Submitted photo Dr. Teresa Merriweather, who grew up in Elyria, but now lives locally, was invited to The White House last year on behalf of her agency, Trafficked Lives Matter Hand-N-Hand.

Dr. Teresa Merriweather wishes she had recognized the signs sooner, and had been able to tell the difference between being preyed upon and being prayed upon.

As an adult survivor of human sex trafficking, Merriweather said she was blinded when an older man who held a prominent position at her church took an interest in her.

Merriweather, 44, who was raised in Elyria but now lives in Mahoning County, shares her story as a sex trafficking survivor as often as she can and says if she wasn’t able to spot the red flags, it’s likely many others cannot either.

Her mission is to change that by sharing her story far and wide.

Her background in criminal justice and law enforcement wasn’t enough — she fell prey to a man named “Bob,” whom she said groomed her, showering her with gifts and cash.

They were in a relationship — or so she thought — and they eventually moved in together and got engaged.

She moved to Kentucky with the man, who was nearly twice her age, and he began drugging her by slipping “roofies” and other drugs into her drinks to cause sedation, and in some cases, incapacitation.

Within 15 months of meeting him, Merriweather, who was 31 at the time, said she was being trafficked to men, but she lost track of the exact total. She said she struggles with guilt and shame, wondering how this could have happened to her.

“I got ‘got’,” she said.

Merriweather came from a two-parent home, had good grades and didn’t fit the typical profile of someone vulnerable to exploitation.

“I didn’t have a lack of resources,” she said, but added that, looking back, she realizes she was suffering from an emotional and social void that wasn’t fulfilled at home.

The 1999 Elyria High School graduate, who has a twin sister and younger sister, spent three years at Youngstown State University before transferring to Cleveland State University when her dad was diagnosed with lymphoma.

In 2005, she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in criminology.

Merriweather went on to earn a master’s degree in the administration of justice and security from the University of Phoenix and was certified as a crime scene technician by Kaplan University.

She also has an honorary doctorate from Resurrection Apostolic International Network University (RAIN), a movement led by pastors, churches, ministries and missionaries.

In 2010, she moved to North Carolina, where she worked in law enforcement, but a serious car accident while visiting family in Elyria kept her in Ohio.

She met “Bob” shortly after, and at first, she said, he helped her get back on her feet. Within 15 months, he was drugging and trafficking her.

That lasted eight months, she said, but a fight one day at church sent her to a neighbor’s house, where she called her mom and planned her getaway.

Though she tried to involve police, Merriweather said, they didn’t take her seriously and no charges were filed.

She went through a period of withdrawal from the drugs and said she still suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but she sees a therapist, which she said has been beneficial.

Merriweather moved back to the area two years ago and said she looks forward to working with Youngstown mayor-elect Derrick McDowell to bring her message and expertise to more people.

She is considered a human trafficking content and subject matter expert, and runs her own agency, Trafficked Lives Matter Hand-N-Hand.

She has lectured and trained across the country and was invited last year, on behalf of her agency, to visit The White House for a holiday event.

What she wants people to know is that trafficking can happen at any age. The oldest victim she’s worked with was in her 60s. She said men also are targets.

The most common reasons people are trafficked are for sex, forced labor and debt bondage, she said, adding that familial trafficking happens when someone forces a family member into the lifestyle to pay for drugs or get quick money.

Her training is centered on teaching people how to recognize victims and what needs to be done to support their healing.

She frequently works with children’s services employees, adoptive and foster care parents, social workers, law enforcement, colleges, churches, medical professionals and real estate agents.

Ohio is what Merriweather calls a “source state,” meaning the turnpike and many interstate highways provide a quick escape for traffickers looking to relocate victims.

“Traffickers are roaches,” she said, explaining that a lack of awareness and education helps the trade flourish.

Michelle Brewer, who grew up in Tuscarawas County, has sat beside Merriweather on panels to highlight their experiences.

Brewer said she was sex trafficked to Las Vegas and was rescued, landing in Youngstown, where she received help through the Donofrio House and YWCA’s satellite housing program.

“I escaped the life,” she said, explaining that led to her introduction to Merriweather. “I think she’s amazing … I call her ‘The General.'”

Merriweather stays busy, serving on the Ohio Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission, advisory boards across the country and leading a nonprofit in Liberia to help trafficking victims there.

She is also co-chair of Teleios, an Ohio nonprofit that’s getting ready to open its first safe house and long-term residential facility for male trafficking survivors.

Teleios founder Kwami Adoboe-Herrera, of Cleveland, came to the U.S. at 7 years old and was trafficked by an uncle for labor in Michigan, where he lived for six years before being rescued.

He’s worked with Merriweather on his board, calling her a “colleague,” a “sister” and good friend.

“She knows her stuff,” he said. “She’s an expert in her field.”

Merriweather also works closely with Wasilwa Mwonyonyi, workforce manager for the National Center for Urban Solutions.

He grew up in Akron, but lives in the Youngstown area and said he’s worked with Merriweather in the mental health space and on a committee for the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

He called her “a great trainer” who uses her “lived experience” to tailor her message to the industries she presents to.

“She really cares about people,” he said. “This is not just her passion, it’s her purpose.”

In her spare time, Merriweather likes to read, spend time with her boyfriend and watch true crime shows.

“I get up every day on purpose,” she said, adding her goal is to reach as many people as possible. “I think, ‘Who can I help today?'”

She said she plans to make this her life’s work.

“This is my ‘thank you’ to God for saving my life.”