101: Trafficked as a Child by His Mother, Now He Saves Other Children

Sonny Von Cleveland shares his story of being trafficked by his mother from the time he was three until he was twelve, surviving years of abuse, and growing up without the intervention or support he needed. As a child, getting into trouble became an unexpected form of safety, eventually leading him into the juvenile justice system and then prison at sixteen, where he was SAed during his first week. In the years that followed, Sonny became involved in gangs and violence, returned to prison with fifteen additional felonies, and eventually found himself facing years in solitary confinement.

It was there that an unlikely friendship with a man in the cell across from him forced Sonny to confront the anger, trauma, and harm that had shaped so much of his life. Through that relationship, Sonny began taking responsibility for the pain he had caused while finding a way to give purpose to the pain he had survived. After spending a total of eighteen years incarcerated, he rebuilt his life through music, storytelling, advocacy, and a commitment to helping others. Today, Sonny works in the fight against child trafficking and exploitation, using both his lived experience and his voice to educate families, support survivors, and help protect the children he says deserve the intervention he never had.

Sonny’s Links:

https://www.instagram.com/sonnyvonclevelandofficial

https://www.tiktok.com/@sonnyvoncleveland

https://www.youtube.com/@sonnyvonclevelandofficial

https://www.sonnyvoncleveland.com

https://linktr.ee/sonnyvonclevelandofficial

Sonny’s Book - Hey White Boy: Conversations of Redemption

https://a.co/d/0iVuFHs6

Our Rescue

https://ourrescue.org