House Passes 5 Bills To Combat Human Trafficking

The House on Tuesday passed five bills to boost law enforcement efforts against human trafficking.

Measures to combat human trafficking were already listed as part of the House's spring agenda, but they gained momentum amid reports of the abduction of Nigerian girls by extremist group Boko Haram.

Lawmakers said the legislation would help combat human trafficking both abroad and domestically.  

"While this problem may seem thousands of miles away, this horror is inflicted on millions of families every year, including here in the United States," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

The human trafficking industry makes about $32 billion annually, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

• H.R. 3530, which passed 409-0, would reauthorize a grant program for state and local governments to train law enforcement, prosecute human traffickers and provide support to victims. The bill would further allow state and local human trafficking task forces to obtain wiretap warrants to investigate human trafficking crimes. Additionally, it would increase penalties for traffickers who fail to file tax returns. Sex trafficking victims would be allowed to collect up to 15 percent of the fines levied against their abusers.  "Sex trafficking of minor children happens all over the world," said bill sponsor Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas)."In the United States, there's not much help for minor sex trafficked victims."  "No children should be for sale in America, and this bill will help give law enforcement the tools to win convictions," said bill co-sponsor Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).

• H.R. 3610, passed by voice-vote and would require states to establish laws to discourage prosecuting against minors involved in sex trafficking, instead referring them to child protective services.  Members of both parties said that the victims of sex trafficking — especially minors — should not be treated as criminals.  "There's no such thing as a child prostitute. Children cannot consent to sex," Poe said.

• H.R. 4225, passed 392-19, would make it a federal crime to knowingly sell advertising that offers commercial sex exploitation of trafficking victims.  "There is well established precedent for Congress to criminalize the advertising of illegal goods or services," Wagner said. "Surely the advertisement offering sex with children should also be subject to the same restrictions."  "It's common sense that if they're advertising the selling of a young child, it's sex trafficking," Maloney said. "This is something we can do that will literally save lives."  Free-speech groups including the American Civil Liberties Union raised concerns that the bill would unintentionally impose limitations on companies with vague definitions, however.

• H.R. 4058, passed by voice-vote, would require states to establish policies to prevent sex trafficking of minors in foster care. Members said that foster children were particularly at risk to become victims of sex trafficking, and needed extra support.  "In order to help these youth from becoming victims, we need better information," Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) said. 

• H.R. 4573, advance notice would be required of intended travel by registered American sex offenders to other countries. It would also allow the secretary of State to restrict travel of people convicted of sex crimes. The bill would further call on the president to negotiate reciprocal agreements with other countries.  "No single law will put an end to sex tourism or child sex trafficking, but every step we take strengthens our ability to prevent these crimes," Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said.

Read more: (Source)

Governor Quinn Signs Bill 1872 Ending Felony Prostitution In Illinois!

Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn signed the legislation to end felony prostitution, which goes into effect immediately.  This is certainly good news!         "The tremendous support we received for this bill marks an important shift in our state's response to prostituted people. Lawmakers from both parties recognized that the current approach was not working and that people in prostitution deserve our help and support," said Lynne Johnson, director of policy and advocacy for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation.   Bill 1872 removes prostitution from the class of felony prosecution and makes it a Class A misdemeanor in which a possible sentence is up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500.  Prosecuting felony prostitution can be expensive.  It targets women for harsher punishment yet studies show it does not deter the crime. The signing of this bill sends a clear message that felony prostitution is not the right tool for prosecutors working to end sex trafficking and prostitution.  Punishing those who had been exploited in the sex trade is not the right approach.   “The focus needs to be on rehabilitation,” says State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato   Before the signing of Bill 1872, Illinois was one of only eight states with this harsher and more costly level of sentencing for prostitution, with someone eligible for a felony-level charge sending them to prison after one prior conviction.   The End Demand Illinois campaign, was instrumental in getting this bill passed.  They seek to change how law enforcement deals with prostitution. Advocates say johns, pimps and traffickers should be held more accountable. As you can see from the End Demand graph, arrests for prostitution far out weigh the arrest of those who are purchasing sex.  And this needs to change.

People who buy sex create the demand for the commercial sex trade, but they are rarely arrested. This chart shows the arrests of prostituted people and customers when law enforcement charged the crimes under Illinois’ criminal code. Data collected by Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2012 Someone who has been controlled by a pimp and forced to have sex should be treated as a victim.  They need services to help them rebuild their life.  A felony record only serves to make their healing and rehabilitation even more difficult. It can be harder for them to find good housing and proper employment among other things. I think another good thing about this bill is that it has the potential to encourage victims to work with law enforcement.  Without the threat of a felony on their record, they could be more willing to give information about their pimp and help put him behind bars where he belongs. To view the progress of this bill:  SB 1872

Labor Trafficking: 7-Eleven Human Trafficking Bust Nets 9 Arrests

When I first heard about human trafficking, I thought it was something that happened "over there."  I imagined it as something that only happened in a third world country.  Someplace far from where I lived.  As I began researching, I was shocked to learn that it happens right here in the United States as well.  It is estimated that 100,000- 300,000 children are sexually exploited annually right here in the United States.

 

The majority (roughly 80%) of trafficking that occurs is sex trafficking. But what about labor trafficking?  Roughly 20% of human trafficking is labor.  And it too is happening right here in the United States.  The recent case involving 7-Eleven franchise stores shows that labor trafficking is occurring right in our own backyards. 
 

7-Eleven Human Trafficking Bust Nets 9 Arrests

—By Jonathan Dienst and Greg Cergol, NBC New York

 

Nine owners and managers of more than a dozen 7-Eleven stores on Long Island and in Virginia were charged Monday in a scheme to traffic in workers from Pakistan to work their stores, provide them with identities stolen from U.S. citizens and steal a substantial portion of their wages, prosecutors said.

 The workers were allegedly forced to live in housing provided by the franchise owners and pay them cash rent, in addition to the funds that were skimmed off the top of their paychecks when the store owners received payroll from corporate headquarters, authorities said.

 More than a dozen workers believed to have been brought to the country illegally were taken into immigration custody, though the scheme involved the hirings of at least 50 illegal immigrants since 2000, according to court documents.

 Investigators executed search warrants at about 30 7-Eleven stores across the country as part of the probe, including 10 on Long Island. Suffolk County police, federal Homeland Security investigators, IRS and NYPD officers were seen entering several of the store locations in New York Monday.

 Officials said investigators were checking more than 40 additional 7-Eleven stores across the New York area to see if there were similar abuses.

 The suspects taken into custody Monday face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, harboring illegal immigrants and aggravated identity theft. Federal authorities have also moved to forfeit the franchise rights to the 14 7-Eleven stores owned by the suspects, as well as the five homes where the illegal immigrants were allegedly forced to stay once they were brought to the United States.

 The stolen identities they were equipped with belong to victims from seven states, ranging in age from 8 to 78, and include three dead people and a Coast Guard cadet, officials said.

 In a statement, 7-Eleven said the company is aware of the raids and has been cooperating with federal authorities.

 "In bedroom communities across Long Island and Virginia, the defendants not only systematically employed illegal immigrants, but concealed their crimes by raiding the cradle and the grave to steal the identities of children and even the dead," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement. "These defendants ruthlessly exploited their immigrant employees, stealing their wages and requiring them to live in unregulated boarding houses, in effect creating a modern day plantation system."

Arrested Twice For Human Trafficking

Repeat Offender: 

 

The first man ever to be convicted in Cook County of sex trafficking has been arrested again for the same crime. Myrelle Lockett, 20, is accused of taking an 18-year-old girl from Minnesota to Chicago and planning to force her to work as a prostitute.

Authorities say Lockett first connected with the girl on social media then traveled with his twin brother, Tyrelle, to Minnesota and forced the girl to drive with them back to Chicago. The twins brought the girl to their father’s home on the South Side, but she was able to escape.

Myrelle and Tyrelle Lockett were both convicted of sex trafficking in 2011.

Their father, Nathan Nicholson, faces indictment for promoting prostitution.   Original Article

 

What troubled me most about this case was the fact that they were committing the same crime again in such a short amount of time.  To me this meant that they were not given a proper sentence for the crime they committed the first time.  They were first arrested in 2011 and sentenced to 4 years in prision.  Original Article

Yet, in less that 2 years they are out committing the same horrific crime again.  Forcing girls with violence to have sex with strangers and then keeping the money.  They changed the course of their entire life for these young girls.  I hope justice is served and they are sentence to more than 4 year this time around. 

The other troubling aspect of this case is the continued use of backpage in luring and selling these girls. I first posted about backpage Here. When are we going to hold this online advertising source accountable for their part in facilitating human trafficking?



 

Spotlight on Chicago

This past weekend I had the chance to run in the largest 8k in the US. The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. There were 40,000 plus people participating. And a lot of them were wearing green. So much energy and excitement in the air. Season 14 NBC's Biggest Loser Winner Danni Allen was even there.  I was really hoping to see her, but I'm sure she finished a lot sooner than I did.

 

Chicago. The 2nd city. As I was running (very slowly) through the streets of this great city I was reminded of the 2 faces of Chicago. There's the Chicago we know and love with it's magnificent skyline; great venues and attractions; diverse culture; unending options for arts and entertainment. And then there's the other side of Chicago. The side that goes unseen.

 

For all of it's greatness and diversity Chicago still falls victim to the fastest growing criminal industry worldwide. The underground world of Human Trafficking.

 

• Chicago is considered to be a national hub for Human Trafficking.
• An estimated 25,000 women and girls are victims of commercial sexual exploitation in Chicago every year
• Illinois generates the fifth highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline

 

Why Chicago?

 

• Chicago’s convenient access to airports and major interstates offers strategic entry points for traffickers and their victims.
• Chicago has a large amount of major events and attractions that make it a tourist destination where demand is high, enabling traffickers to exploit vulnerable women and children.
• Foreign national trafficking victims can go unnoticed due to high concentrations of immigrant populations in Illinois.

 

Who's Helping?

There are a number of great organizations in Chicago joining the fight against human trafficking. 

Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation
CAASE is committed to building a global community free from sexual exploitation. We know that all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade, are detrimental to a healthy society and undermine the dignity of all people.

Their End Demand Campaign is working to shift law enforcement's attention to sex traffickers and people who buy sex, while proposing a network of support for survivors of the sex trade. While walking to Navy Pier to pick up my race packet I saw 2 of these garbage receptacles along Ohio Street. "Human Beings are not Disposable" sponsored by the End Demand Campaign.

In January 2013 they published a report Research about Johns which includes material from online message boards where men discuss buying sex in Illinois.

They have also proposed legislation to end felony prostitution in the state of Illinois.

Stop It Now

Since 1992 Stop It Now!^® has been preventing the sexual abuse of children by helping adults, families and communities take actions that keep kids safe - especially before they are ever harmed.

The Salvation Arrmy's Promise program
The Salvation Army developed the PROMISE model (Partnership to Rescue our Minors from Sexual Exploitation) to combat the sexual trafficking of children. In January of 2005, the PROMISE model was launched in Chicago. This model includes the formation of a task force which engages in initiatives that address the four main provisions of PROMISE: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention, and Service Delivery. To insure a holistic approach, specific strategies for implementing these provisions are developed by PROMISE members who represent the social service, education, legal, judicial, healthcare, law enforcement and other sectors of our community.

Traffick Free
Traffick Free exists to elevate justice and communicate the reality of human trafficking in our world. We work to end modern-day slavery by developing awareness campaigns, educating local communities, partnering with organizations that combat trafficking and aid victims, intervening in at-risk situations, promoting enforcement of legislature, and encouraging the prosecution of traffickers.

Hotlines:

Cook County Human Trafficking Response Team Hotline: (312) 718-4449

STOP-IT

Chicago Salvation Army Trafficking Outreach Program and Intervention Techniques Hotline
1-877-606-3158

National Human Trafficking

Resource Center Hotline
1-888-3737-888

The Power of God's Word

Last week I had the opportunity to hear the founder of Eve's Angels share her story and how Eve's Angels  ministers to women in the sex industry.  Anny Donewald came from a normal Midwest middle class family.  While attending college in Michigan she was introduced to an older crowd who always seemed to have a lot of money.  A lot more money than she had access to while being a college student and working as a waitress.  They would hang out and their lifestyle of having money appealed to her.  She called this "the conditioning."  Before long they suggested that she become an exotic dancer where she could earn the kind of money that they did.  She accepted the offer and was quickly sucked into a subculture with rules all its own and no way to get out.  Exotic dancing eventually turned into prostitution. 

Like many young girls in these situations she turned to drugs and alcohol in order to cope.  In her testimony Anny described how she wanted to get out of that life. She attempted several times.  She would get cleaned up from the drugs and alcohol, but was still empty on the inside.  She was conditioned to the amount of money that could be made in the industry and would return to that lifestyle feeling she had no other choice.  She explained that her attempts to get out did not work because she was trying to be her own savior. She needed to recognize Jesus as her savior and let the love of Christ fill that empty feeling inside her.

From Anny's website:
Upon becoming pregnant with her second child and contemplating another abortion, Anny sought spiritual guidance. With nothing to lose and searching for options, she prayed a simple prayer asking for God’s help. That’s when God stepped in with the miraculous: Anny made five different appointments that all, through different circumstances, got cancelled. Anny had a son. A month after his birth, a bible scripture reference popped in her head, “Matthew 4:16″. Having no previous knowledge of the bible, she found it and read, “Those who sat in darkness have seen a great Light.” Less than twenty-four hours later, she received the Revelation that Jesus was her Savior. She was Born Again.

At the age of 30, Anny diligently sought the Lord for her life’s purpose. After a five-day fast, she knew that she would start a ministry that would help other women like herself come to know that Jesus loves them, no matter where they’re at and what they do. This ministry would eventually cater to women who, in times of trouble, feel like they have nowhere else to turn. Eve’s Angels was subsequently founded.

God's word is powerful.  One verse changed her life.  She came out of the darkness of that empty culture and into the light of the hope of Jesus Christ! And now she has devoted her life to showing the love of Jesus to women in the sex industry.

Eve's Angels began with bible studies in Grand Rapids, MI for women leaving the industry.  They now have chapters in Lansing, MI; Orland Park, IL; Detroit, MI and Chicago, IL.  Along with the bible studies they also go into the local strip clubs and minister to the girls.  They deliver care packages that include a Bible, lip gloss, candy and Eve's Angels information.   They are available to prayer with the girls and let them feel love.

I was moved by Anny's story.  I think it resonates because it shows that it can happen to anyone.  Even someone from a normal middle class family.  Education is half the battle.  Young women need to be educated and aware of the lies and the lures that can be used.  We need to clear up the misconception that girls are stripping or prostituting because they choose to.  While that is sometimes the case, often times they are forced into it. Or they may start into it by choice, but are quickly lured into sex trafficking with no way out.

“They told me I was going to have to work at a strip club. They forced me to work six days a week for twelve hours a day. I could not refuse to go to work or I would be beaten. I had to hand over all of my money to [them]. I was often yelled at for not making enough money or had a gun put to my face. Every week I handed over around $3,000 to $4,000 to [them]. I was their slave.”

– 'Katya', a trafficking survivor from Ukraine.

Source:  Polaris Project

 

"Locations, such as truck stops, strip clubs, massage parlors, and cheap motels, are havens for prostitutes forced into sex trafficking. Many massage parlors and strip clubs that engage in sex trafficking will have cramped living quarters where the victims are forced to stay."

 

Source:  Information for Patrol officers FBI website





 

"Nick invited her to visit him in Seattle, and when she saw his chromed-out Mercedes and stately Victorian house, she felt she had wandered into a dream. When her family adamantly told her she could not spend the night with him, he told her to break her ties with them and move into his spare room. He also suggested she could attend college while doing a little work on the side. Why not try dancing in a club?, Nick asked, adding that his former girlfriend did that and made "tons of money doing little work."

Within hours, Nick had taken Brianna to get an entertainer's license, helped her choose her stripper's outfit, and led her to a strip club. There he warned her not to make eye contact with certain men. She later learned this was to keep her from becoming the property of another pimp. During her second night in Seattle, she took the stage at a strip club for the first time, all the while telling herself that even though she was naked, she would have her clothes on in a matter of minutes. She did this for three consecutive nights, working seven hours on the last and pulling in $850—a big change from the $85 she made on her best night ever at the diner.

Sensing her potential, Nick offered to take her on a trip to Arizona and Nevada, where Brianna most likely would have been completely cut off from her friends and family and disappeared into forced prostitution." 

Source: MSN Article

To read more about the misconceptions here are some great articles:

Addressing Misconceptions about Stripping

Addressing Misconceptions about Prostitution

Somebody's Daughter by Julian Sher

Somebody's Daughter is written by investigative journalist Julian Sher.  He dispels the myth that sex trafficking only happens to women and girls from foreign lands and uncovers the truth that the majority of teens caught in the sex trade are American girls.  The book follows the stories of several pimps, their underage victims and the some of the judges, officers and FBI officials that are trying to help. 

This was a very hard book for me to read.  Several times I had to put it down and come back a few days (or weeks) later.  I found myself mad and angry at what I was reading.  Even feeling a bit depressed at the gravity of the situation.  Here are some of the reasons:

Chapter 5:  Taking on Pimp Culture.
It mentions something called the annual Players Ball which is like an Academy Award night for pimps.  On this night, the pimp who has made the biggest pile of money and the biggest name for himself is awarded the Internationl Pimp of the Year award complete with a trophy.  And not just any trophy.  This trophy as described in the book stands almost 4' tall.  Four ornately carved wooden columns are topped with a golden statue of a pimp in a cape wearing a crown and holding a scepter. 

Really?  I could not believe what I was reading.  How are they even allowed to hold an event like this when prostitution is illegal?  It makes me sick.  Why are we glamorizing these people and elevating them to celebrity status?

There are two ideas weaved throughout the book regarding how child prostitution is inaccurately approached. 

1.  Under age girls being prosecuted as criminals rather than having services provided and getting them the help they need.  The legal age for consentual sex varies from state to state, but generally it is between 16 -18.  However, girls of all ages are being prosecuted for prostition even though they are not of legal age to consent to sex. The example given in the book was that a 14 year old girl who is seduced by her high school teacher would be treated as a victim.  But the same 14 year old who was forced by a pimp to have sex and was paid for the act would be arrested and jailed. These are children and they need to be offered social services and protection from their pimp.  Not locked up and then turned back out on the street.

2.  While the young victims are typically prosecuted and treated like criminals, the men who exploit them go largely unpunished.  The book states a statistic from Chicago where 89% of the prostitution arrests in one heavy crime area were the women, while only 10% were of the men buying the sex.

Mad, angry and depressed.  That's how I felt reading this book.  If you find yourself affected the same way by reading this small review of the book I urge to pray about those feelings.  Perhaps God will lead you in some way to get involved or educate others.  These things can't change if people don't know what is happening. 

13 year old girl peddled on Backpage

A brutal pimp was sentenced Tuesday to six to 18 years in prison after apologizing for forcing a
13-year-old runaway into prostitution.

Kendale (Ace) Judge, 21, took a plea deal last month for sex trafficking, admitting he met the girl just over a year ago.

He promised to love her, but instead peddled the teenager on the website backpage.com, prosecutors charged. When she tried to escape, he threw her down a flight of stairs, they added.

"I sincerely apologize," Judge said in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

"My own weakness, my own weak-mindedness and lack of education led to my incarceration," he went on. "I now know I was the cause and this is the effect."

Shanique Davis, 21, who helped the pimp by taking the girl's pictures and watching over her, is set to get five-year probation on Wednesday.

Defense attorney Phillip Katowitz managed to convince the judge to deny the media from taking photos of his client, who'll have to register as a sex offender after his release.

The lawyer declined comment


Read more: NY Daily News


You can read my original post about Backpage.com here

The Ugly Truth

If your're not familiar with Backpage.com let me introduce you to the sad, ugly truth.  Backpage is a classified advertising website. Similar to Craigslist it offers a wide variety of classified listings including automotive, jobs, and real estate. In fact, it is the second largest classified ad listing service on the Internet in the United States after Craigslist.  Unfortunately, it is also the the largest source for adult services listings on the Internet. This vile website is being used by pimps to peddle girls online.  There are many stories of young girls being seduced online by men who turn out to be pimps or sex-traffickers and this website is providing them an avenue to do that.

If you want to see for yourself how vile it is go to their website (Backpage), choose a random city or one close you.  Then click on the adult section.  Before you do please be warned that this is disturbing and disgusting.  You will see girls in scantily clad, sexy outfits.  Under headings such as Escorts, Body Rubs, Strippers, Dom & Fetish this website is clearly advertising sexual services.  The girls listed claim to be of legal age, but many of them look younger than the age posted.  Many of these ads may be consenting adults, but the ugly truth is that many of them are not.  Minnesota, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi is quoted as saying "When we get a case involving trafficking or prostitution, usually the story is going to start on Backpage.com."  Prosecutors across the country have seen an increase in cases (in 22 states recently) of underage girls being sold for sex on Backpage.com.

Backpage claims that ads submitted to Backpage are subject to an automated scan for terms and code words linked to prostitution. A team of around 100 people then checks each ad individually before it's posted. Each month the team finds around 400 ads offering potentially underage sex. These are sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which in turn alerts law enforcement.  But here is the kicker...The team does not attempt to identify whether the subjects of the ads in question are participating of their own free will.  Nor are these questionable ads removed!

A few years ago Craigslist was doing this very same thing, but caved to the pressure it was getting and removed such ads from it's website.  Some recent strides have been made with Backpage.  Formerly, they were owned by Village Voice Media.  In recent months, Village Voice has separated their newspaper company from Backpage after several high profile companies cancelled ads for publications.  Backpage is now being run by shareholders Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin.

To read about a recent law suit by 3 teens who were trafficked from ads on Backpage click here
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