As a survivor, Catherine Mossman started Stop Trafficking ME,  a non-profit organization whose ultimate goal is to eliminate the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Maine. Abused repeatedly from first grade on for nearly 20 years of her life, Catherine Mossman spent most of her years from age 12-17 living on the street, eventually hitting bottom by age 15 and taken in and held against her will by a local trafficker. After this ordeal, she spent the next 20 years tenaciously seeking various forms of therapy to recover from this trauma and learn how to “survive the surviving.”  She did survive and thrived, earning a six figure income based 100% on commission. Shortly after moving back to Maine, 12 years ago, she gave up that job and began her journey to help others. The question she asked herself was, “why is this still happening?” Catherine believes it stems from the fact that most people in Maine simply do not know what is happening. So how do we reach the 1.3 million people of Maine? How can we most effectively educate our community? She decided to start speaking everywhere she could. Getting high schools to do the same seemed like an amazing opportunity to teach even more people. Catherine hopes to ignite a fire within Maine by using our own high schools and their stories, filming stories from Maine residents, and producing public service announcements. 

We must bring the issue of sexual abuse out of the shadows of taboo and into the light of day so we can educate, heal, and protect our children. Catherine has presented to over 2,000 people in the last year and over 500 in the last months alone. After finding her freedom from suffering, Catherine felt a calling to show others how she did it. Volunteering at Longcreek Youth Development Center, she quickly realized that the sexual abuse and sex trafficking that claimed her life 35 years ago childhood was unbelievably still going on in Maine today. Following this experience, and with the unwavering support of her family, friends and husband, Catherine was inspired to create Stop Trafficking ME. 





Stop Trafficking ME is partnering with the talented students at Deering High School, under the brilliant direction of Kathleen Harris. The students will write, produce and perform an original production called “It Could Happen To You.” The full story of abuse and prevention is too large to tell in one night, we propose to make this the first of many events to come. The production will show that childhood sexual assault is often the genesis for many other behaviors later in life such as teen suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, violent actions, school drop outs, and incarceration. Our goal is to professionally film the production and distribute it to all the high schools in Maine. Our hope is to encourage other high schools, through this pilot program, to be able to create their own productions. Stop Trafficking ME will use this production to serve as a model for training students to be a resource and support for their peers, other schools, and their community about how to recognize the signs to prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking of children/ teens in Maine. 

Every dollar raised will go directly to filming and distributing this production. Armed with an iPhone and a purpose, Catherine has already filmed multiple survivors stories in Maine. The video equipment will be used to professionally film even more of these stories. Please help Catherine and Stop Trafficking ME gain the tools they need to further spread their message of hope, prevention, and education. 

Thank you in advance for your donation. We will keep you updated on the purchase of cameras, sound, and lighting equipment so you know exactly where your money is going. We are so grateful for your support!