A human trafficking survivor has broken her silence and shared in an exclusive NY1 interview the horrors of being forced into prostitution, and how she now works to prevent other women from being similarly victimized.

Sheila White participated in a panel presentation at the Family Justice Center of Queens on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old told her Kew Gardens audience that she was living in a group home when she met a pimp who abused her and forced her into becoming a prostitute at the age of 15.

"The best way for people to help is to become aware about this issue and reach out," said White. "And if you see someone that's affected by this, you know, be supportive and don't judge. Because if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."

"I think all too often, it can just go under the radar," said Yolanda Jimenez, the commissioner of the Office to Combat Domestic Violence. "You know New Yorkers, they go about their daily lives, everybody's busy, nothing ever seems out of the ordinary to us, you know? So we're asking people to basically look beneath the surface."

White says she was rescued by the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS), an organization designed to help victims of sexual exploitation.

She now works for GEMS as an outreach worker.