American country artist John Rich has released a new song calling on the world to address the horrors of child exploitation.
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of sexual abuse.
Nearly 2% of children ages 12-17 are victims of rape or sexual assault. It is estimated that 10% of adults experience a form of abuse during their childhood.
In a yearly period in the U.S., 16% of kids ages 14-17 are subjected to sexual abuse. In their lifetimes, almost 30% of kids between such ages are subjected to abuse.
As NCVC reported, kids are highly susceptible to exploitation between the ages of 7 and 13.
Rich’s song aims at spreading awareness about the catastrophes that many children face.
“There’s not enough law enforcement in the world to combat the level of problem that we’re facing in this country with child predators and traffickers. This is a song written from the parents’ perspective. I’m actually talking directly to the predator in the song, like if you think you want to come get my kid, you’re going to have to deal with me and that’s not going to go well for you,” the country star told Just the News.
Rich’s song was made in partnership with an awareness effort backed by the Department of Homeland Security, serving as a call for parents to take action against child exploitation.
As Just the News indicated, the song uses children as actors to resemble trafficking scenarios, with lines saying, “Better give your soul to Jesus while I get my gun.”
In 2024, DHS documented saving or identifying nearly 1,500 child victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse. The department carried out over 4,000 arrests that year.
Since President Donald Trump took office, DHS has been working overtime to deter and reduce illegal immigration in the U.S., with ICE carrying out mass deportations across the country. Much of that effort has centered on combating human trafficking tied to illegal border crossings.
Rich’s song serves as a reminder that parents across the country must oversee their children to ensure they are protected from vicious people online.
The country star’s music comes months after he was given the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment. Rich also won President Donald Trump’s 2011 season of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” where he claimed $250,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
In May, the president signed the Take It Down Act alongside First Lady Melania Trump, protecting children from digital exploitation.
