Roger DeHart: The Florida Man Trekking to End Human Trafficking Will Lead “Ignore No More” Walk in Houston Saturday at the Discovery Green

Roger DeHart is a Florida court bailiff bringing awareness of human trafficking through his nonprofit organization First Stop Inc. In a recent interview with BSM, DeHart gave more insight on what inspired him to start his organization and the importance of bringing awareness towards human trafficking and its victims.

Q: For those who may not be familiar with your story as a Florida court bailiff whose mission is human trafficking awareness through your nonprofit, First S.T.O.P. Please tell us more about it.

A: I started First S.T.O.P. to save teens and others from predators. It began with the walks (from state to state), and people wanted to donate. I was like, you know what, if people want to contribute, let me at least allow them to have some tax write-off and feel good about where their money is going, so I became an official 501(c)(3), and that is how I initially started the nonprofit. It’s been incredible.

Roger DeHart: The Florida Man Trekking to End Human Trafficking Will Lead “Ignore No More” Walk in Houston Saturday at the Discovery Green — Roger DeHart

Q: Is the reason you are so passionate about bringing awareness to human trafficking from personal experience? Or, is it something you’ve always wanted to do because you’re involved in the courts?

A: I have been working as a bailiff for over 20 years in criminal court. I’ve seen many disturbing cases, and I found out Florida was number three in the country when it comes to human trafficking cases. We only get a few cases, maybe once every blue moon, but I thought, how come I do not see more cases come through in Florida? That is what first got my attention.

I said, let me start doing the research and attending some events to hear from survivors and victims. When I started, my heart got stirred and moved, and I felt so much compassion because I listened to many women share stories about what they were going through. Unfortunately, men are the biggest perpetrators, so I’m like, okay, I’m a man; what can I do to show the world that we are not all like this? There are so many men that want to be a voice for those that are hurting.

So, that was my initial motivation as I started to do some soul searching and brainstorming. I realized a deeper reason I (wanted to get involved in helping human trafficking) is that nobody normally walks all these miles unless something deeply rooted hits home.

Mine was when I was in middle school, where I got bullied. My dad had passed, and after that, I felt very vulnerable. I went to a pretty rough middle school, and I remember having that feeling of insecurity. As I got older, I told myself, you know, I don’t want anyone ever to feel what I felt, vulnerable. I don’t want anyone else to feel like they won’t have anyone to stand in the gap for them. I think that’s the real reason why I did it because when I saw or heard the stories of those victims and what they’ve gone through, the hurt and forever scars they have, It took me back to middle school and remembering how I felt.

Q: What is the feedback you have received from the victims and people that get involved? How can we look out for signs of human trafficking to protect children not becoming victims?

A: The most encouraging thing for me doing these walks is I will get emails from literally all over the world from survivors who share their stories with me. One story I’ll never forget happened on my California walk. I was in Malibu, and I got a call from an organization called Erase Child Trafficking. They had just rescued a girl from South Carolina and brought her to a safe house. She was 15 years old. Though survivors can be in a safe house physically, mentally, they can still be out there in the (only life they know). What happened with this particular young lady is she didn’t want to be at the safe house. She wasn’t ready to be confined. She wanted what she knew that was familiar, but when she read my story and asked, “Who is this guy walking for me?” She told her caretaker, “If he’s willing to walk for me, I’m gonna fight a little harder.” That moved me to tears because that was the whole purpose of my walk. I’m praying that she’s on the right path because she decided to fight it out. All because she saw a man walk for her. So, that is the best feedback I could have gotten.

As far as recognizing the signs, it’s one of those things where, you know, I’m a father, and I would know if my child is normal or if their behavior is different. Look out for costly things that you (parent or guardians) didn’t buy them. If they start getting more into themselves or see certain physical marks on them, things like that (that) initially give you a red flag to see if something happened or if they are okay. I told my kids, “I will be the nosiest dad you will ever know. I will be respectable, but I will show I care about you. I know how it is to be a teenager, and you don’t want to talk about some things, but I believe nosiness can save your child.”

Q: Are your children involved in helping you bring awareness to human trafficking?

A: They are not involved in any specific manner, but what I do is I always fly them out when I finish my walks. They joined me when I finished in DC (at the capitol), and I also flew them out to California. I take my daughter to a lot of events when I’m speaking. I took my son a couple of times, but he’s in his own little world, working like crazy (laughs). I try to make them feel a part of it because your kids could be the biggest target as an advocate. So, I want to make sure that my kids are equipped just in case.

Q: There will be an inaugural “Ignore No More” event (walk) in Houston on Saturday, October 23. How can the public become involved? Where do we register?

A: For registration, go to my Facebook page Roger DeHart. We welcome everyone to come and wear royal blue because that’s the color for human trafficking awareness. Whenever someone is willing to walk, it gives the survivors hope.

Q: How do you re-energize after helping so many? How do you rest to continue to walk to fight human trafficking?

A: My first walk there was such a high. After the 52 days, when I flew back home, I got depressed because it was gone and all the interaction with the people. What I did was rent a hotel for a week to take it all in and reflect. I got emotional at times because I felt like God had just blessed it all. So, the best way to recover and heal and refocus is to get away for a couple of days and again reflect and refocus my mind.

DeHart has walked over 3,000 miles across the United States to bring awareness to human trafficking.

The inaugural Houston “Ignore No More” Human Trafficking Walk will be held at Discovery Green on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration and check-in begin at 9:00 a.m.