5 replies to this topic

[Kelly]

This thread is for media news stories about human trafficking with a focus on the US. Human trafficking is a growing concern and countless numbers of these victims could be our missing loved ones.

[Kelly]

http://www.1011now.c...s/67069207.html

Posted: 7:05 PM Oct 28, 2009

UNL Professors Estimate 2,000 Slaves Are In Nebraska

Reporter: Erika Tallan

Professors at the University of Nebraska Lincoln estimate there are 2,000 slaves in Nebraska.

Ron Hampton, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor, says he knows of a recent case involving a 12-year-old Central American girl sold to a Mexican slave trader after her family left her in her uncle's care. She landed in central Nebraska unable to speak English or trust anyone after she'd been raped and beaten in spirit along the way.

Hampton has heard countless stories of callous exploitation in his research of human trafficking.

The United Nations and other experts say an estimated 27 million people may be enslaved worldwide. The U.S. State Department estimates that includes as many as 200,000 in the United States.

Hampton believes he and other researchers are able to help raise awareness and fight the fast-growing global criminal industry that's operating even in Nebraska. But says they must first understand it.

UNL is set to host a three-day conference on human trafficking, titled "What We Know and What We Need to Know," beginning Thursday.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers say they want the university to become a hub for research on human trafficking.

Hampton says he hopes others can understand the impact of human trafficking and the need to stop it.

[Jenn]

http://www.kansascw.....asp?S=11885452

Three People Arrested for Allegedly Prostituting a Wichita Teen

by Angela Smith (WICHITA, Kan.)

Illinois authorities arrest three people for allegedly putting a Wichita teen into prostitution.

According to Sgt. Amy Osburn of Wichita's Exploited & Missing Child Unit, the group came to Wichita, picked up the 14-year-old and took her back to the Chicago area. She says the girl left willingly

The suspects are described as two women and one man, all in their late 20s to early 30s.

Sgt. Osburn says the teen is not being called a runaway, but her mother was unaware that she was leaving town with the suspects.

It was when the girl arrived back in Wichita that she told her mother about the prostitution and local law enforcement were alerted.

Wichita authorities then contacted Illinois authorities who arrested the man and women in Lake in the Hills, Ill.

The suspects are currently being held in Illinois where they could face charges. They could also face charges in Wichita once the investigation is complete.

EMCU would not confirm how the girl met the suspects.

[Jenn]

http://www.fox40.com...0,6695394.story

Police: Child Exploitation Suspect Targeted Asian Teens

Chris Biele February 8, 2010

Sacramento Police are now saying the man they arrested on suspicion of enticing girls to pose nude was targeting young asian females, and there may be other victims outside the Sacramento area.

Officers say they spotted a missing 13-year-old girl on Saturday walking in North Sacramento with a man in his 30's. When officers went to the house, police say they found another missing teenage girl, a teenage boy and more than 200 Ecstasy tabs.

Police say they do not want to release the identity of the suspect, citing the ongoing investigation. However, FOX40 found out Michael John Gilles, 35, was arrested the same night and charged with the same felony counts released by police.

The suspect was in Sacramento for less than two weeks, according to police. Authorities believe the victims found in North Sacramento were the only ones in this area, but there may be more in Oakland.

Sacramento Police are now calling this a multi-agency investigation, and working with authorities in Oakland and elsewhere.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.ohioattor...fficking,-Repor
Ohio Runaways At-Risk for Human Trafficking, Report Finds
2/10/2010

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — One in three Ohio runaways gone for two weeks or longer is at risk of being trafficked for sex, according to a report released today by the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission. The Report on the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in Ohio is the first of its kind to quantify the statewide problem.

“These are disturbing facts,” said Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, chairman of the commission. “According to the report, it is estimated that in Ohio more than a thousand young people between the ages 12 and 17 have been trafficked into the sex trade over the course of a year. This is clear evidence that we need to do more, much more, to protect our youth in Ohio.”

The report, compiled by the Commission’s Research and Analysis Subcommittee, gives for the first time estimates of the number of individuals in Ohio who are being trafficked as well as the number of those who could be vulnerable to traffickers.

“We have been trying to tackle a problem based on insufficient data,” said Cordray. “This report, while still just a start, gives us a basis from which to move forward. We can now discuss the issue with better knowledge and deeper understanding of the scope of the problem.”

The report includes a snapshot of identified Ohio human trafficking cases, including labor and sex trafficking, and a breakdown of at-risk groups: foreign-born people here legally or illegally, domestic violence victims, runaways and homeless youth.

The subcommittee presented four observations for consideration by the larger commission:
•Ohio’s response to child sex trafficking is weak.
•Ohio’s first responders to human trafficking remain unaware and unprepared and services are insufficient.
•Those who purchase youth remain protected, receive minimal charges and are rarely prosecuted in a significant way, while traffickers also suffer minimal consequences.
•Ohio’s young people are highly vulnerable to trafficking.

Research and Analysis Subcommittee members are: Celia Williamson, Sub-Committee Chairperson, Ph.D., University of Toledo; Sharvari Karandikar-Chheda, Ph.D., Ohio State University;  Jeff Barrows, M.D., Gracehaven House; Trisha Smouse, Ohio State University; Gene Kelly, Clark County Sheriff; Peter Swartz, Toledo Police Department; Nadia Lucchin, Not for Sale Campaign; and Mark Ballard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

To read the report in full, please visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/TraffickingReport.

[Jenn]

http://cbs5.com/crim....2.1730996.html

Missing Alameda Girl Rescued From Suspected Pimp

Jun 3, 2010 11:45 am US/Pacific CBS 5 CrimeWatch

ALAMEDA (BCN) ― A missing 15-year-old Alameda girl was rescued from working as a prostitute and a Windsor man was arrested for pimping in Santa Rosa Wednesday evening, police said.

Police got a tip from the FBI in Oakland that the missing girl was working as a prostitute and police set up a sting operation at a north Santa Rosa location, Santa Rosa police Sgt. John Snetsinger said.

The girl, who had been missing since May 21, arrived at the undisclosed location with two men and a young woman at about 7:30 p.m., Snetsinger said.

An act of solicitation occurred and police arrested 19-year-old Rochelle Valentine of Hayward for prostitution and released her on a citation. Snetsinger said.

Michael Arevalo, a 30-year-old parolee from Windsor, was arrested for pimping and was booked into Sonoma County jail on a parole hold from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Snetsinger said.

The Alameda girl was not arrested for prostitution and is considered a victim, Snetsinger said. However, she was booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Justice Center on a warrant for violating her probation by running away, Snetsinger said.

The second man at the scene was released, Snetsinger said.