The ‘It’s Time to Talk’ event hosted by the Invictus Project, a nonprofit that fights child sexual exploitation, began with a prayer from Pastor Josh Gresham at Trailhead Church in Graham on Jan. 20. 

Ray Dawson, founder of the Invictus Project, addressed attendees and said the event would cover heavy topics. 

“You need to hear because this is the truth,” Dawson said to the crowd. “This is what our children are up against.”

Dawson said opportunities for the public to hear directly from professionals working in child exploitation investigations are rare.

“You're getting to get insight into exactly what our investigators are seeing, and in turn, being able to articulate that to you as parents, so you know exactly what this threat looks like for your family and your children,” Dawson said. “It's important that it's going to take every single one of us to make a difference in this fight.”

Whitney Miller, vice president of the Invictus Project, said the Invictus Task Force includes the Randolph, Davidson, Alamance and Forsyth County sheriff's offices, along with Homeland Security and the State Bureau of Investigations. 

The Invictus Project works alongside the task force to help ensure law enforcement agencies have the funding and tools needed to protect children, according to Miller.

Miller told attendees that the small turnout of the event, nearly 20 people, reflected how few people understand the fight against child exploitation.

“By the time you leave here tonight, I assure you, you'll be well informed and prepared to make adjustments in your own home and in the homes of people that you care about that have children and are bad and you just don't even realize it,” Miller said to the crowd. 

She said her role involves translating law enforcement terminology into language the public can understand. 

“We are going to focus on the big fight at hand, because I'm telling you, it's scarier than what you think,” Miller said. “It's scarier than you can imagine.”

Alamance County Commissioner Pamela Thompson, who helped plan the event, said she had wanted the project to come speak to the Alamance County community for some time. When Miller reached out, they decided to host the event at Trailhead Church. 

“They just don't Wednesday and Sunday,” Thompson said in an interview with Elon News Network. “They are about the people that are in this county, whether they go to the church or not. And what better people to get awareness out there than a bunch of Christians?”

Thompson said Invictus works behind the screen to protect children from sex crimes, kidnapping and exploitation. 

In November 2025, 23 people were arrested in Alamance County on charges relating to crimes against children. Thompson said it is important that parents know the risks. 

“You don't have to knock on the door anymore,” Thompson said. “It comes through the screen when your kid's alone with their technology device.”

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson also spoke at the event. In an interview with Elon News Network, Johnson emphasized the importance of parents monitoring their childrens’ technology.

“People do not realize the number of these perverts that we have on the streets right now,” Johnson said. “They can be businessmen, they can be a lawyer, they can even be a police officer, but they prey upon our most vulnerable group of kids.”

According to the Human Trafficking Commission, North Carolina consistently ranks within the top 10 states for human trafficking. Johnson said this is largely because of North Carolina’s interstates. 

“We have Wilmington, where I've often thought when talking about human trafficking, you can take a little girl off the streets, put her on a boat, send her over to another country or prostitute her out,” Johnson said. “Whatever it is, we should not have to worry about that in America.”

The event also featured a panel of four individuals, such as a Homeland Security special agent, the executive director of CrossRoads Sexual Response and Resource Center, a victim of child exploitation and Miller.

Johnson said law enforcement remains committed to pursuing anyone who intends to harm children.