Meet Sheri Lopez: A Survivor, and A Powerful Voice for Change.

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Sheri Lopez – Human Trafficking Survivor

 

Sheri Lopez is a nationally recognized survivor-leader, keynote speaker, author, and educator specializing in grooming prevention before trafficking occurs and survivor-informed policy reform for children and vulnerable adults. At the age of 15, Sheri was groomed by her high school boyfriend’s father and trafficked for seven years. For three of those years, she was living at home while the exploitation continued—unseen and undisclosed. Like many victims, she had no language to explain what was happening to her, and those around her lacked the framework to recognize the warning signs.

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It took Sheri well over 25 years to grasp what happened to her, process the trauma and even more years to find her voice and determination to bring awareness to the grooming process, but that is where we have a chance to stop others from living the horrors she did.

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She is the Founder and Executive Director of Pearl at the Mailbox, a survivor-led nonprofit organization dedicated to prevention, education, advocacy, regulation, and legislation to protect children and vulnerable adults and strengthen community awareness. The organization is named in honor of a brave woman who noticed something was wrong, paid attention to her surroundings, and began meeting Sheri at the apartment mailbox at which she was last held. That simple, consistent act of awareness ultimately became Sheri’s way out of trafficking—proving that prevention often begins with ordinary people choosing to notice.

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Sheri not only trains audiences on what grooming with the intent to exploit is, but also openly shares her three-month grooming process, bringing clarity and reality to a subject many people misunderstand. By explaining how trust was built, boundaries were tested, and manipulation unfolded long before trafficking began, Sheri helps audiences recognize grooming as a deliberate, calculated process—not an isolated event.

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Through Pearl at the Mailbox, Sheri has educated hundreds of parents, educators, advocates, law enforcement professionals, and community leaders on how grooming begins long before trafficking—and why no zip code is immune for children and vulnerable adults alike.

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Sheri is the author of four books spanning memoirs, education, and prevention. Pearl at the Mailbox is a memoir detailing her experience of being groomed and exploited. From Victim to Voice is an educational guide dedicated to grooming awareness and actionable prevention steps for parents, educators, and professionals working with children and vulnerable adults. Smart, Safe, and Strong is a children’s book created to help parents begin age-appropriate conversations about body boundaries and personal safety. Her most recent book, 6,000, offers a raw and unfiltered look into her memories of being trafficked, exposing the disturbing and often bizarre realities victims endure—stories rarely told but deeply necessary.

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Sheri has testified before the U.S. Congressional Judiciary Committee in Washington DC, advised state and federal lawmakers, a lived expert witness, invited to the White House to see bills she worked on signed into law, and contributed to survivor-informed legislation focused on grooming prevention, accountability, and protections for children and vulnerable adults. She is frequently invited to speak at conferences, professional trainings, and awareness events for her ability to translate lived experience into clear, practical education that helps professionals recognize what is often missed until it’s too late. Grooming prevention is not spoken about enough.

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Known for her powerful yet accessible delivery, Sheri combines survivor experience, behavioral insight, and prevention-focused education that leaves audiences more aware, more equipped, and better prepared to protect children and vulnerable adults. Her message is clear: prevention starts with understanding grooming—and silence thrives where language is absent.

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Booking Sheri Lopez

Sheri Lopez is available for keynotes, conferences, professional trainings, panels, and community events focused on grooming prevention and human trafficking awareness for children and vulnerable adults. Her survivor-led presentations combine lived experience, clear education, and practical prevention strategies that resonate with diverse audiences. To book Sheri Lopez or inquire about speaking engagements, training formats, or customized sessions.​

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​​Please complete the form below or contact Sheri directly at sheri@pearlatthemailbox.org