Category: Awareness
Ivanka Trump, Attorney General Barr visiting Atlanta to discuss fight against human trafficking
Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s oldest daughter and one of his top advisers, will pay a visit to Atlanta with U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday.
A White House official confirmed the visit to Channel 2′s Richard Elliot. The trip plans to highlight the Trump administration’s initiatives to protect survivors of human trafficking.
Trump and Barr will meet with Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia first lady Marty Kemp, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and state and federal law enforcement.
“The Trump administration continues to fight tirelessly to end the scourge of human trafficking in our communities. The leaders and community members we’re meeting with in Atlanta are on the front lines of this fight and are critical to our efforts to end this horrific crime,” Ivanka Trump said. “I look forward to learning more about the critical services they provide and announcing additional funding and resources from the Trump administration to assist in these efforts.”
2 Dallas men arrested for sex trafficking in connection to 13-year-old rescued from Irving hotel last November
DALLAS — Two Dallas men were arrested Sept. 9 after a grand jury indicted them on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.
A third man, accused of advertising sex with a minor online, is already in federal custody and faces the same charges.
Investigators rescued the girl after posing as a buyer responding to the online advertisement. The victim was “clearly a child under the age of 18 in both her physical appearance and mannerisms,” according to a search warrant application written by investigators.
Kention Obryan Johnson, 35, and Sergio Trinidad Carvajal, 30, visited the hotel room where the child was kept, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Two Prattville women busted for allegedly facilitating sexual encounters for money at Montgomery hotel
Two Prattville women were charged with human trafficking after they were allegedly caught encouraging other women to engage in sexual activity for money.
According to court records, a 21-year-old woman was arrested Saturday about 9:30 p.m. at a downtown Montgomery hotel after she enticed another woman to assist her in performing a sexual massage. The woman, unbeknownst to her, had coordinated a meeting with an undercover law enforcement officer by answering a message on a website, according to her arrest affidavit.
U.S. Marshals Service Reveals Majority of Rescued Sex-Trafficked Children Came From Foster Care
The U.S. Marshals Service recently launched a nationwide effort to recover missing and exploited children. Three major operations rescued over 100 children, many of them from sex traffickers. But a disturbing trend discovered during the operation should launch a nationwide investigation into the American child welfare system. PJ Media reached out to USMS for details on the rescued children and was told that the majority of them came from foster care. This information was ignored in the initial media reports on the operation. Dave Oney, press contact at the USMS, responded via email to questions about the rescued children.
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Former Maricopa County Sheriff’s detective arrested during child sexual exploitation, sex trafficking sting operation
Former detective Christopher Butts, along with five other men, were arrested following a months-long operative against child sex crimes.
PHOENIX — A former detective with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is accused of trying to entice a minor for sex for the second time this year.
The arrest came after a month-long sting operation to catch sexual predators in a joint law enforcement operation called “Operation Home Alone 2” in Pinal County.
“Operation Home Alone 2” was designed as a proactive operation to combat child sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 multiple arrests were made as a result.
W. Va. Attorney General supports legislation to protect children from abduction, sex trafficking
CHARLESTON, W. Va. (WHSV) — 20 Attorneys General from around the country asked President Trump for support in funding for a childcare protection program.
W. Va. AG Partick Morrisey is on board with the National Child ID Act, H.R. 4172, which would help parents, as well as law enforcement, in instances of abduction, exploitation and human trafficking.
This legislation would enable states to request grant funding for identification kits for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
The identification kits would record a child’s physical characteristics, as well as take their fingerprints and DNA.
18 arrests for trying to lure victims for underage sex
Over the last five days 18, people were arrested in San Joaquin County for attempting to have sexual contact with a minor – tying the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department’s record for an operation of that type.
And with additional resources allocated to the investigation including some provided from the Federal government, the net for nabbing those who would wish to harm a minor was much larger this time around.
According to Lathrop Police Chief Ryan Biedermann, the operation also included representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, the California Department of Justice, and even the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office that aided in apprehending somebody who was aggressively pursuing the undercover decoy online but was outside of the operation’s jurisdiction.
US Marshals rescue 8 ‘highly endangered’ missing children in Indiana during ‘Operation Homecoming’
The U.S. Marshals announced this week that they had located and rescued eight missing children in Indiana. The missing children recovered in “Operation Homecoming” were said to be “highly endangered.”
The children were “considered to be some of the most at-risk and challenging recovery cases in the area based on indications of high-risk factors such as victimization of child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sex abuse, physical abuse and medical or mental health conditions,” according to the statement released by the U.S. Marshals Service, Southern District of Indiana.
Lubbock police arrest 15 in prostitution sting
(LUBBOCK, TX) – The Lubbock Police Department’s Special Operations Division, Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Division, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted a two-day prostitution operation, August 31 through September 2, at local hotels on Avenue Q which resulted in fifteen arrests
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Man charged in Great Falls with promotion of prostitution involving a minor
GREAT FALLS — Corey James Cannon has been charged in Great Falls with aggravated promotion of prostitution.
On August 25th, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) consulted with Great Falls police officers about an ongoing investigation regarding Cannon, who is an active-duty airman assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Court documents state that Cannon attempted to have sexual contact with a youth in Great Falls and was arrested on or about August 6th. OSI took jurisdiction of that investigation and seized Cannon’s phone.
3 Arrests at Clearwater Motel In Child Sex Trafficking Sting
Dozens of kids were rescued in “Operation Not Forgotten” this week. While most of the activity in the investigation was in the Atlanta area, WSB-TV reports that three arrests were made right here in Pinellas County. The two week search for missing children was an effort to find victims of sex trafficking. In all there were 9 arrests. Three of them were at an unnamed motel in Clearwater.
James Garcia has been charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy and incest with a minor. WSB reports a U.S. Marshal Senior Inspector says Garcia was found in the Clearwater motel with a missing 3 year old.
Mesa police arrest 8 in undercover child sex crime operation
PHOENIX — Mesa police arrested eight suspects as part of an undercover operation targeting child sex crimes and human trafficking, the department announced Thursday.
Operation Vampire Cough had officers and undercover detectives placing advertisements on websites commonly used by individuals to seek out illegal sex acts.
Suspects solicited or made deals for various child sex acts and were subsequently arrested, the department said.
U.S. Marshals recover 39 missing children in Georgia operation
ATLANTA – Law enforcement officers describe them as some of the most challenging recovery cases in the state, but Thursday the U.S. Marshals Service announced the rescue of 39 missing children from all over Georgia.
During a two-week-long effort, dubbed “Operation Not Forgotten,” the Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement to rescue 26 children and safely locate another 13.
15-year-old was ‘passed off’ to men in sex-trafficking case, Kentucky police say
A 15-year-old girl said she was passed off to multiple men in exchange for money, Kentucky police said.
Steven Hargrove, 40, of La Vergne, Tennessee, was involved with the girl for “some time,” according to Kentucky State Police.
The girl’s mother said she was following a vehicle her missing daughter was in Monday night in Daviess County, state police said. She told police the car stopped at a gas station, where an officer soon arrived, according to an arrest citation.
Three indicted for human trafficking and prostitution
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Franklin County, Ohio, grand jury indicted three men for human trafficking and prostitution.
Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said the grand jury returned a 23 count RICO indictment against Marcus Jahroam Carmon, 36, Anthony Lamont Dunn, 46, and Bradley C. Powell, 28.
Prosecutors said Carmon was the ring leader and has been charged with the following:
-Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity
-Trafficking in Persons – Commercial Sex Acts with Specification
-Compelling Prostitution
Operation ‘Bad Apple’ ensnares 12 businesses in human trafficking sting
A Denver grand jury on Thursday indicted seven individuals and 12 businesses on 33 felony counts in a human trafficking scheme.
Denver police and the district attorney’s office conducted a year-long investigation called “Operation Bad Apple” into a number of massage parlors and illegal marijuana businesses that investigators believe garnered millions of dollars by trafficking women from China, laundering money and evading taxes, according to a statement.
GBI creates HEAT with hopes of stopping human trafficking in Ga
ATLANTA (CBS46)—The Georgia Bureau of Investigations have added another tool to its arsenal to combat human trafficking in Georgia.
According to Governor Brian Kemp’s office, the GBI created the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Unit to be housed within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The newly created unit will be staffed by four special agents and will focus on the enforcement efforts of commercial sex trafficking and labor trafficking as well as the rescue of adult trafficking victims.
Private Investigator: Sex trafficking surging during pandemic
COLUMBIA, SC (WACH)–The pandemic has led to a surge in sex trafficking , according to a private investigator who is based in the Midlands.
Investigator Chandra Cleveland has helped rescue many victims from sex trafficking.
“Last year almost to the date, of a 14-year-old that I had been looking for with her mother and father for nine months — almost 10 months — ended up finding another 14 year old with the same guy that was on house arrest for the same crime,” Cleveland said.
How We Should #SaveTheChildren & Stop Child Trafficking Now
Sex trafficking is a major issue every parent and human being wants to stop. Here are some tips on how you can help stop this horrendous act. Believe it or not, children younger than 12-years-old are falling victim to sex trafficking. The young children are forced to perform “tricks” for adult entertainment and in exchange for reimbursement. Many believe sex trafficking is not a problem in the United States.
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National organization sees ‘explosion’ of CyberTipline reports about child exploitation
With children and adults spending more time online due to virtual learning and increased working from home, the center says there are more opportunities for children to be exploited online. The center says in the first quarter of the year they became aware of predators openly discussing the pandemic as an opportunity to entice unsupervised children into producing sexually explicit material.
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‘Save the Children’ flash rally brings awareness to human trafficking
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -Dozens of people from around the Coastal Empire gathered in Johnson Square this afternoon for a “Save The Children’ flash rally.
“Exploitation of children is not something that happens only on private islands in the Carribean,” Box said. “It’s something that takes place in our schools, in our churches, in our streets, and the reason why we’re bringing awareness today, the reason why we have this rally is because we feel like it’s an issue that hasn’t gotten enough attention.”
Pandemic closures raise child sex trafficking concerns
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – With more children at home, experts across the nation are predicting higher rates of human trafficking, and with many students being schooled virtually, the cause for concern is even higher.
According to Pittman, with more children at home, sex trafficking and other crimes are a concern.
“One thing for any parent when it comes to anything when it comes to your child of any age is to be aware,” Pittman said. “Be involved, be aware of what your child is doing, be aware of who they’re with, who’s their social circles, who’s their friends.”
Trump says human trafficking increased during pandemic, announces $35M grant to aid victims
WASHINGTON (WJW/AP) — President Donald Trump says human trafficking has increased and dangers for survivors have heightened during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Department of Justice has issued $35 million in grants to 73 organizations nationwide providing assistance to human trafficking victims,” Trump said.
Trump explained that human trafficking poses a threat both domestically and internationally.
“You think of human trafficking as being an ancient form of crime. It is not. Because of the internet, it’s a very modern crime all over the world, not just here,” said Trump. “My administration will never rest in the fight against human trafficking.”
Trump Gives $35 Million to Aid Human Trafficking Victims
Barr called human trafficking an “evil scourge,” and he thanked President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka for working to end human trafficking and help survivors. Beyond the financial support, Barr said his department will do everything possible to “investigate, prosecute and punish” traffickers.
The $35 million in Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking is being provided by the Office for Victims of Crime within the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs to provide housing and services to human trafficking survivors.
Freedom Youth NYC Calls Out Silence on Sex Trafficking
Spurred on by Maxwell’s arrest, and on a mission to topple additional, powerful figures who pull the strings of what is a billion-dollar industry, Freedom Youth NYC recently held a press conference on Fordham Plaza on Monday, July 20, calling on the public to end the silence surrounding the sex trade, and expose those who exploit children and young adults. Monique Riley, a sex trafficking survivor and fierce public speaker, is the organization’s CEO and Founder.
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U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking Calls For End To Use of Warrant-Proof Encryption Shielding Sex Traffickers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) today announced support for the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act (Act) to end the use of “warrant-proof” encrypted technology utilized by sex traffickers and buyers to conceal their criminal activities.
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Bay Area man made $21 million operating international sex trafficking websites that included child victims, feds say
Fremont, California — A Bay Area man is in federal custody and awaiting extradition to Texas, where he is set to face federal charges that allege he set up sex trafficking websites on an international scale, raking in $21 million in proceeds within a two-year span.
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Man suspected of soliciting children for prostitution in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado– A man was arrested and is being charged with attempted human trafficking of a minor in Colorado Springs. In 2019, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 176 cases of trafficking the state of Colorado.
#endhumantrafficking #usiaht
Mountain Brook, Alabama Equips City Employees to Identify & Report Human Trafficking Implements USIAHT Human TraffickingFree Zone Program
MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL., June 16, 2020 — The City Council of Mountain Brook, Alabama, recently voted...
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USIAHT Praises Appointment of White House Special Advisor for Human Trafficking
“We are especially excited that our friend Heather Fischer has been appointed Special Advisor for Human Trafficking”, said CEO Kevin Malone. “I have worked alongside Heather on many efforts to stop human trafficking in the United States and abroad. She is one of the most passionate and capable champions in this fight and will be an invaluable ally for those of us on the front lines fighting this scourge.”
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U.S. emergency trafficking hotline says calls spiked under lockdown
Washington, D.C. — The number of people seeking emergency shelter to escape human trafficking surged in the month following U.S. lockdown orders implemented to slow the spread of coronavirus, a leading anti-trafficking group said on Monday.
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More work needed to combat human trafficking along I-85, Lee County
Auburn, Alabama– Multiple agencies in Lee County have gotten together this year to discuss the growing problem of sex and human trafficking. “[There are] kids [who] don’t really have a way to make money, a lot of times they have to do things that they don’t like to do in order to get food, to get shelter,” Teresa Collier, an intelligence analyst, said. “So a lot of times what we see are those runaway kids, they’re engaging in survival sex.”
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Industry, local task force look to raise awareness of human trafficking dangers
Beloit, Wisconsin — Employees from jobs spanning multiple industries have received training in spotting the signs of human trafficking in a bid to alert authorities sooner of possible dangerous situations.
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One Million People Sign Petition to Shut Down Pornhub for Alleged Sex Trafficking Videos
Sacramento, California — With signers from 192 countries, anti-trafficking expert Laila Mickelwait’s “Traffickinghub” petition to shut down Pornhub for allegedly enabling and profiting from the sex trafficking and rape of women and children on the site has surpassed one million signatures.
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Groves woman arrested on human trafficking charges
Beaumont, Texas — A Groves woman and a Beaumont man are facing charges of human trafficking after police located a missing juvenile in a hotel room last week. Police in Beaumont responded to the Petro Truck Stop at Walden Road and I-10 in reference to the missing juvenile. The information they received sent them to several hotels in the area in an attempt to locate the victim before they were told she was last seen at the Executive Inn, according to a press release from BPD Officer Haley Morrow.
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Federal court case with local ties highlights human trafficking issue
Beloit, Wisconsin — With Beloit positioned as a transportation hub near Milwaukee and Chicago, the Beloit Police Department says it is taking steps to combat human trafficking and raise awareness in the community about the problem. “We tell our officers that when they come across someone—especially a young woman or man—who has been battered and is reluctant to talk to police, that is the person they need to spend extra time with,” Police Department Inspector Stigler said. “They need to talk about their background, where they grew up, where they have been and who have they been associated with and who they get money from.”
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Human smugglers in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona — The Tucson Police Department is raising awareness about the global crisis of human and sex trafficking with the help of Faith, a young woman who was trafficking for 7 years by the MS-13 gang. “I never learned to read, or write, and now I am going to classes to get my GED,” Faith said. “I want to become a social worker so I can help other victims.”
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University of Dayton, Abolition Ohio offers online human trafficking services
Dayton, Ohio– Sex trafficking has increased because of job loss, a lack of housing security and reduced social and public services according to Abolition Ohio, an anti trafficking coalition organized by the University of Dayton. The public is invited to attend on Zoom The Abolition Ohio Monthly Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition Meetings to learn about resources available to students, educators, and community members in order to keep kids safe from trafficking and exploitation.
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Human Trafficking Commission Continues To Prepare For Super Bowl
Hillsborough County, Florida — As the state reopens following the coronvirus pandemic, Hillsborough County is ramping up plans for Super Bowl LV. As part of the preparations, County Commissioner Kimberly Overman led the effort to form the Commission on Human Trafficking.
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Justice Department urged to aggressively prosecute pornography vendors
WASHINGTON, DC- A former colleague of Attorney General William Barr is backing a letter from three Catholic bishops asking Barr to aggressively pursue anti-obscenity prosecutions in the wake of increased traffic to online pornography sites with the onset of COVID-19. The bishops’ letter followed a March 9 request by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska for a federal investigation into Pornhub, one of the largest online porn sites. “Pornhub’s incredible reach has a much darker side than the image of harmless fun that it tries to project,” Sasse wrote. He cited a case from last October in Florida in which the abductor of a 15-year-old girl was charged with uploading more than 60 videos of her exploitation to the site.
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Special ATII Contributor Report: COVID-19 and Human Trafficking – Exacerbating Modern Slavery with a Global Health Pandemic
As COVID-19 has evolved into a global health crisis, it has plunged much of the world, and financial sector, into an economic downturn, as well as created new opportunities for criminals to infiltrate institutions and exploit those who have suffered from this pandemic.
In tandem, with individuals and families losing jobs, losing income and potentially even losing their homes or apartments, you can even argue that COVID-19 has created certain problems specific to human trafficking – opening the door for criminals to create a new class of victims because all some people have left to generate value is their corporeal forms.
These disruptions have affected human trafficking, human slavery and prostitution across the spectrum of such crimes and even potentially put young people at risk of being taken advantage of by online predators because schooling across the country and at nearly all grade levels has gone digital.
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Catholic Bishops Call on AG Barr to Enforce Obscenity-Porn Laws, Protect Youth
The Department of Justice (DOJ) needs to act now, according to the bishops, because first “there are direct victims: the persons used in the productions. Many have their consent (even if technically legal) compromised by desperate circumstances while, for others, consent is completely absent.”
“The department rightly pursues human traffickers; however, virtually unchecked proliferation of pornography fuels the demand that frequently results in commercial sexual exploitation,” said the bishops. Unprecedented, unlimited, and anonymous access to pornography via modern technology has led users to seek more and more extreme videos.”
Mississippi Trucking Association presented Truckers Against Trafficking Champion Award
The Truckers Against Trafficking Champion Award is given to recognize and honor the creative, innovative, generous and dedicated efforts of specific TAT partners whose actions have significantly furthered TAT’s work in engaging more members of the industries TAT works with, as well as the efforts of more agencies and organizations within the state and nation, in the fight to end human trafficking and recover more survivors and prosecute more perpetrators.
“MTA member companies have trained almost 10,000 trucking industry employees in conjunction with TAT. These trained employees are acting as a watchdog on the American highways to combat this horrific crime,” said MTA President Hal Miller.
Crypto Companies, Law Enforcement and Intelligence Firms Team Up to Fight Human Trafficking
According to Kahler, who serves as the chairman of ATCC, intelligence firms and cryptocurrency organizations are partnering to raise awareness around red flags related to human trafficking. This includes sex trafficking and child abuse, both of which Kahler believes there isn’t enough focus on when it comes to gathering useful data to combat these tragic events.
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Victim assistance grants available
TOPEKA – Five grant programs, serving victims of crime across Kansas are open for application, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Friday.
More than $2.5 million in grant funds were awarded last year from five different state programs through the office of the attorney general. Funds are used to assist local and state crime victim assistance organizations across Kansas in providing direct services to crime victims, as well as in developing prevention programs to address violence.
Florida AG Moody Encourages Vigilance in Protecting Human Trafficking Victims
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Human traffickers aren’t stopping despite the health threats from COVID-19—and neither will we cease our efforts to stop them. It is abhorrent that unscrupulous individuals would take advantage of the pandemic and try to lure people through the use of force, fraud or coercion for nefarious purposes when so many find themselves on hard times. We need to continue to be vigilant in our fight to combat human trafficking. Know the signs of human trafficking, and if you see something, say something
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Industry Doubles Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s Call to Fight Trafficking
“I want to thank all of our transportation partners at the state and local level for their leadership in supporting this important initiative to help put the brakes on human trafficking,” Federal Highway Administrator Nicole Nason said. “Collaboration across the entire transportation industry is vital to our success in raising awareness and combating this modern-day slavery.”
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Commentary: Frontline Healers See Human Trafficking Increase Since Coronavirus Pandemic
“With closed businesses and empty streets, exploiters have become more violent and expanded their territory,” explains Amba Johnson, executive director of Dreamcatchers. “The ones coming to buy children are oddly indifferent to COVID, asking their victims if they have hand sanitizer and masks. The problem is Johns don’t care if they are children.”
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DOT doubles progress in human trafficking fight
Those that have signed on to the effort “are joining the Department to ensure that America’s transportation systems are not hijacked to facilitate human trafficking,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao on May 7. “These companies are on the frontlines of helping to ensure the safety of our traveling public.” A goal of the effort is to get one million employees trained to help fight the crime, according to DOT.
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AG PAXTON ANNOUNCES COORDINATING COUNCIL PLAN TO HELP ERADICATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that his office, leading the Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council, released Phase I of a five-year strategic plan to halt and prevent human trafficking in Texas. The Coordinating Council is the first single entity in the state to focus solely on coordinating efforts to combat human trafficking, and the strategic plan uses a multi-phased, integrative approach to eradicating and preventing this heinous crime.
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FBI task force focuses on human trafficking amid coronavirus
The FBI child exploitation and human trafficking task force in New York is currently working on a number of cases in which victims trafficked for sex were advertised as being virus-free or willing to wear a mask and gloves.
“They’re trying to work in safety measures to ensure that customers would feel at ease to meet up with people in the ads,” FBI special agent Brian Gander told ABC News.
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Trafficking victims among most at-risk during pandemic
When so many were focused on the new epidemic, Mimi Nikkel’s mind turned to one that already existed in human trafficking and prostitution.
“Demand goes up when people are experiencing fear, stress and anxiety,” she said.
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SEX TRAFFICKING INCREASING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Co-founder of the organization says the sex trafficking numbers are up during the pandemic and the virus is making it harder to get to the women.
“The opportunities for them to get to safety is actually lower and it has created a challenge in our response. Also being able to find placement for them because just like many other medical facilities and shelters, they are overrun right now and not accepting new individuals for their own safety,” says Sarah Mckinnis, Co-Founder of Willowbend Farms
Human traffickers still coming to the Central Coast amidst pandemic, officials say
“Traffickers notoriously prey upon the vulnerability of other people. So if you have a group of people who are now even more vulnerable and are looking to make income, secure their future, and are looking to find some type of normalization; they might be more susceptible to offers or lies or tactics traffickers use to gain that person’s trust only to exploit it later for a profit,” explained Danielle Borrelli, Operations Coordinator for the California Cybersecurity Institute.
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Human trafficking: Pandemic likely to worsen problem
“As an organization, we know how critically important it is to still fund human trafficking prevention, especially right now,” Stevenson said. “I think that we need to find a balance between making sure people’s immediate needs are met…because something like not having food or shelter, those are vulnerabilities that can lead to trafficking.”
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L.A. County Fights Child Sex Trafficking, Hopes Lessons Are Adopted Broadly
“As we move forward to take our next steps to better identify and support youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation, I hope agencies across the country can apply the lessons learned by L.A. County and apply them during this COVID-19 era and provide victims the services and ongoing support that they need,” said Michelle Guymon, who founded and leads the CTU.
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Trump appoints Katy sex trafficking survivor Courtney Litvak to advisory council
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has picked Courtney Litvak, a human trafficking survivor, to serve on a federal panel advising the administration on anti-trafficking policies.
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Sutton man arrested following human trafficking investigation
After large scale investigation of human trafficking in Sutton, Nebraska a man has been arrested. A 58-year-old man was arrested in Clay County on charges of sex trafficking of a minor, child abuse, three counts of pandering, and two counts of solicitation. Cloet was lodged in Clay County Jail.
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Mooresville man charged with sending explicit images, soliciting minor for prostitution
A man from Mooresville, North Carolina has been arrested of sending explicit photos and arranging to pay for sex acts with an undercover officer he believed was a 15-year-old girl. His bond has been set for $50,000. He has been charged with charged with solicitation of a child by computer, solicitation of a minor for prostitution, dissemination obscene material and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
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OPD Investigators Make Child Prostitution/Pornography Arrest
A women in Omaha, Nebraska is in jail with a connection to child pornography. Detectives from the Child Victim Unit responded and arrested the 20-year-old. Police say there are no other details.
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Sex Trafficking Claims Can Proceed Against Marriott, Phila. Federal Judge Rules
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a federal judge is allowing a sex trafficking plaintiff to continue with claims against the hotel franchise Marriott. The claim states that the three hotels in Philadelphia failed to stop activities. The federal judge denied the hotels efforts to dismiss the claim
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Central Florida attorney accused of trafficking teen girls from his Melbourne home
A central Florida attorney is accused of operating a human trafficking ring out of his Melbourne home. He trafficked young girls as young as 15. He said they needed to pay off legal fees and rent for staying at his home. He was recently arrested when he was going to pay a 16 year old girl to have sex with him, and try to recruit the girl to live with him at his home. He is facing charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and human trafficking of a minor.
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DeWine frees Alexis Martin, sex trafficking survivor convicted of pimp’s murder at 17
A sex trafficker survivor from Ohio will be released from prison. “She will be sent to a group home and she will be under supervision for an extensive period of time. When the victim was 15 years-old she planned the murder of the trafficker. When she was 17, she received a sentence for 21 years. Ohio’s Supreme Court chief justice knew that he had forced her into sex trafficking but kept her sentence.
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Mayor Turner And City Council Approve Hotel Ordinance To Combat Human Trafficking
he mayor of Houston, Texas and the city council approved the Hotel ordinance to combat human trafficking. The ordinance requires hotels to train employees on human trafficking. Houston is the first major US city to have an ordinance. It requires them to train employees in human trafficking and in labor trafficking. The ordinance prohibits retaliation against employees that report tips.
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Reno residents plead guilty in child sex trafficking case
Two residents in Reno, Nevada have pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex trafficking. The man and woman that were charged orchestrated the sexual exploitation of a child last summer. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The hearing is set for June 3rd.
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Tampa organization says sex trafficking demand has increased amid coronavirus pandemic
In Tampa, Florida experts believe sex trafficking is not slowing down even with the pandemic of COVID-19. In fact Connie Rose who is the executive director of Victims to Survivors thinks that it is actually growing from this virus. Since predators are able to spend more time online luring and grooming children especially those who are in poor living conditions with family instability
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COVID-19 pandemic making it tougher for human trafficking victims to find help, advocates say
Austin, TX. Advocates say the pandemic has made it harder for victims of human trafficking and other types of abuse to leave dangerous situations. Korin Arkin who manages the National Human Trafficking Hotline’s call response says economic instability breeds the type of vulnerability that sex and labor traffickers prey on.
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Coronavirus threat isn’t stopping sex trafficking in Jacksonville
With Covid-19 going on, human trafficking isn’t stopping in Jacksonville, Florida. A news team in Jacksonville spoke with a woman who is currently living in a hotel and said she is working to keep food on the table and a roof over her head. The woman said she’s worried about running into serial killers and rapists. Advocates for sex-trafficking victims contend that there’s a growing demand for the sex trade despite the risks posed by coronavirus.
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This isn’t just a Milwaukee issue’: New report examines where sex trafficking happens and where victims are from
A new study in Milwaukee shows most of the city and identified hot spots where the crime occurred. From 2013 through 2016 the study examined 340 people ages 25 and younger were confirmed to have been victims of sex trafficking in Milwaukee. 88% of the victims were from the Milwaukee area and 3% were out of state. Although the research was from six years ago, experts believe the information still hold up to be true. Some of the areas are hot spots for other crimes as well.
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Sold up and down the East coast: hidden world of sex trafficking moves close to home
In 2018, Polaris reported the highest number of sex trafficking survivors in the United States was 243, their ages ranged from 15-17 years of age. In 2018 the numbers reported to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline illustrated that 7,126 women were trafficked and 2,378 minors were trafficked.
Jasmine’s story is featured in this article. Jasmine Grace was 19 when she met an older man. After graduating from cosmetology school, the trafficker sold Jasmine to men around the East Coast for five years.
Deputies: Three men lured 12-year-old girl to DeWitt motel for sex using social media
Three men are facing a series of human trafficking charges, rape charges in the state of New York. The three men lured a 12 year old to a motel for sex. Detectives say the men used social media to recruit the child. All three have been arrested and are being held without bail at the Onondaga County Justice Center. They found the child in the motel room alone.
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Two Utah men, woman face child sex trafficking charges
In Salt Lake City Utah, two Utah men and a woman who was convicted of murder previously, now face charges forcing two teenage girls into human trafficking. The three traffickers face multiple felony counts for human trafficking of a child. One of the men also face a charge of unlawful sexual contact. One of the victims met the men after she walked away from juvenile services custody.
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Lost in Crisis: The Vulnerable Forgotten Victims of COVID-19
SARASOTA, FL.
Brook Parker-Bello Ph.D, founder of More Too Life Foundation, recognizes that the country’s forgotten victims are at risk of being lost forever as the world fights to contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Lost In Crisis is the first program of its kind to introduce a comprehensive strategy using up-to-date analysis of the growing COVID-19 crisis, while offering a practical solution that could save hundreds and thousands of lives. Please contact Dr. Parker – Bello for a 60-day free access to our online human trafficking prevention program for victims and also basic cost for buyers course. In addition, to MoreTooLife’s digital online college student prevention course.
Contact: brookbello@moretoolife.org or david@arklightconsulting.com
Moretoolife.org
Nonprofit offering online training to parents, teens to prevent sex trafficking
As Tampa bay, Florida practices social distance due to the virus and staying home to do the orders local nonprofits are concerned about who they can help. Now they are moving things online to help the victims of human trafficking that they can no longer meet in person. With all the students being online now at least until May, training is being enforced for adults to look for red flags to look for in social media. 70% of sex trafficking in minors starts online.
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Former Portsmouth city councilman Michael Mearan detained by police; home raided
In Portsmouth, Ohio a former city council member and defense attorney has been detained. He is rumored to be a key player in a sex trafficking ring. Police have been looking into him since 2018. The prosecution is now being held by the state attorneys office. 
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Northstate trafficking ring taken down by APD and local law enforcement, arrests made
In Anderson, California law enforcement officers have been in a year-long investigation into Northstate massage parlors. Two men have been arrested with 58 felony counts. Last year, a citizen of Anderson reported unusual behavior. The tip led to find a human trafficking ring across three Northstate counties. Anderson police said their goal was to target the traffickers and save and rescue the woman.
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Las Vegas man charged with using dating app to lure minor into sex
A las Vegas man was arrested on sex assault after police say he solicited a child for sex
on a dating app. The 44 year old man was charged with four felonies including soliciting child for prostitution, sex assault, first-degree kidnapping, and facilitating sex trafficking for a victim who is under the age of 18. The victims grandmother reported her missing and she found her iPad that showed she was talking to the 44 year old. The girl, who was described as under 14, told the man if he wanted to have sex it would cost $5 and gave him her address. The man said he was driving a silver Malibu.
Family convicted for sex trafficking ring
Members of a family in New York have been convicted for a sex trafficking ring. Five members of the family were convicted of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, interstate prostitution, alien smuggling and money laundering conspiracy in federal court last Friday. For 11 years, transported women and girls, including minors, to the United States and coerced them to work in prostitution, according to the Eastern District of New York. The men promised them love and a better life. The defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison on the most serious charge.
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8 charged in Johnson City undercover sex trafficking sting
In Northeast Tennessee, eight men were arrested in an undercover operation for child sex trafficking. The operation lasted two days TBI human trafficking unit and detectives with the Johnson City Police Department. Last week, authorities places ads on websites trying to identify people that were seeking commercial sex acts with minors. The operation also focused on identifying victims.
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Federal jury convicts man for sex trafficking in D.C., Maryland
58-year-old Kenneth Wayne Hart has been convicted in a federal drug and sex trafficking case for prostituting women in the District and in Maryland and using the Internet to advertise, according to federal prosecutors.
He was also found guilty of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking along with sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Hart ran a prostitution business that recruited women to engage in sex acts. supplied the women with heroin and crack cocaine and threatened to withhold drugs.
3 Arrested In Wayne County Human Trafficking Case
North Carolina
On Monday, March 9, special agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and investigators with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence located in Goldsboro associated with an ongoing human trafficking investigation.
Karen Lynn Anderson, 47, was arrested on Monday, March 9, 2020, and charged with one count of human trafficking of an adult victim. William Henry Thornton, 76, charged with one count of attempted first-degree forcible rape. Jeffrey Leon Harding, 48, charged with one count of possession of firearm by felon, one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
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Iowa man sentenced to prison for sharing child porn, giving marijuana, cocaine to minors
A man in western Iowa will spend 12.5 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography and transporting a person across state lines. He picked up an 18-year old woman and a 17-year-old girl from Omaha, Nebraska. He took them to his home and gave them drugs. He knew the girls ages. He is ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution.
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Washington Co. sex trafficking investigation leads to 2 arrests; additional victims possible
Washington County, Oregon two men were arrested with a sex trafficking in the county. Detectives were investigating multiple victims, including a 17-year-old girl. Officials learned that a 21-year-old male met the victim online and knew she was underage. He coordinated the victim to meet with men who paid for sexual acts or explicit content. He was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of compelling position, three counts of promoting prostitution and first degree unlawful sexual penetration, first-degree sexual abuse, and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse.
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Checking strip clubs, massage businesses for human trafficking signs
Over the next few months and into next year, there are major sporting events heading to the Tampa Bay area in Florida. WrestleMania and the Super Bowl. The adult businesses in the area must 3make sure they are complying with a human trafficking ordinance. Teams in Hillsborough Counties are looking to check to see if they have signs that are the right size and show the correct information at strip clubs and massage parlors. These signs must be displayed in different languages as well. If business are not in compliance, they will get a notice that says they have 30 days to update or they could be cited.
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Hillsborough County conducts sweep of adult businesses ahead of WrestleMania
TAMPA (WFLA) – 8 On Your Side’s “Storefronts for Sex” investigation triggered a crackdown on illicit health spas in Tampa. Compliance teams are doing a sweep of spas, parlors and adult businesses across Hillsborough County. They are checking the human trafficking signage at these establishments all week long.
The new red and white signs, which state the National Human Trafficking Resource Center phone number 1-888-373-7888, must be clearly visible to customers and workers. A business that fails to have the proper signs will face a $265 fine.
Read MoreUnder the gold done: Human trafficking and surprise billing
Atlanta, Georgia is in the top 14 of the U.S cities with the most sex trafficking activity. They want to combat it with House Bill 823. HB 823 would allow the Georgia Department of Driver Services to revoke a person’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) and impose a lifetime CDL ban in Georgia for those who are convicted and knowingly used a commercial vehicle to commit any type of human trafficking. They want this bill to pass before the legislative session ends. The crossover day deadline is approaching.
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MACON MAN ARRESTED ON SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES
A 52-year-old man was arrested in Butler, Georgia on sex trafficking. It happened from 2018-2018 and involved a 14-year-old girl. The man is accused of sexually exploiting the teenager. The victim came forward after the man threated to post the pictures of her if she didn’t allow him to take more of her. He’s charged with, trafficking of a person for sexual servitude, sexual exploitation of a child, enticing a child for indecent purposes, rape and two counts of aggravated child molestation.
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End Human Trafficking, Support Death Penalty For Traffickers
Tennessee has had 823 human trafficking cases reported since 2007. 93 cases last year. Chattanooga has a higher risk of human trafficking then most other cities in Tennessee. Chattanooga is close to Atlanta and has many busy highways like I-75 and I-24. Tennessee has community leaders and law enforcement officers that want to put a stop to human trafficking. Tennessee wants to provide support for the victims along with justice. They fully want traffickers to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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Scores strip club sued for allowing sex trafficking of disabled teen
A Scores strip club in Florida employed a “severely” disabled 17-year-old sex trafficking victim with a fake ID and allowed her to be groped and molested by grownup males, a scathing lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges.
The woman, recognized in courtroom papers as Jane Doe, was developmentally 13 years outdated when her trafficker introduced her to the chain’s Tampa location. For the following three days, the minor was plied with Xanax and booze by the club and different dancers, supplied cocaine and was pressured to carry out “sexually express acts.”
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Four Recognized for Stopping Human Trafficking Incident at HSV
At Huntsville International Airport in Huntsville, Alabama three airport employees and a Delta Airlines manager helped a 21-year-old girl from an attempted human trafficking incident. The mother of this woman was looking for her car in the parking garage after dropping her daughter off and the Airport Public Relations and Customer Service Manager approached her to help find it. A they were looking she found out that her daughter was going on the plane to meet people for a modeling job. The agent quickly knew that was suspicious, so she met the woman at the gate after her mother described her. The agent tried to get her not to get on the plane, but the 21-year-old is old enough make decisions for herself. A little after, the woman got off the plane saying the modeling agents canceled the flight.
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Area man accused of child sex crimes
A 30- year-old man from Decatur, Illinois has been indicted on child exploitation charges. The man is accused of enticement of a minor, attempted sexual exploitation of children and sex trafficking of children. He was attempting to traffic a child under the age of 14. He used the internet and a cellphone to entice the minor to engage in sexual activity. The authorities say he acted like he was a 17-year old male while he was in contact with the minor.
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Four arrested in St. Pete human trafficking sting
Four men have been arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida for a range of child sex crimes. These men were communicating online with who they thought were children however, they were undercover detectives. The four men range in ages from 27-54. All four of these men were released from jail after paying the bail.
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Former Houston police officer charged with sexual assault of a child
A Houston, Texas former police officer has been charged with sexual assault of an underage woman last September. A sex trafficker put her in a hotel a couple of days before she met with the former police officer. The officer paid her $180 to have sex with her. When the 16-year-old met police in Las Vegas she told them about the police officer in Houston and they found evidence on her phone that supported what she was saying.
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Man Sentenced To More Than 20 Years For Sex Trafficking
A man from Haiti, used two of his houses from Boston, Massachusetts for sex trafficking and has been sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison. This 51-year-old used social media to locate his four victims and he convinced them to live with him. All four of the victims were from Maine, and he picked them all up. He trafficked these women from 2012-2016. He was convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. He was ordered to pay his victims $728,000 in restitution.
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Anti-Trafficking Coalition at Berkeley holds conference on combating human trafficking
The coalition aims to raise awareness about human trafficking in the Berkeley community and invited T Ortiz, one of Time Magazine’s 2013 “30 Under 30” nominees, as a keynote speaker to discuss the issue of human trafficking. Ortiz, who was a victim of trafficking herself, said society needs to realize that victims do not need pity; instead, victims need to be supported in many ways.
“We are talking about our girls,” Alejandre said at the event. “They are people too and they are not just defined by their trafficking experience.”
Virginia’s Human Trafficking Problem
The state of Virginia was ranked sixth for active cases in 2018 for human trafficking. The state had almost 200 reported cases in the 2018. Interstate 95 is the main concern for the state. State and local law enforcement are staying vigilant also help to aid the victims. A conference was held in November that offered training for criminal justice professions. In 2015, Virginia was the only state without human trafficking laws, later that year they implemented two new laws.
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Manhattan District Attorney Investing $2 Million to Prevent Youth Sex Trafficking
Manhattan District Attorney will award $2 Million over the next three years to address youth sex trafficking in New York City. Traffickers are targeting children and teens, and the children in the welfare system are at a higher risk. The initiative that was developed by Administration for Children’s Services and the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence are tackling this problem. The money will be used for healthcare, crisis counseling, shelter and long-term goals like education and employment.
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Two Yakima men arrested in sex trafficking investigation of teen girl
In Yakima, Washington two men are being charged with human trafficking a minor. The 16-year-old victim came to the police in January of this year. The two men would buy her alcohol and get her blacked out drunk. The two men took her to a hotel where a man in her 30’s and a man in his 70’s was waiting.
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Ware man sentenced for sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor
BOSTON – 74-year old Walter Brown was sentenced to 15 years on Friday in federal court in Springfield on sex trafficking and sexual exploitation charges.
On Oct 11, 2019, co-defendant Claire Poole was sentenced to 10 and a half years (125 months) in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sex trafficking. Poole moved to the Springfield area in early 2017 and later helped Brown have sex with a teenage girl.
UPD officer to host human trafficking safety event today
A UPD officer is hosting a human trafficking safety conference on Thursday. This event is happening at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The goal of the conference is to raise awareness of what is happening on a local, state and national level on human trafficking. They wan to put it to an end. Texas ranks first in the nation for active human trafficking cases.
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