D.C. Archives - News - U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking

Trump says human trafficking increased during pandemic, announces $35M grant to aid victims

Aug 6, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News, Politics, Sex Traffickig

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

Aug 4, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News, Politics, Sex Traffickig, Survivors

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.

Hawley to squeeze corporate America on forced labor

Jul 20, 2020 | D.C., News, Politics

Washington, D.C. — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) will introduce legislation this week requiring companies with business overseas to certify that their supply chains are free of forced labor.

Justice Department urged to aggressively prosecute pornography vendors

May 20, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News, Sexual Exploitation

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.

Catholic Bishops Call on AG Barr to Enforce Obscenity-Porn Laws, Protect Youth

May 13, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News, Politics, Sexual Exploitation

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.”

Industry Doubles Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s Call to Fight Trafficking

May 8, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News

“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.”

DOT doubles progress in human trafficking fight

May 8, 2020 | Awareness, D.C., News, Sex Trafficking

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.

Operation COVID Crackdown: 30 men arrested in connection with online child predator sting

Apr 22, 2020 | D.C., News, Perpetrators, Sex Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. Throughout April, Fairfax County Police Department has arrested dozens of men this month in connection with an online child predator sting. “Operation COVID Crackdown.” The age of the men ranges from 20 to 74, they reportedly used online platforms to “initiate explicit conversations and solicit sex from police officers posing as children.”

President Trump Announces Office To Combat Domestic Sex Trafficking

Jan 31, 2020 | D.C., News, Sex Traffickig, USIAHT

Washington, DC – President Donald J. Trump today announced that the White House will enact the top public policy priority of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking by expanding the Domestic Policy Council to include an office to focus on combatting domestic human trafficking.
Co-Founders Kevin Malone and Geoffrey Rogers.
From Washington, DC – President Donald J. Trump today announced that the White House will enact the top public policy priority of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking by expanding the Domestic Policy Council to include an office to focus on combatting domestic human trafficking. The United States Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT), a ministry dedicated and committed to ending the atrocity of sex slavery of minors in American cities, communities, and neighborhoods, and which opened the first safe home in the United States for trafficked boys.