AUSTIN, Texas - A local organization broke ground Tuesday on a new therapeutic ranch for young victims of sex trafficking.
After three years of planning, officials helped break ground on the 50 acre ranch in North Austin.
The Refuge Ranch is for girls aged 11 through 17 who have been rescued from sex trafficking.
Workers will help the girls get back on their feet and rebuild their lives.
Officials say there's been a lack of places for these girls to go to in the state of Texas.
"I don't think a lot of people really think it's going on, but it is. And it's really a complicated and complex issue that we have to tackle as an entire community," said Brooke Crowder, founder and executive director of The Refuge.
The Refuge hopes to open the facility in the summer of 2017.
You can find out more at http://therefugeaustin.org/.