Tebow got emotional while urging Americans to confront child sexual abuse, revealing that exploitation is not just a foreign crisis but a widespread problem occurring within the United States, often at the hands of family members.
He said during a recent appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, “This is happening in our backyard. It’s overwhelming when you think how much is done by families, by friends, by those in the trusted circle.”
Calling the trafficking and exploitation of children “one of the worst evils in the world,” Tebow said that while criminal gangs are often blamed, the majority of abuse happens closer to home.
He said, “It’s off the charts of what is being done in the families. One of the most heartbreaking things is that the No. 1 offender is biological fathers.”
Tebow said most perpetrators are “middle-aged, Caucasian men, many … of them college graduates with good jobs.”
Founded in 2010, the Tim Tebow Foundation aims to bring “Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.” The foundation addresses child sex trafficking, medical care for vulnerable populations and support for individuals with special needs.
Tebow and Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, discussed the foundation’s involvement in Operation Renewed Hope an effort to identify children in a database containing more than 50,000 images of abuse.