MICHELLE SAYS SO

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Questions or comments?

mrsimonsen@yahoo.com

VIRGINIA TECH STUDENT, MORGAN DANA HARRINGTON DISAPPEARS AT METALLICA SHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:55:00 +0000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Police are looking for a Virginia Tech student who got separated from her friends at a Metallica concert Saturday and hasn't been seen since.

Police are looking for 20-year-old Morgan Dana Harrington, who was last seen near the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Her parents say they talk to her every day and her disappearance is very out of character.

Mom Gil Harrington said at a news conference Monday that she and her husband need to know where their daughter is and get her home safe as soon as possible.

Police say Harrington was wearing a black T-shirt with "Pantera" across the front in tan letters, a black mini skirt, black tights and black knee-high boots.

She has long blonde hair, blue eyes, is 5-foot-6 and weighs about 120 pounds.

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the University of Virginia Police Department at 434-924-7166; the Virginia State Police at 434-352-3435, or contact authorities by e-mail at bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.gov.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iPgfeOm2b2SUwCGU9W2K4bsJC9mAD9BETVGO5

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE! MY DAD VS. ROMAN POLANSKI

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:07:00 +0000

I love my father dearly, but he's never been one to openly care about crime or anything socially related unless it directly affects him. I've been crime writing for over four years, and I know he's proud of what I'm doing, but I know he's not really interested.

That's cool. It's not "his thing". I respect that.

However, a couple weeks ago I was published in an interview with the "Human Trafficking Project" in regards to U.S. domestic human/sex trafficking.

I specifically stated in the interview:

"I went to law school for a year with dreams of becoming a prosecutor in sex crimes. I am a victim of rape and I wanted to help others by putting sex offenders away...Soon after I started my blog, I began following the Natalee Holloway case. I felt connected with her personally due to the fact she was sexually assaulted and hadn’t received any justice for her assault and murder."

A week later I spoke to my dad on the phone and asked him if he had read my interview. He paused and stated, "Yes."

The line sounded dead. I heard nothing.

I asked, "Well....what did you think?"

He paused again and said, "Well, I was surprised to read some things you mentioned about yourself..." And he stopped abruptly.

I was in shock because I hadn't realized he never knew about my own victimizations. Sometimes it seems as though perfect strangers know more about my life and what I've endured than my own family. He had to read about it on a blog.

It was totally thoughtless of me...it just didn't register that I've never talked to him about my personal life. Especially something like that. No father wants to hear that his daughter was twice raped and sexually assaulted by many others since the age of 14.

That was the day I crushed my father. I felt horrible. I am his first born, his favorite, his "pride and joy". What was I to him now?

Someone like my father, who is a "revenge" type of person, never knew about these things...it must have killed him that he is powerless to do anything now.

Instead of talking about it, I pour out my emotions in a journal, and put the abuse away deep in my closet. I've never actually healed.

My "healing" has been my fight and vengeance and justice for other victims; I never thought about my own justice.

To this day, I keep it locked away, but some of it slipped in that interview.

Next thing I know, my dad is SUDDENLY interested in the Roman Polanski child rape case. I never felt like writing about Polanski because I feel his story is over-saturated in the media; and since he is a celebrity, I'm sure he will get out of it.

My dad proceeds to write the following emails that just BLEW ME AWAY. Never did he care about this subject before, and never has he used these words in such an angered manner.

That day he sent those emails to me are my best memories yet.

Thank you dad, I love you.

----Original Message-----

From: DAD
To: mrsimonsen
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 9:42:30 AM
Subject: justice

Have you written anything about that "Pig" Roman Polanski on your blog?? Read the Grand Jury Testimony March 1977. He settled out of court with the victim for $500,000, however there is no proof that he ever paid one cent. Bring him back, let him spend some time behind bars, about ten yrs, it will never happen!!

Dad

-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Simonsen
To: DAD
Sent: Mon, Oct 5, 2009 8:48 am
Subject: Re: justice

I'm surprised you have an opinion on this! No, I haven't written anything in my blog about him...the news is over-saturated with him, and I like to focus on less sensational cases.

The woman (girl) doesn't want to testify or press charges after all this time, and without her testimony, they have no case...unless they charge him with fleeing the country and I don't know much about extradition laws, etc. Plus, there is a statute of limitations on sexual assault. There are so many factors in this case that have all the legal talking heads on cable news spinning.

Michelle

-----Original Message-----

From: DAD
To: mrsimonsen
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 9:55:19 AM
Subject: Re: justice

This is not going away, there will be Justice!! When you read the testimony you will change your mind, when guys like me read what happened to this little girl, we think about our daughter's and what we would have done to this Pig, he was 44 and she was 13, I want Justice!

-----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Simonsen
To: DAD
Sent: Mon, Oct 5, 2009 8:59 am
Subject: Re: justice

WOW...your anger surprises me. I never thought you cared much about that stuff.

I indeed read the testimony of the girl many years ago...I have been familiar with the case for a long time. I never understood why the U.S. and France didn't share extradition for sex offenders.

If he doesn't get justice here, then justice will come in other forms...karma works wonders.

Michelle

-----Original Message-----
From: DAD
To: mrsimonsen
Sent: Fri, October 9, 2009 9:24:37 AM
Subject: Re: Polanski

It's not about the victim this time, I understand her feelings, it's about the law and what is right, justice for all victims were the law has failed, if this was the common man he would have been put away for 20 yrs.

We have to stop looking the other way, this sends the wrong message to our youth, if you have money and fame there are different rules for you. That is not what our country stands for.

Most father's will always protect their daughter's, I don't know anything about the victum's father? Where was he?? All I know is that Polanski would be long dead if it was one of my daughters.

DAD

----Original Message-----
From: Michelle Simonsen
To: DAD
Sent: Mon, Oct 5, 2009 8:59 am
Subject: Re: justice

I TOTALLY AGREE with what you are saying. I'm just saying I know he's going to get out of it like all the other celebrities. He DESERVES punishment. But deep down you know there will be no justice. That is where karma comes into play.

Love--
Michelle

MY INTERVIEW WITH "HUMAN TRAFFICKING PROJECT"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:41:00 +0000

I must say, I'm always the one doing the interviewing. But a couple weeks ago, was was the "interviewee".

I was contacted by an organization called "Human Trafficking Project", a website dedicated to raising awareness and exploring innovative solutions to combating modern day slavery.

I was honored! The fact that this problem is getting more attention through my words and more truth than lies are placed on the table to those beyond my reach is phenomenal.

Here is the article!

http://traffickingproject.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-michelle-simonsen-us-domestic.html

CANADA AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING--NEED MORE PROOF?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:00 +0000

In my previous post I wrote in shock when I discovered that Canada has only had trafficking laws since 2005, there are "minimum mandatory sentences" for traffickers, applying the crime to only minors, and the Canadian politician who wrote a ridiculous trafficking bill and submitted it to Parliament "anonymously".

They have done nothing to address this issue, yet day after day, I read stories about abduction and trafficking of Canadians and those brought into Canada for the same purpose.

How many more victim's stories and negative articles about the government's "failures" do we need to read in order for the Canadian government to get off their asses and protect not only their citizens, but the global victims as well?

Trafficking is a serious problem. Any educated person should know this. Canadians aren't living on another planet. Why does their government feel this crime doesn't affect them, and why don't they care?

If they aren't on the "trafficking watch list", they sure as hell should be.

Here is some evidence from an article in 2008, in which the U.S. State Department slaps Canada on the wrist for maintaining "minimum standards"; however, there is more concern regarding the upcoming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. With the amount of people coming in and out of Canada next year, the revenue and market for sex trafficking can be compared to a "Woodstock free-for all".

As I always say, "If there weren't willing buyers, there would be no trafficking."

CANADA--NOT UP TO SNUFF

Thu. Jun. 5 2008 10:16 AM ET

The U.S. State Department says Canada should be doing a lot more to mitigate human trafficking in the country. The U.S. released its annual report "Trafficking In Persons" -- reviewing human trafficking laws in 170 countries covering a period from March 2007 to March 2008 on Wednesday.

Although the report recognizes that Canada meets the minimum standards to eliminate, identify and protect victims of human trafficking, it also says Canada needs to address the trafficking challenges associated with hosting the world at the upcoming 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

University of British Columbia law professor and of one of Canada's leading experts in human trafficking Benjamin Perrin agrees Canada isn't doing enough in terms of law enforcement.He says he is not surprised by the report's harsh recommendations for the Canadian government."Canada has been falling behind on combating human trafficking for quite a long time," Perrin told Canada AM from Quebec City on Thursday, adding that smuggling people is one of the most serious offences according to the criminal code.

In 2007, Canada did not convict a single person for the crime of human trafficking, and only four victims were granted federal protection.

The report put into sharp focus that these numbers are not indicative of the country's problem."I think Canadians would demand more of our response to this serious transnational crime," Perrin said.

In 2004, the RCMP estimate about 600 people are trafficked to Canada for sexual exploitation each year, said Perrin. Another 1,500 to 2,200 are brought through the country on their way to the United States.Perrin notes that human trafficking in Canada defies traditional stereotypes.

He says it's not just women from Asia and Central and Eastern Europe brought here and exploited in the sex trade, but many cases he comes across relate to Canadian women and girls "for sale." "We've really not followed up on action here," Perrin said. "The main reason for that appears to be that we are not putting the law enforcement resources into this across the country."

But positive discussions did come out of the report, says Perrin. For the first time the federal government focused on the threat of human trafficking at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

An influx of over a million visitors, typical of an international event like at the World Cup, the Olympics and even the Grand Prix auto race in Montreal, increases the demand for sex trade workers. The commercial void at big events creates ample opportunity for traffickers to make money by exploiting others, especially women. The UN estimates that the illegal industry brings in $32 billion globally.

Perrin applauds London's efforts to keep trafficking at bay for the 2012 Summer Games."They've been dealing with this risk for years now, and we've only just now gotten on this. So, we are really late to the game," Perrin said.

Roughly 2.5 million people worldwide are believed to be victims of human trafficking, most of whom are women and children.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080605/human_trafficking_080605/20080605?hub=Canada

CANADA--HUMAN TRAFFICKING OUTLAWED FOR ONLY FOUR YEARS?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Former sex slave tells her story

Police and immigration officials are in Calgary for a seminar on human trafficking, just days after Edmonton police laid what are believed to be the first such charges in Alberta.

Police and immigration officials are in Calgary for a seminar on human trafficking, just days after Edmonton police laid what are believed to be the first such charges in Alberta.On a tip, police, RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency last week removed three women, aged 21 to 41, from an Edmonton massage parlour and charged two women and a man with human trafficking and other offences.

The women came to Canada legally one from Beijing and two from Fiji after answering an ad in a newspaper that promised jobs in the massage industry. Once they arrived, their identification papers were taken from them, police said of the Edmonton case.

On Friday, at a workshop in Calgary, former sex slave Timea Nagy spoke about her experience 11 years ago, when she came to Toronto from her native Hungary."I still feel like they're going to take me 11 years later," Nagy said of the three men one Canadian and two Hungarians who waited for her at the Toronto airport when she answered a newspaper ad seeking women to work in Canada.

Nagy said they drove her to a strip club, and forced to become an exotic dancer and perform sexual acts for a period of two months. She earned thousands of dollars for her captors and when she threatened to leave, they threatened to kill her and her mother.

Not just foreigners

"It could happen to anyone," she said. "You don't have to be a foreign person."You could be living in your mom's house. All you have to do is answer a stupid ad. Or go with a guy who tells you that he loves you. They'll take you to another city and you have no way of coming back."

Nagy eventually escaped and was able to turn her life around. Today, she works as a front-line worker for the Salvation Army.

She is travelling across the country, telling police officers her story to make them more aware of human trafficking situations.

Garry Drummond, of the RCMP's human trafficking unit, said the recent Edmonton charges have given police across Canada confidence they can intervene and stop the persecution of women who may be sold into sex slavery.

CANADIAN LAW

DESPICABLE

"Now that we have a human trafficking law in the Criminal Code, we can start giving that quantified response," he said.

Human trafficking has been outlawed in Canada since 2005. The RCMP estimated in that year that 600 women and children are trafficked into Canada each year for sexual exploitation and 800 are trafficked for other purposes such as the garment industry and the drug trade.

A private member's bill is currently before Parliament that would provide mandatory minimum sentences for anyone convicted of trafficking children under 18 for sexual purposes.

Michelle Says So:

A Canadian politician brought forth this bill "privately"? Sounds a bit fishy to me. Why would someone propose a bill anonymously unless they had something to worry about? "Mandatory minimum sentences?" And it applies to only minors? What about for the women OVER 18? I think the Canadian Parliament needs to get with the program. Such a sad disservice to their citizens. Absolutely PATHETIC.

http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=NDk2MzY3Nw==

VIOLENT HUMAN TRAFFICKER SABAN BARAN ESCAPES DUTCH PRISON, FLED TO TURKEY

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:51:00 +0000

HUMAN TRAFFICKER, SABAN BARAN ESCAPES AND FLEES THE NETHERLANDS

MPs have demanded justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin explain how a convicted and violent human trafficker came to be given a few days leave from prison and then vanished.

Ernst Hirsch Ballin

Saban Baran is currently appealing against a 7.5 year jail sentence for forcing over 100 women into prostitution, together with his brother.

Baran had been allowed home to visit his new baby, born to one of his trafficking victims whom he married from jail in January.

According to the Telegraaf, the Arnhem court gave the go-ahead to thecompassionate leave (Compassionate leave??? What about the compassion to the 100 women he victimized? The Dutch need to get with the program, or I'll make sure that Secretary of State, Hillary Rodman Clinton puts the Netherlands on notice!), despite the objections of the public prosecution department, which said he was a flight risk and that it had been tipped off he was making travel plans.

Police say they expect Baran has fled to Turkey and an international arrest warrant has been issued. The Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with Turkey.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/09/fury_over_human_trafficker_esc.php

Michelle Says So:

Well citizens of Turkey, keep an eye out for this monster. The Turkish government could have extradited him, but it's obvious their laws and attitudes are not in the best interest of their people, and are not fit for any human being to live under. He is in your hands threatening the safety of your citizens. SHAME ON YOU. Maybe he's hanging out with Joran van der Sloot now, the professional pimp. Bastards!

RAYMOND CLARK RE-ARRESTED--WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT HIM?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:04:00 +0000

As of today, murder suspect of Yale University student Annie Le, was re-arrested after police located him at a Super 8 Motel in Cromwell, Connecticut. His bond has been set at $3 million. Sources have claimed that Le was not sexually assaulted and the motive could have been a case of "workplace violence". The New Haven Register has reported that DNA from Clark has been linked in Le's murder, which led to his re-arrest.

So what do we really know about Raymond Clark?

Clark knew Annie Le and police noted he had sent her emails:

"In the e-mails, Clark is said to criticize Le for not adhering to the protocols for tending the mice kept in the basement as part of her lab's ongoing experiments. Le is said to have responded in a conciliatory tone, promising to keep to the protocols. Investigators wonder if Clark was not satisfied, if resentment suddenly flared to rage, if as crazy as it may seem this was a case of mice and murder.

His Family's Explanation

"He did not pass the polygraph test . . . But of course, they don't always run true anyway, especially when you're nerved up asking so many questions," the sympathetic [family] source insisted.

As for Clark's fresh wounds, "He had scratches on his arm from his cat," the person said. (What cat? There are pictures of him all over the internet with his dog.)

The source said Clark, whom the family calls "Ray Ray," works at the lab along with his fiancée, sister and her husband. "But he didn't really know [Le]," the source said. "She left the area before he left that morning. He'd seen her and said, 'Hi' and kept on going."

What The Neighbors Say

"It definitely freaks me out," said Ivan Hernandez, 22, who lives directly above Clark. "A possible murderer living right under you, that's crazy. I thought he was just a normal guy."

One of Clark's former neighbors in New Haven said he screamed at children and was "very controlling" of his girlfriend.

"Ray was very controlling of his girlfriend," said Anne Marie Goodwin, 40. "He would never let her talk to anyone. I would hear a lot of yelling upstairs."

Clark - a 2004 graduate of Branford High School, who mostly worked with rodents at Yale - "kept a pit bull caged in his apartment," Goodwin said.

Clark was found with scratches on his body that he's blaming on the animals he worked with (What about the "cat excuse"?), rather than being from a fighting Le.

http://gawker.com/5360758/what-we-know-about-raymond-j-clark-iii

Clark's Fiancee, Jennifer Hromadka

Clark's girlfriend, Jennifer Hromadka and Ray Clark are engaged to get married. Ray Clark is most famous among family members and friends as ‘Ray Ray.’ He is already proved as a cheater, as he suffered defensive wounds on the chest that reveal he might have fought someone. And disappeared from his apartment right after the murder. (Where did he go?)

However, ‘unrequited love’ is reportedly the reason behind the murder of Annie Le. Ray Clark and Jennifer Hromadka had a MySpace profile page using their identity as ‘Ray and Jen.’ It is believed that the couple also lived together in an apartment, the apartment that is under surveillance at present.

http://www.apakistannews.com/jennifer-hromadka-and-ray-clark-138694

NOTE: Jennifer Hromadka and Raymond Clark tried to escape but police arrested Clark on time airport. (Where were they going and what does Jennifer know?)

http://www.dgshi.cn/content/200909/163883.html

INDIANA SCHOOL EMPLOYEE ANDREW JAY MCGRATH CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN OF A 5-YEAR OLD

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:55:00 +0000

If we as parents and society can't trust our educators to protect our children, who will? Let's hope if this goes to trial and he is found guilty the judge will sentence this monster to the 60-year max. Let's see how he handles being the new "prison fish" and someone's bitch. What goes around comes around.

Andrew Jay McGrath

CARMEL, Ind. -- A school employee was charged Tuesday with a federal count of sexual exploitation of children after an investigation that involved several law enforcement agencies.

U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison said Andrew Jay McGrath, 30, of Carmel, produced images of a 5-year-old girl engaging in sexually explicit conduct on two occasions, in May and August of this year.

McGrath was employed as an instructional assistant at Tri-County Education Center in Noblesville, said Carmel Clay Superintendent Dr. Barbara Underwood. He was fired on Tuesday.

McGrath had been employed by the Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative since January 2008, Underwood said.Morrison said there was no connection between images that were found on McGrath's computer and the school system.

If convicted on both counts, McGrath could receive a maximum prison sentence of 60 years.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/20946322/detail.html

ANNIE LE--A MURDERER AMONG THE STUDENT POPULATION?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Michelle Says So Opinion on the Murder of Yale University Student Annie Le:

I don't believe this was a "random" murder. There is a monster lurking at Yale, and they need to be found and indicted quickly before Yale receives any more bad press.

If Annie Le had to swipe her student card to enter the student building, then wouldn't Yale's security have a log and video of everyone who entered and exited that building during the time Annie was there?

News reports claim that police interviewed someone (and has yet to label them as a "suspect") yet authorities declared this person failed a lie detector test and had defensive wounds on their person.

I'm sure in the coming days we will find out that it was either a student, a faculty member or an employee of Yale University.

It's just a matter of checking the list of people who entered the building that day...this won't be a hard case to solve, hopefully the family will find answers and this person is brought to justice.

DRESSING LITTLE GIRLS LIKE SLUTS FOR HALLOWEEN

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:20:00 +0000

I just got a CHILDREN's Halloween catalog in the mail today. Most of the costumes were "standard" kids' costumes. However, a few of the "pre-teen" and even young girl costumes made my jaw drop! Do any of you have daughters, nieces or sisters? Would you EVER ALLOW them to wear things like this???

What is going on in this world where female children are sexualized in such a manner that it would be advertised in a child's Halloween costume catalog?

Who are the adults responsible for marketing this crap?

I find this incorrigible!!!

Email your thoughts to:

ConstumeExpress.com

5915 S. Mooreland Rd.

New Berlin, WI 53151

UPDATE: RYAN JENKINS, SUICIDE BY HANGING--FOUND IN HOTEL ROOM

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:33:00 +0000

JUST ANNOUNCED ON MSNBC:

Ryan Jenkins was found dead by apparent suicide. He was found hanging in a hotel room.

More to follow...

MEGAN WANTS A MURDERER?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:05:00 +0000

I'm about to make an embarrassing confession. I watched the VH1 reality show, "Megan Wants a Millionaire". My sister and I would sit in front of the tube for an hour giggling and laughing at these side-show idiots.

One of the millionaires was a creep with a "capital C". The moment I saw his slimy ass I knew something didn't sit right. He looked smarmy and turned me off with his "Don Juan" pompous, narcissistic persona.

Three shows later, I still disliked "Ryan". Couldn't put my finger on it. It's that woman's intuition, I suppose. I don't think that Megan girl had any.

Next thing I know, I see everywhere on the news and internet: "Millionaire Reality Star Ryan Jenkins WANTED for MURDER" of his playboy model wife by allegedly strangling her, removing her teeth and cutting off her fingers to evade identification, stuffing her into a suitcase and throwing it into the dumpster outside her apartment building. She was identified by the serial number in her breast implants.

Days after the murder, Ryan was seen partying in public and writing messages on his Facebook page.

Once he realized he was wanted, he took his BMW toward the Canadian border with a boat in tow, and allegedly sailed into the distance in order to enter Canada to escape from border patrol.

It is now rumored that his very wealthy parents have lied to the police and FBI, and possibly have helped their son escape and hide.

What I don't understand is the lack of simple background checks on these reality "stars"!? I assumed that would be "a given"? That's just pure stupidity. These people are NOT actors. They are not members of the actors guild. It is a known fact that many reality stars in the years since it's inception are rapists, batterers, drug users and thieves.

Should VH1 be held MORALLY liable? VH1 can't be held legally liable since Ryan Jenkins did not commit a crime during his "tenure" at Megan's mansion.

(Note: VH1 has now pulled the complete "Megan Wants a Millionaire" season.)

Should the television stations that produce reality shows that have publicly ruined people's lives (i.e. Jon & Kate Plus 8) be morally liable ? What should be their punishment?

Hit 'em where it hurts. Their pocketbook.

We, as consumers and responsible citizens bear a part of the blame and responsibility for "buying into" and watching these shows, present company included. I don't think I will partake in this money-making madness anymore.

Should we boycott them all to make a point?

Haven't you had enough already?

HAVE YOU BEEN A VICTIM? HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP IMPROVE THE SYSTEM

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:49:00 +0000

Lynn Rosenthal

Alexis Moore, President of Survivors in Action, recently had a discussion with Lynn Rosenthal, political advisor to President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Violence Against Women.

Moore explained that Rosenthal's main concern is finding victims who will contact her with their personal stories. "She needs to hear from victims of rape, domestic violence, stalking, etc. This is how you can do something important...tell your story to her. She is gathering information from victims so that she can present it to Joe Biden."

"Reform and change needs to happen in the family law courts, domestic violence and rape organizations, stalking resource agencies--all of it needs to be improved and it will not happen without victims explaining and telling her (Rosenthal) their stories. If we don’t speak up nothing will change."

WHO IS LYNN ROSENTHAL?

From 2000-2006, Rosenthal served as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) where she represented 54 state and territorial coalitions whose collective membership included more than 2000 local domestic violenceprograms. She played a major advocacy role in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2000 and 2005 and has assisted states and local communities with implementation of this groundbreaking federal legislation. She also worked closely with corporate partners to bring millions of dollars to local communities to respond to domestic violence. She partnered with The Allstate Foundation to develop a highly successful national initiative to promote economic empowerment for survivors of violence.

Prior to her service at NNEDV, Rosenthal was director of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence where she developed innovative service models for rural and legal services. On her return to Florida in 2006, Rosenthal developed the state’s first comprehensive plan to help survivors of violence find housing.

“President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden could not have named a more qualified, visionary leader to advise the White House on violence against women,” said Sue Else, President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. “Lynn Rosenthal is a pioneer in the movement against domestic abuse and sexual assault. Her expertise will help to shape federal policies that will serve countless survivors of domestic and sexual violence.”

In this new position, Ms. Rosenthal will serve as an advisor to the President and Vice President on domestic violence and sexual assault issues; be a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy community; coordinate with the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) on implementation of Violence Against Women Act programs; coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services on implementation of Family Violence Prevention Act services (including the National Domestic Violence Hotline); coordinate with the State Department and USAID on global domestic violence initiatives; and drive the development new initiatives and policy aimed at combating domestic violence and sexual assault with advocacy groups and members of Congress.

http://www.njaneh.org/2009/06/29/obama-names-advisor-on-domestic-violence/

SONG OF THE DAY--"DATE RAPE" BY SUBLIME

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:00 +0000

I love this old song "Date Rape" by Sublime. Listen to the clever and catchy lyrics. It's nice to have men perform a song from a woman's perspective of being victimized.

ILLINOIS FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LIFE SENTENCES FOR CHILD-PORN

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:47:00 +0000

I am flabbergasted in grand relief that this judge in East St. Louis, Illinois slapped down two life sentences for child pornography and sexual abuse. This judge should be an example to all judges who currently give minimal sentences or slaps on the wrist to sexual predators in similar crimes. Could this be an unprecedented sentence for this offense? Regardless, I think more are in order.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A southern Illinois woman and an Indiana man have been ordered to spend life in federal prison on child-pornography charges.

Louise Masulla, 32, of New Athens, Mo., and William Milligan, 28, of Bloomington, Ind., were sentenced in East St. Louis.

Masulla had pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges, aggravated sexual abuse and transportation of child pornography. Milligan also admitted engaging in a conspiracy and receiving child pornography.

The complaint said Masulla, Milligan and another defendant at one point were involved in a sexual encounter in an Indiana hotel room with victims aged 11 and 3, and that photographs of the molestation were taken.

Masulla allegedly e-mailed the pictures to Milligan, who circulated them to at least five other men on the Internet.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/20199777/detail.html

MICHELLE SAYS SO ON SEX TRAFFICKING--THE LEVI PAGE SHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Listen to last night's broadcast from the Levi Page show as I discuss the issue of sex trafficking in women and children in the United States.

Please feel free to comment about the issues surrounding this rarely discussed crime.

Human Trafficking Exposed

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"MICHELLE SAYS SO" --HUMAN TRAFFICKING EXPOSED ON THE LEVI PAGE SHOW

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:37:00 +0000

Tonight I will be the featured guest on "The Levi Page" internet radio show to discuss human trafficking in the United States. This is a serious problem that has been overlooked in politics and law enforcement. Mr. and Mrs. John Q chooses to believe this doesn't happen in the U.S., that it occurs "somewhere in Asia" and "it doesn't affect them".

Yes, it's happening right here. In the "Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave."

You can live in the city, in a suburb, a farm...you can live in New York, Wisconsin, Utah, Texas, California, Ohio. No state is immune to these heinous acts of violence, rape, torture and death. It happening right under your nose and you don't even realize it.

For more information check out my last few posts on this manipulative, highly integrated, lucrative and most victimizing crime there could possibly be.

UNLESS we educate the public to what is going on, then there can be no citizen intervention and these crimes will continue and many lives will be destroyed forever.

Click link for Levi's show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LeviPage/2009/07/26/The-Levi-Page-Show

CHILD SEX SLAVES BEING ARRESTED, NOT RESCUED!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Contact: Monique Johnson,

Shared Hope International,

703-351-8062

Shared Hope International will release a groundbreaking report on child sex trafficking in the United States at the Congressional Human Trafficking Briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the Human Trafficking Caucus and Victims' Rights Caucus led by Congressman Poe (TX) and Congressman Smith (NJ), long-time advocates for victims protections.

Former Congresswoman Linda Smith (1994-98), Founder of Shared Hope International, will open a panel discussion on the findings of more than four years of research in America. Shared Hope International's National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, America's Prostituted Children highlights the harsh reality that hundreds of thousands of American children are victimized through sex trafficking in the United States driven by the demand for the commercial sex acts they perform.

A child sex trafficking victim who is purchased for sex by 5 different men per night, 5 nights per week for an average of 5 years would have been raped by 6,000 buyers during her victimization through prostitution. Many of these child rapists are never charged or prosecuted while the young victims' lives are destroyed.

Linda Smith

"The horror is that our children are victimized twice -- first by the prostitution and then by the broken system that treats them like criminals while the buyers are given a slap on the wrist, if anything at all. What kind of message is this sending?" asked Founder and President of Shared Hope International, Linda Smith.

Ambassador Louis C. de Baca of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the U.S. Department of State will present findings from the 2009 TIP Report and panelists from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Criminal Division will discuss domestic child sex trafficking, followed by an NGO panel led by Congresswoman Linda Smith and highlighting Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Ambassador Luis C. de Baca

"From our investigative research gathered from 11 cities across the nation, we've found so many victims of domestic minor sex trafficking that are misidentified, and labeled as prostitutes. They are sold every day, every night in every city in America," said Smith.

Watch human rights surveillance video instantly here:

www.sharedhope.org/what/dmst.asp

What: Congressional Human Trafficking Briefing

Where: Capitol Hill, Rayburn Room 2226

Washington, D.C.

When: Tuesday, July 21, 2009

10:00 a.m. - Noon

About Shared Hope International

For more than a decade, Shared Hope International (SHI) has worked around the world partnering with local groups to prevent trafficking and to rescue and restore the victims of sexual slavery.

Shared Hope International's DEMAND. project was a 12-month investigation which focused on commercial sexual exploitation in four countries, including the United States.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), SHI conducted field assessments on child sex trafficking in 10 U.S. locations.

Visit www.sharedhope.org

http://www.earnedmedia.org/shi0716.htm

SEX TRAFFICKING--THE MOVIE

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:20:00 +0000

If you get a chance, check out the film, Sex Trafficking, starring Mira Sorvino and Donald Sutherland. It is a two-part series that was originally broadcast on the Lifetime Network. It is a very realistic and compelling story that does not have that "Hollywood" glamour and fake drama. This movie is the real deal.

View the trailer:

After the release of this movie, actress Mira Sorvino was so moved by this unaddressed problem and wanted to do something about it. She became politically involved and is now the UN Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human Trafficking.

See the interview below:

SEX TRAFFICKING--NOT JUST AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:52:00 +0000

When you ask the average American what they think of sex trafficking and where it originates, you will most likely hear, “Thailand, Philippines, Eastern Europe.” The majority of Americans don’t believe that most sex trafficking occurs within our own borders. Many victims are regular kids and young women who aren’t runaways or have been abandoned. They are lured and coerced by clever predators.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director, Chip Burrus, who started the Lost Innocence Project, which specializes in child and teen sex trafficking stated, “What you can see time and time again, is that the predators will adapt their means to whatever the young people are doing—whether it’s malls, whether it’s ski slopes, whether it’s beaches…predators are going to do everything in their power to try to convince young girls, young boys, to come with them and enter this particular lifestyle.” [i]

The United States is recognized among the top three countries for sex traffickers, along with Japan and Australia. Traffickers pick locales and business “fronts” in cities all over the country, but many choose to “set up shop” in areas such as San Francisco, New York, Arizona, Las Vegas and other cities and counties that would make your jaw drop.

Statistics and Economics of Human Trafficking in the U.S.

There is a huge economical difference between human trafficking and drug/weapon trafficking. You can sell a kilo of cocaine or a semi-automatic weapon only once. With a person, they can be sold over and over and over, making them nearly priceless to the trafficker.

Research and studies done on human trafficking within our borders is pathetic. The Department of Justice reported that in 2008 there were more than 1,200 “reported” incidents of human trafficking. [ii] Due to each state’s little to no research on human trafficking, that reported statistic cannot be a true, definitive number.

“Because sex trafficking is so far underground, the number of victims is not known and the statistics vary. According to Ambassador John Miller, director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, “The number will always be an estimate, because trafficking victims don’t stand in line and raise their hands to be counted, but it’s the best estimate we have…The CIA won’t divulge its research methods, based on its figures on 1,500 resources, including law enforcement data, government data, academic research, international reports and newspaper stories.” [iii]

However, in a February, 2006 ABC News article it states, “The FBI estimates that well over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today.” [iv]

Could the FBI’s estimate be more accurate than the Department of Justice’s 1,200 “reported” cases?

The level of apathy towards education, prosecution and punishment of these crimes is dismal. I have to wonder if our own police officers, local officials, or politicians are not making an issue of this crime because “money talks”? Think about it. Sex traffickers yield profits of over 32 billion dollars a year. That makes drug and weapons traffickers look like kids with a lemonade stand. [v]

Difficulties in Prosecution

The trafficking industry thrives because it is hard to prosecute. The women who are victims need to serve as witnesses and testify in court in order for the prosecution to prove their case against the perpetrator(s). These women don’t come forward not only because of the “re-victimization” in court, but also the threats made to them by their traffickers. They have been burned with acid, “disappeared”, or have had their families threatened or murdered.

“We have to explain the woman’s mind-set—that she’s often unsophisticated, comes from a country with a corrupt government and would believe her captors’ lies that if she flees should could get arrested by the police…Juries have a hard time. They wonder: If the door was open, why didn’t she just run?” [vi]

Destination America--From Sea to Shining Sea…

New York

Neighbors wondered why a 65-year old man had a succession of young foreign women living in his home. He told neighbors they were au pairs, yet Joseph Yannai had no children.

“You’d think a warning bell would go off in a neighbor’s mind,” said author Ron Soodalter, “The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today”.

The State Department estimates 17,500 people are trafficked INTO the U.S…but Nassau County Detective John Birbiglia, who runs the Long Island Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces says “that’s a guess because less than 1 percent of cases get prosecuted…it’s the invisible crime.” He thinks the number of enslaved people is much higher. He continues, “We used to arrest these women, now we know they’re victims.” [vii]

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has an infamous slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” They didn’t get the name “Sin City” for nothing. The Associated Press reported in 2008 that Las Vegas is a “hub” for child sex trafficking and that more than 400 children were found working as prostitutes during a SINGLE MONTH in 2007.

Shared Hope International, a non-profit based in Vancouver, Washington released a 165 page report in March 2008 that stated, “Las Vegas was one of 10 U.S. locations for which the agency completed reports. Others included Salt Lake City, Dallas, Bexar County and Fort Worth, Texas, the New Orleans area, Clearwater, Florida, Erie County, New York, Independence, Missouri, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.” [viii]

“Federal officials have recognized Las Vegas as an area where human trafficking is a concern, and a cooperative effort was launched in 2006 called the Anti-Trafficking League Against Slavery.” Even with the well-intended effort of the groups involved, there are no local safe houses to protect the victims.

Vegas Under-Reports Problem—Dare I Say “Tourism”?

“There is a huge and growing sex-oriented trafficking problem in Las Vegas. Yet they quickly add that no statistics have ever been gathered and law enforcers never before have made it a top priority—so the scope of the problem still needs to be determined.” [ix]

…Police in the past haven’t paid sufficient attention to the signs that the prostitutes or others they’re investigating may also be trafficking victims—meaning the problem has gone underreported for years.” –Terri Miller, Civilian Director of “Anti Trafficking League Against Slavery”, and Las Vegas Metro Captain, Terry Lesney. [x]

Could this problem be underreported because of the implications that would affect Las Vegas’s TOURISM? There are too many people invested in that moneymaking machine of a town, so it is plausible to assume that many are paid to look the other way. Starting from the top such as politicians and law enforcement all the way down to cab drivers and hotel managers and/or employees.

An anonymous source, who is an employee with Clark County’s law enforcement sector stated, “We’ve had some very sad cases of sex trafficking. Naturally, they don’t report that kind of stuff because it would ruin tourism.”

Everyone can be bought in Vegas.

San Francisco, California

“San Francisco’s liberal attitude towards sex, the city’s history of arresting prostitutes instead of pimps, and its large immigration population have made it one of the top American cities for international sex traffickers to do business undetected, according to Donna Hughes, a national expert on sex trafficking at the University of Rhode Island.” [xi]

Once in California, the women learn too late that the job offer was a ploy. They are beaten into submission, drugged and raped, then transported and hidden inside homes, massage parlors, apartments and basements.

The women are most often locked inside by security doors, watched by video surveillance and guards who analyze their every move and gesture. They are forced to have sex with as many as a dozen men a day. The organization pays crooked taxi drivers and hotel operators who are willing to shuffle the women to their “appointments” and accommodate the pimps.

They are constantly beaten, drugged, raped and starved.

Arizona

Debbie, a 15-year old from Phoenix, got a phone call one evening from a girlfriend who said she was stopping by. Debbie, wearing only her Spongebob pajamas, went outside to her driveway to greet her friend at the car who was with two older men. Debbie’s friend lured her to the car door and the three pulled Debbie into the car. One of the captors ordered Debbie’s friend to tie her up and put tape over her mouth and eyes.

After being drugged and gang raped, Debbie was trapped in one of Phoenix’s toughest areas. She was driven around Phoenix and ordered to prostitute herself, and when she refused, she was raped and kept in a dog kennel for 40 days.

Her traffickers put an ad on Craig’s List for Debbie’s “services”, and shortly thereafter men came all hours of the day and night demanding sex. Debbie was forced to have sex with over 50 men during her 40-day nightmare, not including the pimps who gang raped her on a regular basis.

The pimps told her that they would kill her family, “they even threatened to throw battery acid on her 19-month old niece.” Debbie stated, “After they told me that, I didn’t care what happened to me as long as my family stayed alive.” [xii]

Eventually tips came into the police and the apartment Debbie was kept in was searched, but they couldn’t find Debbie. Luckily, a police officer found her tied up and crushed into a drawer under a bed.

Police arrested two individuals and were only charged with kidnapping and sexual assault. They have pleaded not guilty and the current disposition of their cases is unknown. [xiii]

Georgia

Chelsey lived a seemingly “normal” middle class life with her family in Georgia, but at age 10 her life forever changed when she was sold as a prostitute by her own father. Chelsey’s story is one of redemption. After her escape, she managed to graduate from high school and received a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Georgia. Chelsey is now working on her master’s degree. The following is an excerpt of a journal passage Chelsey wrote during her unfathomable ordeal:

“As I hang from the beam of a dim, musky, cold basement, I think of as many descriptive words as possible for the body parts I loathe the most. I have endured 14 hands, 70 fingers, all the while my hands are tied. They are numb from being laced above my head and are exhausted from supporting the rest of my body. I am naked, beaten, bleeding, and alone. Sunshine creeps in through the holes in the shades and amplifies my new wounds. I am coming down from a large dose of cocaine and I hope that at least one pair of hands returns to feed me some more. I close my eyes because the drips of sun, of life hurt, and I begin thinking of names of presidents and countries. Dusk approaches with footsteps. I count 14 feet, 70 toes, returning for another round. I inhale, I exhale, I brace myself. I close my eyes, ask silently for death, and hope they have enough blow to get me through the night. I am twelve years old.” [xiv]

Rate Your State

U.S. Current and Pending State Laws on Human Trafficking

The U.S. Policy Alert on Human Trafficking charts current and pending state laws in regards to human trafficking. Polaris Project gathered information in regards to whether or not each state had (a) prosecution for human trafficking, (b) a state task force, (c) research commission, (d) law enforcement training, and (e) victim protection.

“U.S. states with no existing law or pending legislation specifically addressing human trafficking: Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.” [xv]

Hawaii is the only listed state that does not have any laws prosecuting human traffickers, in addition to no law enforcement training and no victim protection.

States With No Human Trafficking Task Force[xvi]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

States with no Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Training [xvii]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

Washington State

States with no Human Trafficking Victim Protection [xviii]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Virginia

“Loverboys”—a/k/a “Pimps in disguise”

Many women lured and trapped in sex trafficking are brought by “loverboys”. These are men who befriend women and even engage in false relationships in order to win a woman’s trust, who then in turn releases them to the actual pimp. These are the men who control the women on a daily basis, through orders of the “head trafficker”, the man in charge. This is the man who decides which girls go where, and most often are the “head of operations” via their “legitimate” business fronts such as beauty parlors, hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies that are scattered throughout the entire United States.

Women Used as Traffickers

Believe it or not, a large amount of traffickers are women themselves. They are used to coerce naïve girls and young women into going with them for various jobs. Many claim modeling opportunities for the girls, where they are then tricked into going overseas or to a mansion used as a “front” in the method of their coercion. Once the bait is taken, the girls are beaten, drugged, kidnapped and sold. The woman trafficker gets her “cut” and she walks away looking for more vulnerable women and children.

Why Use Women as “Ploys”?

Using a woman as a trafficker is a fool proof way of obtaining a child or young woman’s false sense of security; simply because she is a woman. The woman predator is easily believed because the victims don’t perceive her as a threat. Children and women trust women more than they would a man who would offer the same things: opportunities of jobs, modeling, traveling around the world, making money to help their families or build their lives.

America’s Culpability

Let’s take into consideration the “supply and demand” aspect of why sex trafficking and forced prostitution is such a lucrative business. It is the high demand of these “services” that men command, and unfortunately, many of the solicitors are male American citizens.

There would be no sex trafficking and exploitation if there weren’t a need for it.

Who are these men? Why do they think this is ok? Maybe the latter question is something we will never know or understand.

Let’s Get to the “Root of the Problem”—the Solicitors

Dr. Jerry Albom

Meet Dr. Jerry Albom, a middle-aged radiologist from Oklahoma. Dr. Albom decided to take a trip before starting his new job at medical facility on the island of Guam. His destination? A secret. His family, friends and colleagues think he’s going to Bangkok. But he’s really going to Cambodia…his favorite and most frequented travel locales where he can have cheap sex with young teen girls.

Dr. Albom is a “child sex tourist”.

He is one of thousands of adults who travel overseas every year to sexually exploit children, some as young as five years old.

The majority of sex tourists are adult males from more industrialized countries who travel to lesser developed countries where laws are weakly enforced and sex is cheap and readily available. According to recent reports, Americans comprise an estimated 25% of all sex tourists. In countries such as Cambodia and Costa Rica, the percentage of American sex tourists jumps to 38% and 80%, respectively. [xix]

“Many impoverished countries rely on sex trafficking as a source of real income, and in effect, often have a vested interest in maintaining the status-quo…countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, the ‘sex sector’ accounts for anywhere between 2 and 14 percent of national income.” [xx]

“In many countries…the lack of political will and the abundance of corruption among government and law enforcement officials…undermine efforts to enact stronger laws and harsher punishments for perpetrators of child sex crimes.”

As a result, in countries where corruption is rampant, public officials are often part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

A new report released by the humanitarian organization World Vision—Cambodia indicates that ‘many high ranking officers [in the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism] are involved in child sex tourism and the sexual exploitation of children and even support the activities of child sex traffickers.” [xxi]

PART ONE:

“Usually I buy out three girls for 50 bucks. Take ‘em for the whole night.”

Albom warns the undercover sex tourist not to tell his educated friends “who read” because they will know about the area’s reputation. He states, “Don’t tell them where you’re going…tell them you’re going to Bangkok. And then come here very discreetly.”

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

PART TWO:

Albom Confronted With Hidden Video

“I don’t want to participate and make judgments of something I may have said when I was drunk, or…or, may have been slipped a pill, who knows?”

“Drunk or slipped a pill…that’s your defense?”

“Yes.”

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Bottom Line

You don’t have to be a politician, law enforcement, or part of some special group to make a difference. As a citizen…just be aware. Take notice. If you see something strange, odd, or just not right, do something! Say something! If nothing is done, call the local media! Spread the word within the community until something is done.

We, as American citizens need to take part in the responsibility of protecting these innocent children and women. Let’s officially put our U.S. politicians ON NOTICE, educate your family and friends on human trafficking, and make some noise!

[i] ABC News, “Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”, June 2006

[ii] Department of Justice—“More Than 1,200 Alleged Incidents of Human Trafficking Reported in the U.S.”, January 15, 2009

[iii] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[iv] ABC News, “Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”, June 2006

[v] Polaris Project, “U.S. Police Alert on Human Trafficking—Summary of U.S. Policy Activity”, July 2007

[vi] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[vii] Adapted from N.Y.’s Hidden Trafficking, Metro, 21 June 2009.http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/865

[viii] Associated Press, “Report: Las Vegas a Hub for Child Sex Trafficking”, March 2008

[ix] Adapted from: Sam Skolnik, “Do we have a human trafficking problem? Justice Department names Las Vegas among 17 most likely destinations.” Las Vegas Sun, January 29, 2007

[x] Id.

[xi] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[xii] ABC News, “Teen Girls’ Stories of Sex Trafficking in U.S., February 2006

[xiii] Id.

[xiv] Wagner, Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Untold Horrors”, June 2009

[xv] Polaris Project, “U.S. Police Alert on Human Trafficking—Summary of U.S. Policy Activity”, July 2007

[xvi] Id.

[xvii] Id.

[xviii] Id.

[xix] Susan Song, “Children as Tourist Attractions”, Global Child Sex Tourism,http://www.yapi.org/rpchildsextourism.pdf

[xx] Klain, “Prostitution of Children and Child Sex Tourism”

[xxi] The Associated Press, “Child Sex Tourism Spreading in Asia”

CRUISE INDUSTRY CAVES TO GOVERNMENT PRESSURE ON CRUISE SHIP SECURITY & SAFETY ACT

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Cruise ship industry reverses stance, backs federal safety bill

Oh wow...the cruise ship industry is finally backing John Kerry's legislation, The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008.

I'd say the only reason why the cruise industry are supporting this bill is because their backs are against the wall...this is an obvious PR move to save their reputation and further profits.

There has been too much negative publicity in the last few years regarding cruise ship horrors such as murders, missing persons (who always seem to "fall off the ship"), rapes, assaults, and other crimes that occur on their vessels.

It would be business suicide not to back this law, and I believe that is the only reason why they are succumbing to the pressure. If the cruise ship industry had their way, they would continue their path of money over passenger safety.

I applaud John Kerry for his continued efforts. Finally someone has stood up to the plate to fight this industry and stop their shady practices.

--Michelle Says So

The nation's cruise ship industry, in a turnaround from its long-standing position that no additional government oversight is needed, endorsed proposed federal safety legislation Monday, paving the way for increased security measures on cruise ships.

The Senate recently held a hearing on cruise ship safety, prompted by the disappearance of Merrian Carver of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her dad Kendall ("Ken"), president of the International Cruise Victims Association, was there to tell her story.

MERRIAN CARTER'S STORY

READ HER FATHER, KENDALL'S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Cruise Lines International Assn., the industry's chief lobbying and advocacy organization representing 24 member cruise lines, sent a letter of support to Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), one of the bill's sponsors. Association President Terry Dale said in the letter that he would work to ensure the passage of the comprehensive security bill.

If it passes, the bill would make shipboard crime reporting mandatory and require installation of security latches and peepholes on cabin doors. Ship physicians would also have to be trained in sexual assault examinations.

Ken Carver

Ken Carver called the shift "a historic moment...I think they've really taken a lot of heat, and I'm glad to see them joining forces," Carver said, adding that he believes with the cruise industry's backing the bill will pass.

The $38-billion-a-year industry had maintained that cruises were one of the safest forms of vacationing and that its own self-regulation was adequate. But in recent years, after several high-profile reports of missing persons and sexual assaults, cruise lines had increasingly come under scrutiny.

If the bill passes, it would be a significant victory for safety advocates who have long alleged that the industry skirts regulation by registering its vessels in foreign countries to avoid U.S. labor laws and income tax.

The industry requested one major concession: deletion of an amendment to the Death on the High Seas Act that would have allowed surviving relatives to recover damages for emotional suffering and bereavement, as well as any pain and suffering the victim may have experienced before death.

Under the existing law, survivors of people who die at sea can recover only lost wages or burial expenses. If a retired person died, for example, family members would get little if any money, Miami maritime attorney James Walker said.

The legislation would also clarify the long-debated issue of crime reporting. The bill would establish a reporting structure based on the current voluntary reporting guidelines.

Each ship would be required to maintain a logbook to record all deaths, missing persons, alleged crimes, and complaints of theft, sexual harassment and assault. That data would also be posted on a website maintained by the Coast Guard.

International Cruise Victims Website

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008

Link to Full Text of Legislation

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-fi-cruise7-2009jul07,0,5318780.story?track=rss

TEEN GIRLS SELLING SEX ON CRAIG'S LIST

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:24:00 +0000

TEEN GIRLS SELLING SEX?

OR IS IT THE PREDATORS?

I understand the "supply and demand" culture of the sex industry. What I don't understand is HOW easily this can happen to anyone. Should Craig's List or Facebook be blamed for these atrocities? They are just portals...pimps can find victims anywhere. The internet just makes it easier for them.

(CANADA)--Girls under the age of 18 are selling sex on Craigslist, according to police in North Vancouver, and are likely forced into it after falling under the influence of a sex-trafficking ring.

North Vancouver RCMP are reporting a spike in underage sex trade workers on the North Shore, some as young as 13, who claim to be 18 or older in their online ads.

Benjamin Perrin, a University of British Columbia professor who is an expert on human trafficking for the sex trade, said police have identified a dozen victims so far in North Vancouver alone." Police believe there are many more victims, many of them are under the control of what we're being told is a sex- and drug-trafficking ring," Perrin said Tuesday on CTV's Canada AM.

According to North Vancouver RCMP Const. Shannon Kitchen, some girls, but not all, are working alone and not under the control of a pimp." In some cases we've been told about initially a relationship that's been considered maybe a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. And then that relationship's turned into, 'now you're working for me, you owe me money,'" Kitchen told CTV Vancouver.

Many of the ads are explicit, Perrin said, and put the girls in a vulnerable position as they promise unprotected sex." These young girls are being exposed to very serious health risks," Perrin said. He also points out that while some of the girls come from troubled homes and communities, which makes them particularly vulnerable to sex traffickers, others hail from stable families and well-off neighbourhoods.

"So parents really need to look out for warning signs too, like new friendships with people who are not just male but also possibly female, giving large gifts, (having) a new cellphone that's always being answered at any time of the day," Perrin said.

He also said that the problem is not relegated to young girls in North Vancouver. Teenagers across Canada are using online tools to sell sex, he said. Perrin said young women are often recruited through social networking websites such as Facebook, which offer ample opportunities for sex traffickers to prey on vulnerable girls."We know that sex traffickers have used Facebook as well as a tactic to identify vulnerable individuals and once they're part of a school network, Facebook does the work for them," he said.

Perrin said he has also met with officials from both the RCMP and Craigslist to express concern about how easy it is for underage girls to pose as adults.

Craigslist has shut down its erotic services section in the U.S. and now has an adult section that requires users to identify themselves. This is not available yet on the Canadian site. "We're really hoping Craigslist will step up," Perrin said.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090630/sex_craigslist_090630/20090630?hub=TopStories&s_name=

MAN SENTENCED TO 28 YEARS FOR FILMING RAPES OF UNCONSCIOUS WOMEN

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:09:00 +0000

John Xydias drugged various women and graphically filmed his sexual attacks on them. He made himself the star of his own pornographic movies, directing crude remarks at his unconscious victims and occasionally bringing his face in close and leering at the lens.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Warren, who viewed a compilation of 17 tapes said he had reduced the women to "sexual rag dolls" who he dressed in lingerie and moved into various positions. She said he carefully planned the attacks spanning 15 years, and by filming the women had "humiliated, degraded and defiled their humanity".

Justice Warren yesterday sentenced Xydias, 45, to serve 28 years' jail, with a non-parole period of 20 years.

Prosecutors have labelled him one of Victoria's worst sex offenders and the nature of his offending "unprecedented".

He pleaded guilty to 86 charges, comprising 25 of rape and 61 of sexual assault, in a series of sex attacks on 11 victims between 1991 and 2006.

Xydias has not been diagnosed with any mental illness, but a psychologist described him as emotionally "disconnected". His face was blank as he stared straight ahead during the 90-minute sentencing hearing.

Justice Warren stated that said Xydias had shown little or no empathy for his victims and, in fact, blamed them for pursuing criminal charges, telling a psychiatrist they were seeking revenge for him not marrying or continuing relationships with them. Others were "rotten eggs" who abused alcohol and drugs, Xydias claimed.

She continued, "You present as an inoffensive, humble and modest individual, yet on the films you are seen to change into a sinister and depraved man whose demeanour and conduct would shock and frighten the community."

He told police the sex had been consensual, despite the women clearly being unconscious on the tapes. Two of his victims were brave enough to turn up to court to see Xydias sentenced. They heard explicit accounts of his attacks, described by Justice Warren as "obscene".

ONCE UNAWARE, NOW TRAUMATIZED

One woman collapsed, crying, into the arms of a supporter, after seeing Xydias, standing in the dock as his penalty for each of the 86 charges was announced. Many of the women, aged between 19 and 39, met Xydias socially and were unaware they had been attacked until they were shown the videos by police. Four remain unidentified.

Victim impact statements by five women revealed their continuing suffering. One woman suffers nightmares and flashbacks after being shown footage of her assault. She has contemplated suicide and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Another woman said watching the footage was one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. "I had to walk out of the room. I was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe after realising that it was me in the video … I felt dirty, ashamed, disgusted and violated."

...Psychiatrist Danny Sullivan said "a very strong interest in pornography" was a potent factor in the offending. He recommended that Xydias be considered for treatment with anti-libidinal drugs (Michelle Says So: That's a nice word for what is known as a "chemical castration") before his release from custody.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/28-years-jail-for-filmed-rapes-of-drugged-women-20090630-d3sj.html

OTHER INFAMOUS "RAPIST VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHERS"

Andrew Luster, Max Factor Heir and Rapist

Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor cosmetic fortune was a golden child. He had it made from birth. However, Luster took that golden opportunity and threw it away after he developed some very dirty and vile secrets...criminal secrets that he kept on tape in order for him to relive the crime over and over again for his sexual gratification.

Luster lived off his inheritance and never had a real job. He lived along the beach and was a "surf bum" that liked to hang out at bars with women 10-15 years younger than him. He liked them young, helpless, naive and drunk.

His "M.O." (modus operandi) was GHB. He would innocently flirt with girls and drug the drinks he would buy for them. When they were obviously drugged, he would cart them off like a knight in shining armor, but instead of taking them home, he took them to his home. His rape lair.

After the girls were rendered unconscious he would video tape the assaults.

One video showed a 22-year old victim positioned on the bed "limp as a rag doll" in various sexual positions. He was seen inserting objects into her vagina, including a smoking marijuana cigarette, a candle and plastic saber...he sodomizes her." (Source)

Another video showed Luster having sex with a 17-year old girl who was "unconscious and audibly snoring." Luster looks at the camera and repeats, "I dream about this: a strawberry blonde passed out on my bed, waiting for me to do with her what I will." (Source)

Ten other women came forward and accused Luster of the same crime, but the Ventury County prosecutors limited the charges to just three women. He was charged with 88 counts of sexual assault and other crimes.

LUSTER THE NARCISSIST SOCIOPATH

"My life has been ruined because police and prosecutors jumped to conclusions...They're doing this to punish me for my lifestyle, which doesn't fit in with their conservative values...They allowed the case to go forward to boost their careers." (Source)

Luster even called one of his victims "a total nut" and a "fun loving nymph". "If the DA files charges, it's going to a jury, and she's going to look like a fool. I'm going to get a top-notch lawyer and she'll get cross-examined and ripped to pieces." (Source)

According to Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist, "When you have sex with an unconscious person, it means that you cannot emotionally tolerate the exchange that is necessary with a real person--dealing with feelings and needs and giving back to the person...it is infantile, hostile and shows inability to respect women...you are the boss and power. Women do your bidding and cannot complain. You can do anything you want and not suffer the consequences."

"Luster's repeated behavior was compulsive to the point of being out of control--indicative of a 'real personality disorder", Kuriansky stated. (Source)

The trial began on December 16, 2002, and just before the holidays, the judge ordered a two-week recess.

When the trial resumed in January Luster was GONE.

But the trial went on without him. On January 21, 2003, the jury took two days to reach a guilty verdict. Luster was found guilty on 86 counts of rape, sexual assault and poisoning. "The judge sentenced Luster to consecutive six-year sentences on each of the 20 rape counts, plus four for poisoning--a total of 124 years in prison." (Source)

"DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER"--WHERE IS LUSTER?

In 2003, a tip came from an American tourist claiming to have seen Luster living in Puerto Vallarta and hanging out at the clubs going by the name of "David Carrera". The fugitive only lasted six months on the lam, and was apprehended on June 18, 2003, by the infamous bounty hunter, Duane "Dog" Chapman.

Luster now spends the rest of his days in California's Wasco State Prison.

Hopefully Luster is someone else's "fun loving nymph" now!

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/sexual_assault/andrew_luster/1.html

MICHELLE VILBORG: OVERBOARD OR FOUL PLAY?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Says So) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:39:00 +0000

More stories are coming out everyday about some cruise ship mishap. Nothing gets solved and everyone is reported to have "fallen off the ship".

For the past four years I have been exploring the dark side of "vacation paradise"...the luxury cruise. Over the last few years, major media coverage has come out about these unsolved incidents and covered infamous cases such as the young, handsome honeymooner, George Smith.

The most baffling thing to me? Cruise Ships ARE NOT REQUIRED to report crime that occurs on their vessel. They are free and clear once they pass that international waters border. Travelers assume "I'm American! I have my rights!"

Sorry to tell you, when you leave the United States, you HAVE NO RIGHTS.

I have absolutely made the conclusion that the cruise business covers up crimes and doesn't investigate throughly and does what they can to make them go away.

SEE INTERNATIONAL CRUISE VICTIMS WEBSITE

Before you read the following story, check out these past stories I've posted regarding cruise ship crime.

Cruise Ship Companies vs. The U.S. Government

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/spring-break-here-u-s-govt-v-cruise-ship-crime

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/cruise-ships-dont-have-report-crimes

The Case of Mindy Jordan

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/overboard-mindy-jordan-too-many-unanswered-questions

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/overboard-mindy-jordans-pictures-domestic-violence-surface

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/mindy-jordan-lost-sea-no-clear-answers-alleged-troubled-relationship-caputo

The Case of Dianne Brimble

http://my.nowpublic.com/cruise_murder_suspect_im_victim

http://my.nowpublic.com/cruise_ship_death_update_dianne_brimble_murder_charges_be_filed

Miscellaneous Cruise Ship Disasters

http://my.nowpublic.com/part_1_2_peril_cruise_paradise

http://my.nowpublic.com/part_2_peril_cruise_paradise

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/carnival-cruise-relaxing-vacation-or-predator-jungle

(BAY MINETTE, Ala.) June 24 - He was on a cruise with his wife when she disappeared. Now, a Bay Minette man is telling his side of the story. 50-year-old Michelle Vilborg is believed to have fallen overboard from the Mobile-based "Holiday" cruise ship, last Monday night.

A cruise to Cozumel was how the Vilborg and her husband, Swede, wanted to celebrate their 30 years together and celebrate Michelle's 50th birthday.

"It was a spur of the moment thing, just something that we did," Swede Vilborg said. "I hugged her, told her I loved her," Michelle's son, Eric, said. "She danced to the car and was, you know, excited to go."

Around 11 p.m., on the couple's first night aboard the Holiday, Michelle disappeared. Swede recalled the last moments he saw his wife. She was going to jump in the shower He was going to sleep.

"I'm laying in the bed, I can hear the water turn on, and I dozed off," Vilborg said. Vilborg said he woke up 45 minutes later and Michelle was gone.

"Personally, I think there is foul play involved," Vilborg said. "Someone knocked on the door. She is gullible. I honestly believe that's what happened. I don't know why she didn't wake me up or push me or say somebody is here."

He says someone heard a splash. Officials told everyone to go back to their rooms.

Vilborg does not believe his wife committed suicide or that she fell overboard. He also says he had nothing to do with her disappearance. "Are you serious?" Vilborg asked. "Of course not. That's the craziest question I've ever heard. I fell asleep for 45 minutes. That's my crime right there. I fell asleep for 45 minutes. I didn't wait for her to come to bed. I just fell asleep. It's the only time I cannot account for."

Michelle's body has not been found. Her son, Eric, just wants to know what happened to his mother. "I feel a little bit of hope," he said. "Nobody has found her. Maybe some small boat picked her up. You hope that, but you know it's not true. It's hard to lose one of your best friends and your mother at the same time."

The Coast Guard called off the search for Vilborg last Thursday after combing an area the size of Delaware 70 miles southwest of Pensacola, Florida.

http://www.nbc15online.com/news/local/story/Husband-Says-Wife-Possibly-Thrown-from-Carnival/_zArBFUqfkmz1gZEsMHiUg.cspx?rss=217