HOUGHTON — Thirty years after being human trafficked in Upper Peninsula towns, author Leslie King is returning to share her story at the Bonfire at the Continental Firehouse in Houghton on Thursday, Nov. 2. Her talk will address how she was sex-trafficked as a teen in the U.P.

King is the founder of Sacred Beginnings, the first survivor-led organization licensed by the state of Michigan dedicated to supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Sacred Beginnings takes in former prostituted individuals, supporting them in addiction counseling, job training and community building. She is an activist for trafficked and jailed women across the country, including high-profile cases of women who’ve killed their abusers in self-defense.

Stephanie Graef, of the Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force, said King’s talk at the Bonfire is a charity event to raise funds for the very first Sex Trafficking Transitional program in the Upper Peninsula. The Sacred Beginnings facility will be the first of its kind to serve as a safe haven that is specifically dedicated to the help and healing of victims of human trafficking in Northern Michigan.

Started in 2005, Sacred Beginnings today is a sought-after organization for partnering with government agencies, legislators, law enforcement and health care professionals.

King is the author of the nationally acclaimed book, “When Angels Fight: My Story of Escaping Sex Trafficking and Leading a Revolt Against the Darkness,” in which she shares her story of how she was forced into the human trafficking trade when she just 15 years old.

King ran away from her Grand Rapids home to escape the sexual abuse and domestic violence of her mother’s boyfriend. She sought safety and protection from a man in his 30s in her hometown. Initially, he was kind to her, but started taking her to bars where he introduced her to alcohol and drugs before forcing her into prostitution when she was just 15 years old. He then brought her to U.P. areas such as Escanaba, Sault Ste. Marie and Houghton, where she was sold against her will.

King’s U.P. speaking tour is titled Three Nights of Hope.

King will be at the Northern Center Ballrooms at NMU, on Nov. 1. On Nov. 2, she will speak at the Bonfire, in Houghton; Nov. 3’s engagement is in Sault Ste. Marie.

To register for the event, visit https://www.upht123.org/events.