Our mission is to restore the lives of sexually exploited children and prevent child victimization through increased awareness, advocacy and collaboration in our communities. We see a society where children are valued, protected and their human rights are defended.

What is our purpose?

Our purpose is to rescue San Diego’s children from human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Where is the ACTION Network located?

We are on-site partners at the San Diego Family Justice Center: 707 Broadway, Suite 700 San Diego, CA 92101 Office: (619) 533-3506 Fax: (619) 533-6049  

What is the history behind the ACTION Network?

In late 2005, a fifteen-year-old African American girl came to a local teen shelter terrified by a local street gang. She reported that gang members lured her into a home in San Diego where they laid out assault rifles and handguns on a kitchen table. They threatened to kill her grandmother and little sister if she refused to leave with them to be prostituted in Las Vegas. 

This tragic case prompted the community of San Diego to form an alliance to address the prostitution of children. No child should have to worry about selling his/her body to keep their loved ones alive. And no society should ever allow itself to be held hostage by those that seek to harm its children. There is power in community and that is a fundamental reason why San Diego united under one voice to form a multidisciplinary coalition to fight these egregious crimes committed against the most vulnerable. 

On October 25^th, 2005, organizations like San Diego Youth & Community Services, San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego Juvenile Court, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Alliant International University, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, National City Police Department, San Diego Police Department, FBI, IRS, ICE, UPAC, San Diego Family Justice Center, Youth Restoration Alliance, Center for Community Solution’s Rape Crisis Center, Sheriff’s Department, Chula Vista Police Department, Sharp Hospital, Heartland Human Relations, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego Public Defenders Office, Organizational Improvement Systems, Commission on Children Youth & families, Community Policing Consultants, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and many others came together to recognize that there was a significant child exploitation problem in San Diego.

During the same time the Girls Issues Group (GIG) and SANDAG conducted a survey on teen prostitution where up to 93% of professionals that work with children reported that teen prostitution was a serious problem in San Diego. On December 1st, 2005, these two groups conducted a community meeting to release the results of their survey. Since GIG was sun setting after their last meeting, they publicly “passed on the torch” to a group of concerned organizations.    

As a result, the ACTION Network was founded on February 15, 2006 when approximately 40 members of the community came together and ratified the ACTION Network Charter. We recognized that the prostitution of teens was a severe problem and that additional resources were needed in San Diego to combat domestic trafficking in children.

We also acknowledged that while resources existed in San Diego through federal funding for victims of international trafficking, there was no comprehensive treatment program for U.S.-born children who were also victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Lastly, we recognized the prevalence of trafficking “circuits” wherein children are transported from San Diego to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and other major cities in the western region. Thus, we agreed to work closely with other counties, states and jurisdictions in order to help authorities interdict inter-state and intra-state child trafficking crimes.  

How is the ACTION Network structured?

Today the ACTION Network is a multidisciplinary alliance of 50 agencies whose purpose is to rescue Sa

ADVISORY BOARD

Haonorable Bonnie M. Dumanis

District Attorney

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

Honorable Susan D. Huguenor

San Diego County Presiding Juvenile Judge

Superior Court of California

Chief Adolfo Gonzales

National City Police Department

Chief Rick Emerson

Chula Vista Police Department

President

San Diego Chiefs’ & Sheriff’s Association

Casey Gwinn, JD

President & CEO

National Family Justice Center Alliance

Chief William M. Lansdowne

San Diego Police Department

Geoffrey M. Cox, PhD

President

Alliant International University

Walter Philips, LCSW

Executive Director & CEO

San Diego Youth & Community Services

Chief Vincent J. Iaria, M.A.

San Diego County Probation Department

  ACTION NETWORK CHARTER MEMBERS

1.    San Diego County Juvenile Court, Superior Court of California

2.    San Diego Family Justice Center  

3.    KFMB San Diego News Channel 8   

4.    United States Attorney's Office, Southern California Civil Rights Division   

5.    San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Special Operations, Sex Crimes,

       Juvenile Division, Victim Assistance Program   

6.    San Diego City Attorney's Office, Neighborhood Prosecution Unit

7.    San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital

8.    San Diego Chadwick Counseling Centers 

9.    San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

10.  National City Police Department

11.  Center for Community Solutions, Rape Crisis Center (CCS) 

12.  U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

13.  U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigations

14.  U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)

15.  Alliant International University, Institute for Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT)

16.  San Diego Youth & Community Services (SDYCS), Teen Options, the Bridge,
Storefront Teen Shelter, Teen Choices, East County Services, NFL YET Center, Elevate Program, Counseling Cove      

17.  San Diego Police Department, Vice Unit, Juvenile Services

18.  Chula Vista Police Department

19.  San Diego County Commission on Children Youth & Families  

20.  San Diego County Department of Probation, Sex Offender Program, Juvenile Unit

21.  U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection

22.  Sharp Memorial Hospital

23.  SDSU Institute for Public Health

24.  San Diego Girls Alliance

25.  UCSD Medical Center   

26.  San Diego County Child Welfare Services 

27.  Youth Restoration Alliance (YRA)

28.  San Diego County Office of Education, Safe Schools Unit

29.  SAY San Diego, Alcohol & Drug Treatment

30.  Center for Social Advocacy (formerly Heartland Human Relations)

31.  Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC)

32.  Organizational Improvement Systems (OIS)

33.  The Candle Light Foundation

34.  Planned Parenthood

35.  Youth, Education, Sports (YES)  

36.  North Park Ministry

37.  San Diego County Mental Health Systems

38.  Community Policing Consultants (CPC)

49.  Heather Steele, Volunteer Consultant to the SDPD, ICAC

40.  Kim Champion

41.  Jamie Morse, MPH

42.  Dr. Wanjiru Golly

43.  Lisa Auguello 

44.  The Salvation Army

45.  KUSI Channel 9

46.  The Rock Church

47.  San Diego State University, School of Counseling Psychology

48.  South Bay Community Services

49.  San Diego County Public Defender’s Office

50.  Saint Paul’s Cathedral        

Points of Contact:  

Manolo Guillen Chairman
ACTION Network
707 Broadway, Suite 700
San Diego, CA 92101

Office:   (619) 533-3506 
Fax:       (619) 533-6049
Cell:      (619) 957-0791 
Email:   mguillen@sdycs.org

Dawn Alley, PhD
Director of Public Policy & Community Relations   
Alliant International University
Center for Forensic Studies
Email:      daalley@alliant.edu