Instead, Cason and another woman were nearly the victims of a scam that they believe was part of international human sex trafficking.
Cason tells her story at xojane.com, and the entire column is both fascinating and frightening. Cason explains:
"A man claiming to be a talent acquisition agent booking correspondents to cover the Sochi Olympics approached me via my website back in September...Before even meeting with him about it, I did my research. He had a website displaying his credentials and his Twitter validated his connection with the industry, including interactions with celebrities and other professionals, and someone I worked with even validated his work history...After going through a lengthy application process of sending reel upon reel of my work and jumping through hoops to audition, I was told I was chosen by a production company in LA who works with the network to be their live event emcee/beat reporter, along with another credible sportscaster in the Charlotte area...I again did my research and it all checked out."
Cason goes on to say that she spent four months going through the application process and was then asked to recruit a second woman. When that person did not have to go through the same application process, Cason became suspicious.
Cason was within days of leaving for Sochi when she found out the production company the man had cited had no idea who he was.
After speaking with the FBI, lawyers, and experts, Cason now believes she was nearly the victim of human sex trafficking. One expert in human trafficking told Cason that "the Olympics is a huge draw for trafficking."
While Cason's experience is frightening, maybe the scariest part is realizing that there may be others out there that did get on planes heading to Sochi and won't come back.