Today I discovered The Guardian Group, a nonprofit that works in the fight against sex trafficking. Their mission caught my attention because they focus on something that seems strangely overlooked: identification. Many organizations pour into training or aftercare programs—both noble and vital. But The Guardian Group noticed that before a victim can receive care, someone has to actually find them. That gap is where they step in.

Their project is called 1591, named after U.S. Code Title 18, Section 1591—the federal law against sex trafficking of children by force, fraud, or coercion. The name itself carries a weight, almost like a banner lifted straight from the law books into the real-world battlefield.

What’s fascinating is how they fight this battle. They mobilize a community of volunteers in Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). That phrase sounded intimidating at first, but it simply means searching publicly available information online—piecing together digital clues to locate trafficking victims. These volunteers don’t operate in secrecy or outside the law. Instead, they submit findings through Guardian Group’s secure platform, which then passes actionable leads to law enforcement. In other words, it’s like a massive civilian detective network where ordinary people become part of the rescue chain.

To join, one must complete an online training and assessment course. Only after passing are you granted access to the 1591 platform. From there, the work begins. And here’s where things get interesting: the program uses a leaderboard. Each vetted, corroborated lead earns points. You can track your progress, see the impact of your individual effort, and watch the collective community rise together as more victims are identified.

I find this both strange and inspiring. Strange, because gamification—points and rankings—feels more at home in video games than in missions of life and death. But inspiring, because it transforms the overwhelming darkness of trafficking into something tangible. Ordinary people can do something measurable, something real.

In Scripture, Jesus speaks about leaving the ninety-nine sheep to go after the one who is lost (Luke 15). That parable echoes in my mind as I think of these digital shepherds combing through the internet, determined to help law enforcement find even one who is trapped. The work is modern, technological, even gamified—but the heartbeat is ancient: rescue, redemption, pursuit of the lost.

How it works graphic: