Jaco Booyens Ministries Invited to Testify on Critical Child Protection Legislation in North Dakota

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2/10/25

North Dakota – By the end of the day Monday, the Jaco Booyens Ministries (JBM) policy team—including Founder Jaco Booyens, Director of Policy Tami Brown Rodriquez, and Director of Advocacy Ilonka Deaton —will testify before North Dakota legislators on three critical bills aimed at protecting children from explicit content online, in schools, and in libraries, while also ensuring comprehensive anti-trafficking education for K-12 students and college freshmen.

JBM stands as one of the few anti-trafficking organizations taking a deep dive into the policies that intersect with human trafficking—because prevention starts long before a child is trafficked. These legislative measures are not just policies; they are lifelines.

This issue is deeply personal for Jaco Booyens and Tami Brown Rodriquez, both of whom are family members of survivors. They know firsthand the lifelong devastation that trafficking inflicts—not just on the victims, but on entire families.

"This is not just about policy. This is about saving lives before traffickers have a chance to destroy them," said Jaco Booyens. "If we don’t act now to remove harmful content and equip young people with the truth about trafficking, we will continue to see predators weaponizing our schools, libraries, and digital spaces against our children."

JBM’s testimony will highlight:

✅ The direct link between explicit content and the grooming and trafficking of minors.

✅ The urgent need to remove harmful materials from schools, libraries, and online platforms.

✅ The importance of prevention through mandatory anti-trafficking education in K-12 and college freshman curricula to ensure children recognize the warning signs before they become victims.

Ilonka Deaton, a survivor and international advocate, will testify on the long-term damage trafficking victims face as they work to rebuild their lives:

"Survivors don’t just walk away from trafficking and return to normal. The trauma follows them for years—affecting their relationships, mental health, ability to trust, and even their ability to feel safe in their own skin. The policies we’re advocating for today are the difference between prevention and devastation," said Ilonka Deaton.

JBM remains one of the few organizations tackling the root causes of trafficking through policy change, ensuring that legislation not only rescues victims but prevents exploitation before it begins.

"Our nation's children cannot afford another legislative session where these measures are at stake. Lives are depending on legislators to do the right thing. This isn’t a political issue; this is a fight for the safety and innocence of our children," said Tami Brown Rodriquez, Director of Policy for JBM. 

JBM’s team may be small but mighty, and they will continue fighting in the halls of government until these critical protections become law.