More than 45 million online images of childhood sexual abuse were reported by tech companies in 2019, more than double the reports the previous year, and up from 3,000 a decade before, the New York Times wrote in 2019.
Pornography is a major driver of childhood sexual abuse, according to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), adversely impacting all within its path.
Learn about the various faces of childhood sexual abuse and how you can join other Christians in its prevention at “Safeguarding the Next Generation,” a discussion Monday, June 9, at 2 p.m. at the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting.
‘Tools to address abuse’
Jeff Dalrymple, director of Abuse Prevention & Response with the SBC Executive Committee, will host the event, joined by a diverse panel of experts.
“With this event and the panel conversation, we hope to equip attendees with tools to address abuse or exploitation wherever they or their children may encounter it,” Dalrymple told Baptist Press. “It is our stewardship responsibility to work proactively to safeguard our churches and to respond well to abuse, but there are other dangers through which children are exposed to the wickedness of abuse.
“With human trafficking and online exploitation running rampant in our world today, our panel will discuss how Christians, and specifically Southern Baptists, can be a force for good in these areas. This means anyone — pastors, parents, caregivers, camp directors, school administrators and every Christian — has something to glean from this conversation.”
Protect the vulnerable
One More Child, a Florida Baptist family services organization that also fights child trafficking, is sponsoring the event and providing critical expertise, spearheaded by Jodi Domangue, One More Child’s acting chief operating officer and vice president of program operations and public policy.
“People should attend Safeguarding the Next Generation because the Lord commands us to protect the vulnerable just as He laid out in Isaiah 1:17. The body of Christ is not called to merely be informed about the dangers facing our children today;” Domangue said, “we are the solution for how to best safeguard our children from the evil that is out to destroy them.”
Every child is at risk, Domangue said.
“We used to feel peace knowing our children were safe in our homes, youth groups, Christian schools, and church families,” she said. “Now a child does not even have to leave their bedroom to become a victim of exploitation. The Church must be informed about the specific evils facing our children today and answer the call to action in protecting them.”
Joining Dalrymple as panelists will be Olivia Littleton, One More Child’s anti-trafficking team supervisor; Lynne Little, an educator and co-author of the “Safeguards” curriculum on abuse prevention and internet safety; and Matt Espenshade, executive pastor of The Journey Church in Lebanon, Tennessee, and a former FBI special agent. Courtney Reissig, an author, wife and mother of four sons, will moderate the panel.
“We’ve assembled a panel of professionals with a wide range of areas of expertise including the Christian school context, law enforcement, survivor advocacy and child protection,” Dalrymple said. “With this breadth of knowledge represented, we are looking forward to a conversation that considers these pressing issues from many vantage points, rooted deeply in our biblical worldview.”
Safeguarding the Next Generation is a ticketed event in Trinity Ballroom of the downtown Dallas Omni Hotel. Purchase tickets at $10 in advance on subsplash, or $15 at the door.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Diana Chandler and originally published by Baptist Press.
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