Human Trafficking

Child Trafficking in Adoption

2015-01-01T12:59:00.003-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I hope you all have a Happy and Healthy New Year! I just wanted to quickly share an article (below) about child trafficking in adoption. This is an area that is not talked about so much, so I thought it was important to inform everyone about it. Please pass along this blog post to anyone that might be interested.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/30/judge-rehoming-kids-is-trafficking.html

All the best,
Shelley

New Interventions for Human Trafficking Victims in Queens, New York

2014-11-23T11:51:00.002-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share this article, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/nyregion/in-a-queens-court-women-arrested-for-prostitution-are-seen-as-victims.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-middle-span-region&region=c-column-middle-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-middle-span-region&_r=0, I found in the NYTimes about a new intervention that is being used in Queens, New York to help victims of trafficking. While I applaud this new method of intervention, I also hope that more arrests will be made on the demand side. Currently, a group that I am part of called DC Modern Slavery is pursuing stronger lawyers against "renters" (buyers of commercial sex). Check out their work at: http://www.stopmodernslavery.org/getinvolved/advocacy-team/

I hope you find this post informative. I encourage you to get involved in this issue and share this blog with your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and thanks for taking the time to read this post.

All the best,
Shelley

New Human Trafficking Bill Passed in the House

2014-05-24T11:49:00.003-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I was so delighted to come across an article in the NYTimes announcing that the House has passed a bill aimed at curbing Human Trafficking. Check out the article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/us/politics/house-passes-bills-aimed-at-stemming-human-trafficking.html?mabReward=RI%3A15&module=WelcomeBackModal&contentCollection=Opinion&region=FixedCenter&action=click&pgtype=article

The new bill is called the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. You can click on the link to read more. This is a welcomed victory for those of us who have been fighting against Human Trafficking for so long. I encourage everyone to check out the bill and stay informed. I will continue posting any significant news to my blog. Please encourage anyone interested in this issue to subscribe to my blog and feel free to leave comments.

Have a very Happy Memorial Day Weekend and thank you to everyone that is currently serving and has served our country.

-Shelley

Thai Officials Possible Involvement of Trafficking of Myanmar Refugees

2013-12-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share a disturbing story my friend sent me regarding possible involvement of Thai officials in human trafficking. I hope that this post will raise awareness about the issue and encourage people to get involved in preventing human trafficking at the local, state, and international levels. Thank you in advance for reading this and have a nice weekend. Check out the story at : http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/05/us-thailand-rohingya-special-report-idUSBRE9B400320131205#!

Best,
Shelley

UNBOUND--Walk to End Human Trafficking

2013-10-04T10:22:00.003-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I apologize for this late posting, but the time got away from me. Anyhow,I wanted to let everyone know that there will be a Walk to End Human Trafficking tomorrow, Oct. 5th in the Washington D.C. area. If anyone is in the area and available tomorrow morning, I encourage you to join the walk. It starts at 10am and will be held near President Lincoln's Cottage. Information can be found at:
http://unbounddc.org/what/information/.

I am planning on walking with Bridge to Freedom Foundation, so please send me a message at Shelleyfine@gmail.com if you have an interest in joining me. If you are not able to make it, but would still like to donate to my page, I would be much obliged. You can donate at: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ShelleyFine/unbound.

Thanks for reading this entry and feel free to pass it along to anyone that might be interested.

Keep up the fight to END Human Trafficking!

-Shelley

Girl Models

2012-12-09T16:36:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone, I was recently informed about the issue of Girl Models, and I wanted to share it with the group. Although this issue does not technically meet the criteria for human trafficking, there is probably a very fine line that could be crossed. Check out this new documentary at: http://girlmodelthemovie.com/

Happy Holidays!

Best, Shelley

Great Holiday Gifts from Survivors of Trafficking

2011-12-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Check out this site at . They work primarily in six different countries with their efforts concentrated in India and Nepal. They sell amazing jewelry amongst other items. I encourage you to check them out and buy some gifts for the Holiday Season.

Thank you all for your support and efforts in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.

Happy Holidays!
Shelley

Help me Raise Money for DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk 2011

2011-10-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Please check out my link below and make a small donation to help me fight Human Trafficking. Every dollar counts!

Best,
Shelley

http://sms.kintera.org/shelleyfundraising2011

Ramifications of Shutting Down Brothels

2011-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

I recently received a petition from a community group that I am connected to in Washington, DC. The petition below, www.change.org/petitions/tell-prominent-washington-dc-landlord-to-stop-leasing-to-illegal-brothels#?opt_new=t&opt_fb=f is posted on Change. org. When I received this e-mail, I immediately began thinking about what the ramifications that shutting down this brothel would have on the women in the brothel.

As a social work student, I first and foremost think about empowering the group that I am trying to assist. According to MY value system, I do not think not agree that women should remain in a situation where they have been trafficked. But.... this is MY value system. Therefore, I would want to know what THESE women want, and what they feel are the best solutions.

I would also consider the following points:

a. The women in the brothel may not want it shut down immediately because this would put them in a worse off position than before. If there are not the proper social services in place to help them, then they may end up in a trafficking cycle again (if this is indeed trafficking). This often happens.

b. Are their proper local social services available to support these women once they are taken out of the brothel? If not, then they may end up in another trafficking situation very easily.

c. Will the women be forced according to current trafficking laws to testify against their traffickers and do they want to do this?

d. What benefits will the women get if they are certified as trafficking victims and are these social benefits sufficient to really help these women attain true autonomy and independence?

In making these points, I am NOT saying that I do not agree with the petition that it is wrong for this businessman to be renting out his space to a known brothel, but these are points to consider.

Additionally, I would question if it is a proper approach for our group to target shutting down the brothel immediately OR if we should go about this a different way?

Human trafficking is a VERY complex issue with no easy answers, and therefore (in my opinion) we need to consider ALL sides of the matter.

Finally, I would simply remember the idea that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, we need to think hard about what that reaction would be before we take an action.

Thanks for listening everyone and I encourage you to post your comments on my blog. I just ask that everyone be respectful and open to hearing other sides.

Best,
Shelley

Trafficking Panel at Catholic University, Feb. 7th

2011-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Please see information below on a trafficking panel being held at Catholic University on Monday, Feb. 7th. Feel free to forward to anyone who may be interested.

Best,
Shelley

On February 7^th from 4:15-5:45pm, Catholic University’s Social Justice Committee will be sponsoring a Trafficking Panel featuring representatives from Polaris Project, Change.org, and International Justice Mission. The panel will be located on the Catholic campus in Gowan 126 Contact SMS member Shelley Fine at shelleyfine@gmail.com for more information.

Creating Freedom through Business in Calcutta, India

2011-01-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Last night I had the privilege to hear a man by the name of Kerry Hilton, a native New Zealander, who has started a remarkable business called Freeset for victims of sex trafficking in Calcutta, India. As Hilton described it, he had a vision to create a business of freedom to counteract the business of trafficking.

I was both saddened and inspired to hear about the stories of the women and children trapped in slavery in this region. According to Hilton, 10,000 women and children within one mile typically service 20,000 men that visit the area. When Hilton mentioned that many women sell their bodies just to feed their children, tears started to welling in my eyes. I also became emotional when he spoke about a mother that came to him for a job because her daughter, age 11, was severely malnourished from not eating. As Hilton stated, "I thought she was going to die right in front of me."

Despite all of this sadness, Hilton also spoke of the women's amazing resilience, the power of their community, and the self-esteem women have gained through dignified work. To show the power of community, Hilton spoke of how the women have split their wages to help each other out and how they pray every morning for the women and children still entrapped in slavery. He also said that the women feel proud about the products they have created.

After hearing Hilton speak last night, I found myself with a whole different perspective. As I entered my bathroom, I remembered Hilton saying that often times entire families will live in a space the size of a bathroom. As I went to eat dinner, I remembered the story of the 11 year old malnourished girl and felt so grateful for food. As I purchased a soda today, I remember Hilton stating that some women are paid as little as $.50 for their bodies. And.....most importantly, I remembered how lucky I am as a woman to grow up in America and have opportunities to educate myself and to earn a decent living.

I have always felt and still feel that the ONLY difference between these women and myself is just a matter of circumstances. As a woman, I recognize the horrible inequalities that exist around the world and the suffering that many women and children must endure.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and please check out Hilton's site at, http://freesetglobal.com/who-we-are/our-story.html. If you live in the DC area and would like to get more involved in trafficking issues, please check out DC Stop Modern Slavery at http://www.stopmodernslavery.org/. For those of you not in the DC area, I encourage to look up Meetup groups at Meetup.com to see what community groups are doing.

Have a great evening and keep fighting for freedom! Please forward this blog to your friends.

-Shelley

Trafficking Awareness Day

2011-01-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the late posting on this, but please see the events below for Trafficking Awareness Day this Tuesday, January 11th. Please pass this e-mail along to anyone that might be interested in these events. Remember that action against this horrific injustice starts with each and every one of you!

Best,

Shelley

Tuesday is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day! There are three different events taking place in Washington, DC on this day.

If you enjoy sports please join Polaris Project and the DC Human Trafficking Task Force (DCHTTF) at the Washington Wizards v. Sacramento Kings game at 7:00 p.m. at the Verizon Center! The event will bring attention to human trafficking at a widely publicized sports game. During the game there will be an announcement encouraging the thousands of spectators to visit the DCHTTF information booth in the stadium to get more information on human trafficking.

Where: Verizon Center (601 F St. NW)
When: Tuesday, 1/11/2011 at 7:00 p.m.
Details: Purchase your tickets here. When prompted just enter: WIZARDS

Click here for more details.

If you attended the DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk in October please wear your red shirts from the walk which highlight the DCHTTF and the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888). If you weren’t at the walk and do not have a t-shirt please feel free to wear any red shirt to show your solidarity.

There are also two events organized by Florida International University. First, a Congressional Forum on Human Trafficking, where panelists will discuss the issue. The details are as follows:

Where: Rayburn House Office Building 2200
When: Tuesday, 1/11/2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Details: This event is open to the general public

The second, a theater production of Body & Sold at the Kennedy Center. This is a play performed by students from Florida International University and based on transcripts extracted from interviews conducted by playwright Debora Fortson in which ten young victims of human trafficking share their experiences and journeys of loss, innocence and redemption. If you’re more of a theater enthusiast, please consider joining us for the evening’s performance! The details are as follows:

Where: The Kennedy Center
When: Tuesday 1/11/2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Details: Tickets are $30. Please click here to purchase your tickets now.

We hope that you can make it out to at least one of these events to commemorate National Human Trafficking Awareness Day with us (we’ll have staff and supporters at all three venues).

We look forward to seeing you there!

Johanna Olivas
Program Associate
Public Outreach and Communications

Restavek Children in Haiti

2010-12-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to highlight the story below of a young girl, about fifteen, who is considered a child slave, otherwise known as a restavek in Haiti. There are an estimated 300,000 restavek children in Haiti. For all intensive purposes, these children are considered property of wealthier families in Haiti. They are made to do all of the housework including taking care of children. Their lives are full of suffering. Few of these children are ever lucky to ever get out from under the grips of slavery and restore their dignity and hope. Please take a moment to read the article below and donate at http://www.restavekfreedom.org or another organization of your choosing.

Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Article Below:

You’d never know it was a school, but tucked down an alley near a pier in the slum of Cite Soleil, is the Waf Jeremie School. It’s about the size of a garage, with Sheet metal walls, tarp for a roof. Inside are about a hundred children, dressed in pink and maroon uniforms. That is where we found Rosaline Durici. She’s fifteen and basically a slave.

15-year-old Rosaline Durici is basically a slave (Photo: Sabri Ben-Achour)

Do you live with your mom and dad? No, she says, she lives with a woman who she calls her aunt, but she’s definitely not her aunt.

How did you get to live with this woman, I ask. Seven or eight years ago – it was a Friday, Durici remembers – this woman came to her home in the countryside. She told Durici’s parents that she didn’t have any children of her own, that she wanted to adopt Rosaline, and promised to send her to school.

Her mother wasn’t totally happy with the idea, she says, and Durici didn’t want to go but her father said she had to, because it would mean she would get a good education.

Where are they now, have you seen your parents since? She doesn’t even know exactly where they live.

Contrary to what Durici’ parents were led to believe, Durici didn’t go to school for 8 years. The woman who “bought” her has four children. Durici is responsible for bathing them, braiding their hair, dressing them, taking them to school. Then she has to do the washing, the cooking, the cleaning – everything there is to do around the house.

The children aren’t nice to her, she says, they don’t respect her. They call her names just like their mother does, insulting Rosaline about her body, telling her she stinks.

Sometimes the woman mistreats her, she says. Beats her, swears at her. Durici only started attending school this year – and only because neighbors started complaining. They told the woman she couldn’t just keep Durici shut up in the house all the time.

Does she ever hug you, I want to know. “Non” Does she do your hair? Yes, when I go to school, she’ll do my hair. But if I’m not going to school, I have to do it myself. I ask her wether she’s mad at your parents? No, she says. They only made me go so I could go to school. They didn’t know how this woman would treat me.

What makes you happy? Nothing, she says. Nothing makes her happy. Because she’s far from her mom and dad. No matter how hard things might be out in the countryside, she believes she would be happy there, because they would be together.

Rosaline Durici’ story is starting to look up a little bit. She’s in school now, she can write her name, her parent’s names. That’s the only unusual part of her story though – that she made it to school at all. Jurvelle Luckner is a pastor who runs the school that Rosaline Durici attends. He says life for some of Haiti’s restaveks has only gotten harder in the months after the earthquake. When some families’ homes collapsed, he says they turned their Restaveks out onto the street.

Rosaline Durici doesn’t know what she’ll end up doing in life. Most restaveks – skillless and illiterate – end up on the street or as domestic servants. Some even stay with their host family through their adult lives. Rosaline just holds out hope that maybe, one day, she’ll see her family again.
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Please sign petition to free sex trafficking victim

2010-11-15T14:35:00.001-08:00

Hi Friends,

Please see the article below and sign the petition to free Sara Kruzan. Sara Kruzan was arrested at the age of sixteen after she shot and killed her pimp. She is now facing life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. However, as you read the details of the case below, you will see that Sara was in a situation where she was severely traumatized at the hands of her pimp and the men who were buying her on a nightly basis. Please read the story below and click on the link at to sign the petition. I appreciate your assistance in this important matter and please forward to others.

Free Sex Trafficking Victim Sara Kruzan

Plus: Amazon Pulls Pedophile Guide • Police Threaten Rape Victim • Halliburton Fracking Controversy • Fighting Racist Mascots • Recovering from Wrongful Imprisonment

Dear Shelley,

At Change.org, we encounter a lot of stories of tragedy, injustice and triumph. None is more heart-wrenching than the story of Sara Kruzan.

Sara, who was once her elementary school's student body president, met the man who would become her pimp when she was just 11. After acting as the father figure she never had for two years, he raped Sara at age 13 and trafficked her into the commercial sex trade.

For the next 3 years, from 6pm to 6am, strangers would pay Sara's pimp to rape her and other adolescent girls he recruited and preyed upon.

Finally, physically and psychologically traumatized, Sara snapped. She shot and killed her pimp.

Her punishment? Life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The sentence was handed down by a judge in 1994 against the recommendation of the California Youth Authority, and before there was much awareness about the violence of child trafficking or an appreciation for the trauma of adolescent sexual and physical abuse.

The sentence was extreme and unjust. And it can now be overturned by one man: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Governor Schwarzenegger is leaving office at the end of the year, and will soon be considering clemency petitions. In response, there is a grassroots movement building to call on Governor Schwarzenegger to commute Sara's sentence to time served.

Join the movement to ask Governor Schwarzenegger to free Sara Kruzan now.

Tragically, the sexual exploitation Sara suffered is not unique. But what makes her case especially poignant is not just the injustice of her life sentence, but her response.

Rather than descend in hopelessness, Sara has found redemption in jail and become an inspiration to all those around her. She has graduated from high school, is on her way to completing her college degree, and started the prison's Committee for Youth to serve as a mentor to younger women. She was recently voted "Woman of the Year" at her prison.

However, without intervention from Governor Schwarzenegger, Sara will likely die in prison.

Don't let this happen. Sara has more than paid her debt to society with 16 years of incarceration. It's time to set her free.

Call on Governor Schwarzenegger to free Sara Kruzan now.

For more information on Sara's case, click here. And for more news and opportunities for action from this week in change, see the summaries from your favorite causes below.

Meeting Anti-Slavery Activists

2010-11-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Please look at the event sponsored below by DC Stop Modern Slavery. If you are interested in meeting Anti-Slavery Activists, this would be a great opportunity. Please paste the following link in your browser at http://www.meetup.com/wdcsms/calendar/15271412/to RSVP and sign up. You may have to also join DC Stop Modern Slavery as a member.

Feel free to pass along this post and my blog information to others who may be interested in learning more about human trafficking in our region and abroad.

Have a great afternoon.

-Shelley

Child Trafficking in DC

2010-11-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Please take a moment to check out the news report at: http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=119188&catid=158 by Channel 9. I have been following the issue for quite sometime, but was particularly alarmed to read about the level of corruption by professionals such as judges, police etc. I hear about this corruption in less developed countries, but want to believe that the United States maintains a higher standard.

There are so many ways that the problem of child trafficking needs to be attacked. As a civil society, we must demand stronger enforcement, tougher sentencing guidelines, and more social services for victims. Additionally, economists could weigh in on this debate by pointing out to lawmakers and the general public how many dollars are lost to our overall economy because of child trafficking. I am not an economist, but I do know that there are millions of nontaxable dollars exchanged by pimps and their customers. Additionally, there is a potential loss in market labor of adolescents who may be forced to sell their bodies on the street rather than maintain legitimate jobs in the workforce sector. I would welcome any further comments from on this line of thinking.

I encourage you all to keep up the fight against this heinous crime and demand action from your political representatives and community.

Testing

2010-11-08T08:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I am testing my blog to see if you receive this post. I have heard from several people that they have not been receiving my posts. Please let me know if you receive this.

Thank you and have a great afternoon. There will be more trafficking alerts to come.

Best,
Shelley

Sign up Now for Stop Modern Slavery Walk!

2010-10-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

I encourage you to sign up now for the Stop Modern Slavery Walk taking place on October 23rd. Please see the announcement below and pass along to your networks. We CAN make a difference on this issue!

Best,
Shelley

The countdown is on for the Walk to Stop Modern Slavery! We have:

1379 walkers
130 teams
35 partner NGOs
12 sponsors
Over $66,000 raised for non-profits

And 6 days to go!

Please continue to recruit friends and family to join us in spirit if not body! We need walkers and supporters: Help us reach 2000 walkers!

“One Day, One Time, One Voice for the Voiceless”

Walk with us to Stop Modern Slavery!
October 23, 2010
National Mall - Lincoln Memorial
REGISTER NOW: http://walk.stopmodernslavery.org

Craig's List takes down Adult Services

2010-09-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I think this is a critically important step in the right direction. If anything, this sends the right message to traffickers, that people are watching and will not stand for blatant abuses of human rights. While this is certainly a positive move, I feel that it is also crucial for the US government to continue to recognize this problem inside their own borders and provide both public awareness and funding to social service agencies to assist victims.

Please see the article below.

Craigslist dumps 'adult service' adverts

By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley

Craigslist was started in 1995 as a hobby by founder Craig Newmark

The online marketplace Craigslist has closed the controversial "adult services" listing in the US.

The company has not said why it took the decision, but it has faced an ongoing barrage of criticism from attorneys general and advocacy groups.

They have claimed the listing was a virtual tool for pimps and prostitutes.

The section has now been replaced with a black and white bar that reads "censored". An "erotic" service is still active outside the US.

A statement from Craigslist executives is expected in the coming days.

'Threat to women and children'

Last year the San Francisco based company removed its "erotic services" section and replaced it with a fee-based adult category in response to pressure from 40 state attorneys general.

It also adopted a policy of screening every advert.

In a May blog post, Craigslist chief executive Jim Buckmaster said Craigslist had "gone beyond fulfilling its legal obligations". The site was "a leader in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation," he said.

But critics continued to accuse the firm of helping to facilitate child prostitution.

The listings came under renewed scrutiny after the suicide in prison last month of a former medical student who was awaiting trial in the killing of a masseuse he met through Craigslist.

In early August a paid advert appeared in the Washington Post from two women appealing for the closure of the adult services section. One said she had been forced into prostitution at the age of 11, with the jobs organised through Craigslist.

“Start Quote

Internet services may accelerate and exacerbate some social problems like prostitution, but they rarely cause them”

End Quote Evan Hansen Wired

And last week in a joint letter to Craigslist, 17 attorneys general said women and children would "continue to be victimised in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist".

'Easy target'

The latest move by Craigslist to close down the service was welcomed by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a persistent critic of both the erotic and adult listings.

"We welcome any steps toward eliminating the adult services section and prostitution ads on Craigslist, as we have urged, and we are seeking to verify the site's official policy going forward," he said.

"If Craigslist is doing the right thing voluntarily in response to our coalition of attorneys general, it could set an example for others."

But in the blogosphere there has been broad support for Craigslist's position.

"It is surely, though, splendidly naive to think Craigslist would somehow be alone in providing a forum for prostitution ads," said Chris Matyszczyk on the news blog CNET.com.

"However, Craigslist is in the unfortunate position of being high-profile and successful and has become a very easy target in what is a far more complex and nuanced issue than the attorneys general are making out."

And at Wired, Evan Hansen said: "Internet services may accelerate and exacerbate some social problems like prostitution, but they rarely cause them. The root of these issues - and their solutions - lie in the realm of public policy, not web sites."

Please sign up to walk!

2010-08-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

Total Donations : $4,572

Welcome to DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk

On October 23, 2010, thousands of people will gather on the National Mall for the DC Stop Modern Slavery Walk, a united effort to celebrate human rights, raise awareness about human trafficking, and raise funds for organizations working to end human trafficking.

It’s One day, One place, and One Voice for the Voiceless!

This event will include:

A 3.1 mile walk

Information fair

Luminary speakers

Live music

A shorter family walk

A family-friendly area

It will be the largest anti-human trafficking event in DC history! Join us to help build a better world and bring light to an issue that thrives in darkness.

This event is organized entirely by community volunteers. No one on the organizing team is paid. 100% of money raised will go to organizations that combat human trafficking and care for victims.

States Take Action to Stop Trafficking

2010-08-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/18/AR2010071801839_pf.html

Blue Campaign by ICE (Immigrations and Custom Enforcement)

2010-07-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It has been some time since I have updated this blog and I apologize for my absence. With that being said, I wanted to make everyone aware of a new campaign called the Blue Campaign that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put in place. This is a widespread effort to continue informing the public about trafficking and create a united front of law enforcement to fight this horrendous crime. Please go to the link below to read more about this effort.

Never take your freedom for granted and always fight for those that do not have it!

http://media-newswire.com/release_1122956.html

Haiti and Human Trafficking

2010-02-01T15:25:00.001-08:00

For those of you that are not aware of the situation of child trafficking in Haiti, I wanted to include an important news update below. The situation was critical before, but is now even worse. Please take the time to click on the link below and take action to get involved. Thank you for your attention to this crucial matter.

http://www.sflcn.com/story.php?id=7928

DC Stop Child Trafficking Walk this Saturday

2009-09-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I am making a bit of a personal pitch on child trafficking to try and raise money, but I also wanted to inform individuals on the gravity of the situation. Please read the stats below and donate what you are able. I will also include a website where you can go to find out information about walks going on in your neck of the woods.

Child Trafficking/Donation Information:

Please take a look at my donation page below and consider making a small contribution. This is a huge issue in both this country and abroad. Please take a look at some of that stats below to get an idea of just HOW bad and widespread the problem has become.

300,000 children in the U.S. are at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation. -U.S. Department of Justice

600,000 – 800,000 people are bought and sold across international borders each year; 50% are children, most are female. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade. – U.S. Department of State, 2004, Trafficking in Persons Report, Washington, D.C.

An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. – U.S Department of Justice Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons

An estimated 2.5 million children, the majority of them girls, are sexually exploited in the multibillion dollar commercial sex industry – UNICEF

Investigators and researchers estimate the average predator in the U.S. can make more than $200,000 a year off one young girl. – NBC Report by Teri Williams

I greatly appreciate your support and please spread the word and let me know if you would like to walk!

You can donate at: http://sctnow.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=556&participantID=1197

Thanks,
Shelley

Information on walks nationwide:

http://sctnow.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.eventList

Conviction of child traffickers in Maryland

2009-07-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to make you aware of a critical conviction of child traffickers in Maryland. I am including the press release below. This conviction shows a huge step forward in law enforcement taking serious action to uphold trafficking laws and reinforce to criminals that their behavior will not be tolerated!

July 28, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md MARCIA MURPHY at (410) 209-4885

SECOND DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY IN SEX TRAFFICKING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING THREE MINOR GIRLS

Maryland Task Force to Show ?Zero Tolerance for Child Prostitution?

Baltimore, Maryland - Lea Bell, a/k/a ?Eboni,? a/k/a ?Ebony,? age 29, of Reisterstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

?Maryland?s human trafficking task force is committed to a policy of zero tolerance for child prostitution,? said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. ?Anyone who pays for or profits from sex with children should be on notice that law enforcement agents and prosecutors are standing by to send them to federal prison.?

?Traffickers who prey on the emotional and physical vulnerability of young girls will be held accountable for their actions,? said Scot R. Rittenberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Baltimore. ?As a member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, ICE will continue to aggressively investigate human trafficking and protect our communities from the threats and vulnerabilities posed by these criminal organizations.?

According to her guilty plea and court documents, from January through April, 2009, Bell and Byron Thompson, a ?pimp,? jointly ran a prostitution business, recruiting minors to engage in commercial sex acts. Thompson controlled the business and Bell, a ?bottom,? assisted by collecting proceeds directly from sex customers, training the sex workers that Thompson recruited and exerting control over the sex workers in Thompson?s absence. Bell and Thompson rented over 100 combined hotel rooms in Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C. and recruited sex workers through friends, clubs, bars and the internet. They posted more than 100 erotic and personal ads on the internet in order to draw sex customers.

Bell and Thompson obtained ?Jane Doe 1? and ?Jane Doe 2,? each 15 years old, and ?Jane Doe 3,? 17 years old (?the minors?) for commercial sex acts, knowing that they were not 18 years old. From January to February 2009, Bell and Thompson prostituted Jane Doe 3, providing and advertising Jane Doe 3 dozens of times for sexual services in Maryland. Bell and Thompson transported Jane Doe 3 to hotels, private residences, and required Jane Doe 3 to ?walk? truck stops and Baltimore City streets known for prostitution. In that time, Bell and Thompson directed dozens of customers to Jane Doe 3.

Bell and Thompson kept all of the money paid by the sex customers.

In the early morning hours of March 6, 2009, Bell and Thompson drove the minors to a Maryland truck stop and directed them to walk the area for additional sex customers. The minors were almost immediately retrieved by law enforcement, but Bell and Thompson continued to attempt to contact Jane Doe 3 through April 2009.

On April 20, 2009, Bell and Thompson created a Craigslist posting advertising sexual services and containing a photograph of Jane Doe 3. On May 17, 2009, Bell and Thompson created a Backpage posting advertising a ?2-girl special? and containing photographs of Jane Doe 3 and a photograph of Jane Doe 1. Bell and Thompson were subsequently located and arrested.

Bell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, although the parties have agreed that 10 years in prison is the appropriate disposition of this case. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.

Byron Thompson, a/k/a ?B,? age 25, of Reisterstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty on July 16, 2009 to the conspiracy and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Judge Bennett has scheduled Thompson?s sentencing for October 1, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

The case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md/Human-Trafficking/index.html

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Baltimore County Police Department for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solette A. Magnelli and Judson T. Mihok, who are prosecuting the case.

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Hi Everyone,

Best,Shelley

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Best,
Shelley