SPOTLIGHT CASE Human Trafficking Awareness Thread

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/20.../18536776.html
Since February, RCMP have had a list of names of possible victims allegedly brought across the border from Bountiful, B.C., between the late '90s and 2006.

The victims, all girls, believed to be between 12 and 17 years old at the time, were allegedly shipped south to be illegally married to older men.

[dotr]

Former prostitute calls for trafficking strategy
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2.../18549991.html
"It's hard with the economy. I could get one phone call from a john and I could make $1,000 right now," she said. "When you see a girl and she's walking down the street and she's got her long hair extensions, her big boots and Louis Vuitton bag, she might look happy but if she's not putting on that fabricated smile and acting like she's all into it, she's not getting her money then she might get beat by a pimp. They get a false sense of empowerment. Eventually, they just become the walking dead."

Teng is pushing for a national strategy to combat human trafficking in Canada. She met Prime Minister Stephen Harper last October and discussed the idea with him.

"We need to see these people not as prostitutes but prostituted," she said. "(As many as) 98% of the women don't want to be in the industry and it's the fastest growing industry in the world."

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...20531-qmi.html
"Slavery exists in Canada.

Thousands of young Canadian women and girls are in forced prostitution: their shackles are crack cocaine, their overseers are gangsters. Many more are bought and sold as house slaves after being tricked into coming to Canada as nannies and temporary workers."




"Young women and teens from small towns and aboriginal reserves are at serious risk, lured to far away cities in Canada on the promise of exciting modelling work, human trafficking experts say. Once they arrive, their families are threatened, they are injected with drugs and forced into sexual slavery. The RCMP report as many as 2,000 people are trafficked from Canada into the United States each year."

[Derek]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...ate&id=8323706

McALLEN, TX -- A South Texas bar owner has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors.

U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno says 35-year-old Beleal Garcia-Gonzalez of Mission was sentenced Tuesday afternoon.

Garcia-Gonzalez was found guilty last fall of three counts of sex trafficking, one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants and six counts of harboring illegal immigrants.

A judge in McAllen also ordered Garcia-Gonzalez to forfeit his home, which he used to harbor the minors, plus pay restitution to the Honduran girls. They were 14, 15 and 17 at the time of the incidents.

Officers in January 2010 rescued the three girls when they were seen leaving a bar and wearing skimpy clothing during cold weather.

[Derek]

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1109/110908mexico.htm

3 individuals sentenced in Mexico for human trafficking
Mexican SIEDO-ICE HSI investigation leads to the 65-year collective sentence
Mexico — Emiliano Romero Ramirez, Maria Juana Rugerio Saucedo and Cristina Hernandez Suarez received a collective sentence of 65 years in prison for their involvement in a human trafficking operation. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Mexico Attorney General's Office's (PGR) Special Investigations Unit on Organized Crime (SIEDO).

Romero Ramirez and Rugerio Saucedo received a sentence of 37 years and six months in prison and a fine of $4,500 ($231,608 Mexican pesos). Hernandez Suarez received a sentence of 28 years and six months in prison and $2,850 fine ($145,639 Mexican pesos). The sentence also requires the individuals to forfeit assets totaling more than $10 million which will be part of the victims' compensation.

The investigation began on April 21, 2009 after ICE HSI, in coordination with SIEDO, revealed that three Atlanta women were being sexually exploited. These women were allegedly trafficked into the United States. The investigation also identified, through the Mexican Federal Investigations Agency, two young women who escaped from their traffickers and returned to Veracruz and Tabasco, Mexico. These women cooperated with authorities, which helped identify the heads of the trafficking organization, Miguel Angel and Saul Romero. Angel is currently in the custody of U.S. law enforcement and Romero is still at-large.

[Derek]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...cc4c002e0.html

SUMMARY: Javon Gordon sentenced to more than 15 years for running a sex trafficking ring in Atlantic City.

[Derek]

http://www.timesnews.net/article/903...stitution-ring

SUMMARY: A Honduran national was sentenced to two years for running a sex-trafficking ring that may have prostituted around 400 women in East Tennessee.

[Derek]

http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/110...bridgeport.htm

SUMMARY: Giovanni Vazquez of Connecticut pled guilty to transporting people, including minors for the purpose of sexual activity.

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2.../18800331.html
QMI scribe gets nod for exploitation story

By Brett Clarkson, QMI Agency






NIAGARA FALLS -- Alison Langley, a QMI Agency reporter, has been nominated for a Beyond Borders Media Award for her coverage of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Langley's Aug. 9 story in the Niagara Falls Review headlined It's a crime of power and control: The Fight Against Human Trafficking is one of seven nominees in the 2011 Beyond Borders Media Awards' Print Category (English).

The story focused on the growing problem of human trafficking across Canada, an issue that Niagara isn't immune to, police say

[Derek]

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/...x-trafficking/

SUMMARY: Eric Gathings pled guilty for recruiting a homeless girl to engage in sex trafficking.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Derek

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/...x-trafficking/

SUMMARY: Eric Gathings pled guilty for recruiting a homeless girl to engage in sex trafficking.

http://www.fbi.gov/kansascity/press-...ing-of-a-child

SUMMARY: In an update to the previous story, Brandy Key pled guilty in connection with prostituting underage girls.

[BOUNTYHUNTER]

Hi Kimster i'm new to this web-site, My back ground is a retired lawman with22 years in job, but in a rural area and we still have our runaways mostly females and most did not run far nor leave the county some were found and returned home and other were found dead and by the hand or hands of another I know two of them one was 16 years old died in 1989 and the other one was 14 years old and she died in 1990. Had a suspect an a good one and some the investigation stop after about 6 months and for over 20 years I can not get the local new media to run follow up stores on eather girl there are a lot of people who needs to step up to the plate if the obduction and murders of childern cops can not do it alone parents can not do it alone and not only that but the care factor is gone.
And another point this is looked at like drug dealing it's a business and it's on the up swing . you had a good article.

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/20.../18894906.html
VANCOUVER — A 27-year-old man is accused of trafficking underage girls after a south end brothel was busted earlier this month, police say.

Reza Moazami of Vancouver was arrested at a house on Oct. 7. Two of the girls were located inside the house and have been taken into care




This is only the second time in Vancouver police history that human trafficking charges have been laid in a case of sex trade workers and the first involving youth,” he said.

The investigation is ongoing. Akin said police suspect Moazami may have been part of an “inter-provincial” human trafficking operation.
"

[dotr]

Originally Posted by BOUNTYHUNTER

Hi Kimster i'm new to this web-site, My back ground is a retired lawman with22 years in job, but in a rural area and we still have our runaways mostly females and most did not run far nor leave the county some were found and returned home and other were found dead and by the hand or hands of another I know two of them one was 16 years old died in 1989 and the other one was 14 years old and she died in 1990. Had a suspect an a good one and some the investigation stop after about 6 months and for over 20 years I can not get the local new media to run follow up stores on eather girl there are a lot of people who needs to step up to the plate if the obduction and murders of childern cops can not do it alone parents can not do it alone and not only that but the care factor is gone.
And another point this is looked at like drug dealing it's a business and it's on the up swing . you had a good article.

Welcome to WS Bountyhunter! If you post the names or news links on here about those cases, maybe you might generate some interest in the case, or a thread for the girls may already be on WS,

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2.../19114876.html
Mounties head to Texas in polygamy probe

By Jill Bennett, QMI Agency

"The allegations came to light while authorities in Texas were investigating Jeffs, who was convicted of sexually assaulting two of his young wives.

“We may have had crimes committed within our jurisdiction in Canada. I mean, Canadian girls going stateside and American girls coming here,” RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said.

Officers plan to be in Texas until Friday."

[fearless]

Originally Posted by Patience

http://www.worldrevolution.org/Proje...le.asp?ID=1430

Thanks but I can't open this site, restricted area. Can you please give a hint or short explanation what's about.

[passionflower]

Would mail order brides fall into this catagory???

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2.../19409656.html
"The report released Wednesday — prepared by Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada and the B.C. CEDAW Group — recommends Canada conduct a national inquiry on missing aboriginal women and girls, develop a national action plan, and implement policies to improve police and law enforcement practices to ensure pan-Canada co-operation.

Gail Davidson of Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada said Canada's reputation has been sullied in the international community for not dealing with the issue.

"Canada cannot sustain its reputation as a country that safeguards the rights of all unless our governments acknowledge these human rights violations and take concrete, immediate steps to correct them," Davidson said"

[dotr]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/20.../19422761.html
"A Michigan man faces several charges after he allegedly lured a Canadian teen into prostitution.

The 18-year old woman met the 31-year-old suspect, who lived in Victoria, B.C., at the time, through an online dating website last April".



" More charges are pending, and anyone who may have been victimized by the suspect, also known as Dominic Broecker, is asked to call police.

renato.gandia@sunmedia.ca"

[Wondergirl]

Ontario truckers asked to watch for human trafficking


CBC News

Posted: Feb 24, 2012 7:56 PM ET

Last Updated: Feb 24, 2012 7:49 PM ET


Ron Thompson said truck drivers are in a good position to help spot suspicious activity. (CBC)

A new campaign targeting human trafficking is hitting Ontario highways, with the hopes that truckers and truck stop workers can help report suspicious activity.

The TruckSTOP campaign is an initiative from the Ottawa volunteer group Persons Against the Crime of Trafficking in humans, or PACT-Ottawa.

The TruckSTOP information says truckers should watch for people who look like they are being controlled or watched, who are fearing for their safety, tired, hungry or showing signs of physical or emotional abuse and not in possession of identification or travel documents

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...afficking.html

[tlcya]

http://www.kcra.com/r/30535067/detail.html

Agents working on the Lost Innocence Task Force found a posting for the girl on a website known for soliciting sex.

The child's parents confirmed her identity.

Agents set up a sting Thursday and rescued the teen.

[tlcya]

http://m.sj-r.com/sjr/db_/contentdet...tguid=PSdjQ00q

Authorities said the girl’s mother tried to arrange for her to have sex with an adult man.

[dotr]

Nicole O’Reilly
Fri Mar 2 2012
http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-pleads-guilty
"Some victims were told to pretend to be homosexuals facing persecution in Hungary on their Canadian refugee claims. Others were told to say they are persecuted Roma.

All were threatened, cut off from family, fed scraps and locked in a Hamilton basement.

One of their tormentors, Attila Kolompar, 37, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit human trafficking, being part of a criminal organization, and welfare fraud."

[shadowraiths]

Human trafficking 'a national security issue,' Obama task force told
By Hyun Soo Suh, CNN
April 15, 2012

Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and heads of various U.S. government departments made clear Thursday that preventing human trafficking is a priority of the Obama administration.
The 27 million men, women and children victims of human trafficking are an "affront to our most fundamental values," Clinton said at the annual meeting at the White House of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

[...]

Holder said the programs are showing results. "Our work has sent a clear and critical message: that, in this country and under this administration, human trafficking crimes will simply not be tolerated," he said.

"I'm proud to report that, this past year, we charged nearly 120 defendants - a record number - in human trafficking cases. And, over the last three years, we've achieved significant increases in human trafficking prosecutions, including a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions."

Full article: click here

[shadowraiths]

Sex traffickers prove harder to catch as they move online
By Jazmine Ulloa
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

The sex industry has evolved in the past two decades, moving from the streets to computer screens, and authorities in Austin and across the state say their efforts to enforce the law and find and protect victims are hampered by the shift.

[...]

But the sex trade is no longer mostly girls hanging around dark city corners looking for business, experts said. It is a multibillion-dollar enterprise that has expanded to hundreds of thousands of women advertising — or being forced to advertise — their services on countless online classified ads, teen dating and social networking sites.

[...]

Detectives said it's often tough to distinguish early in an investigation between victims willingly involved in prostitution and those who have been forced into the business.

"Sex trafficking victims are typically minors or vulnerable young adults who are coerced or fraudulently brought into the trade through mental or physical abuse," said Billy Sifuentes, human trafficking liaison for the Austin Police Department.

Numbers on such cases are difficult to find because victims often do not come forward to authorities, and there is no uniform database to track such cases when they do. The Human Trafficking Reporting System, developed in 2007 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice, counted 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigations nationwide between January 2008 and June 2010 — about 80 percent of which involved commercial sex as opposed to forced labor.

Full article: click here