There are many networks and organizations designed to help the Catholic community in Arkansas in the fight against various vices, and July 21, another organization joined those ranks — the Diocese of Little Rock Task Force Against Human Trafficking and Pornography.
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor approved the creation of the task force in a meeting with the eight task force members, led by Deacon Fred Molina, an activist in the fight against human trafficking and pornography.
Molina, the task force’s chair, serves at St. Anne Church in North Little Rock. But much of his resume consists of combatting the evils of human trafficking and pornography. For the 17 years he was in Orlando, Molina worked with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to educate the Church about the two topics.
Ordained in 1999 in the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, N.Y., Molina moved to Florida in 2004. In 2010, he and three other deacons, alarmed by the growing prevalence of human trafficking and pornography in the Orlando area, led the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force.
The task force was so successful that in 2017, Molina received the Polaris Star Award for his achievements in the fight against human trafficking. The Polaris Project, which presents the award, has operated the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007.
Additionally, the Diocese of Orlando Human Trafficking Task Force was recognized with the 2018 Community Polaris Star Award, with Molina receiving the Distinguished Service Award that same year.
In 2021, Molina moved to Little Rock and began new efforts to combat human trafficking and pornography by giving presentations, attending summits in the state, providing resources and hosting informational booths at events.
In November 2023, Molina set his sights on the Diocese of Little Rock having a task force, reaching out to Mark Ives, an anti-pornography activist, as well as Knight of Columbus leader Lloyd Cambre and diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office administrative assistant Juanita Cigarroa.
The group spent eight months making connections with secular and religious experts, politicians and leaders, preparing resources, presentations and trainings and creating a website before finally presenting their group to Bishop Taylor.
In the July 21 meeting, the bishop gave his permission to be a diocesan task force. Next, the task force will present its plan of operations and outreach to the bishop’s office for approval. The task force also hopes to soon begin training Catholics to give presentations to their communities and parishes.
Dennis Lee, the diocese’s chancellor of administrative affairs, met with the task force Aug. 21 to discuss their next steps, reviewing PowerPoint presentations and a website outline. He spoke about the importance of a diocesan task force tackling such issues.
“Pornography is a pervasive scourge that ruins the lives of the people involved in its production and those who view it,” Lee said. “The large number of people addicted to pornography is a very serious social problem. Video and images depicting child sexual abuse are particularly evil and troubling. There is also the diabolical connection between pornography and human trafficking, where people, including children and teens, are forced against their will to work in the sex industry. Along with the law enforcement community, government entities, nonprofit service providers and victim advocacy groups, the Catholic Church is part of the effort to end pornography and human trafficking and to care for its victims.
“… Once (the task force’s) plan receives diocesan approval, it will be implemented statewide, with resources being made available to parishes and Catholic schools to raise awareness, educate, refer for professional services and assist law enforcement. … A focus of the task force will also be to develop strategies for Catholics interested in being involved with preventing and saving children, teens and adults from becoming trafficking and sex industry victims.”
Cigarroa, the Hispanic ministry coordinator for the task force, spoke of the need for outreach in the Hispanic community, where shame and social pressure prevent many Latinos from receiving the help and resources they need.
“Being part of this task force will give the Office of Hispanic Ministry the tools necessary to touch on a subject that is very real in our community but sadly not talked about enough, mostly due to feelings of shame,” Cigarroa said. “Our goal is to educate our youth and adults alike so they can avoid being victimized and help others by being able to identify when someone else may be in danger of victimization.”
Mark Ives, the task force coordinator and a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff, once struggled with a pornography addiction. Now, he and his wife, Mary, give educational presentations and talks, as well as provide resources, to parishes across the state about the impact of pornography on one’s well-being and intimate relationships.
“If I only had known the ramifications of using pornography — the wake of destruction it causes for the individual and their family and the connection between pornography and trafficking,” Mark said. “Thank God, I know now.”
As the chair overseeing the task force, Molina said he feels called by God to build up programs against human trafficking and pornography everywhere he goes.
“I feel I have a mission from God to do in the Diocese of Little Rock what I did in the Diocese of Orlando — that is to create a task force in the fight against human trafficking and pornography,” Molina said. “I want to reach out to the vulnerable and innocent before they become victims, especially our children. There is so much danger out there, and I want to make everyone aware of it so that they can defend themselves and their loved ones. I would like to inform everyone what they need to know in order to survive and not become a victim.”
If you need assistance or resources about human trafficking or pornography, are interested in being trained to give presentations or would like more information about the Diocese of Little Rock Task Force Against Human Trafficking and Pornography, contact Molina at mr.fredmolina@gmail.com or Ives at markives2014@gmail.com.
