically, a child who is being trafficked tends to be more reserved and secretive, or may have sudden influxes of money or health changes, Evensen said. Child victims are most often trafficked by an adult they know or trust, she said.
Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Heidi Evensen said she was exploited by adults who took explicit photos and sexually abused her.
Years of physical and mental abuse took their toll on Evensen, and she felt invisible.
Until one day, when Evensen was 9 years old, one of her abusers approached her, looked Evensen in the eyes and actually talked with her. She still is not sure to this day why.
“It was one of the worst times of my life, … (but) she squatted down, and she said, ‘I see you,’” Evensen said. “… And if you think those three words are not enough for a child that you see in harm’s way, even if you don’t know what to do, you can say those three words. You can say, ‘I see you,’ and you can follow it up with, ‘Is there anything I can do to help you?’ … (Those words meant) enough to me.”
Evensen said it was well into her adulthood before she could escape the abusive situation, in part due to a lack of general awareness about the inner workings of human trafficking or a place to go for help.
Now, with modernized resources both locally and nationally, Evensen hopes she can inspire others to help children in similar situations.
Evensen shared her story Thursday as part of the Exchange Club of Columbus’s hour-long community awareness program Thursday for child abuse and human trafficking, where Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Rhonda Sanders and John Almond, founder and executive director of the Dream Center Golden Triangle, also discussed resources and challenges for victims in Lowndes County.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the exploitation of others. Victims include all people of all backgrounds, genders and ages.
The United States broadly recognizes two primary forms of human trafficking: forced labor and sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs when a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or when the person performing the commercial sex act is a minor.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline website, the hotline received 303 signals from Mississippi in 2024 and 45 of those were received from victims of human trafficking. From those calls, 195 cases were identified, with 300 victims involved.
Evensen, who now serves as an advocate for victims of human trafficking, said that there are several signs to look for in children who are victims.
Typically, a child who is being trafficked tends to be more reserved and secretive, or may have sudden influxes of money or health changes, Evensen said. Child victims are most often trafficked by an adult they know or trust, she said.
“These may seem like small gifts, stuffed animals, but they carry a much larger purpose,” Edwards said. “In difficult moments, especially for children, something as simple as a stuffed animal can provide comfort, security and a sense of peace where everything else feels uncertain.”
For reporting issues of child abuse, Sanders said victims of concerned adults can call the Mississippi Department of Child Services at (800) 222-8000, along with 911 if there is an immediate threat to a child.
Evensen said that through having open discussions like the one on Thursday she hopes more people can start to recognize the signs in victims of child abuse or human trafficking and help provide the aid she never received.
“I’ve come to learn that justice is shedding light on that darkness,” Evensen said. “It’s accountability. Once it’s been reported, I’ve done my part, I shed the light, and every time I stand up here and do this, this is justice.”