 We monitor and fact-check media coverage of human trafficking and share the top cases with you from each week. A broad view of what is happening across the country can be translated into action, allowing us to collectively change the system and the public narrative. |
 We appreciate the recent focus on child sex trafficking on social media, but let’s make sure we’re leaning on the facts and real cases. California 33 missing children found in anti-human trafficking operation in Southern California Of the 33 children recovered during “Operation Lost Angels,” eight were being sexually exploited at the time of their recovery. Some of the other victims located during the operation were sexually exploited in the past and were considered vulnerable missing children. Florida Hialeah couple arrested on human trafficking charges involving underage teen The couple made a sex video involving a 16-year-old girl, investigators said the video was later posted online to OnlyFans, a website commonly used for selling pornography. Human trafficking not only occurs within hotels, in homes, or on the streets but also can be facilitated over the internet. Detectives said the couple has made at least $5,900 from their OnlyFans account. Thankfully, the judge in this case took this seriously and issued no bond on the charges. New York Rochester man charged with sex trafficking, sexual enticement of a minor. Federal prosecutors say 62-year-old Peter Kiwitt now faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A $250,000 fine is also pending. We often have a predisposed idea as to what a trafficker looks like, and sometimes it isn’t what we think. Sometimes the exploiters are high-powered or well-known members of our communities. Texas A prominent Wichita Falls businessman was arrested on charges of human trafficking Anthony Ryan Patterson, 44, who is president of Patterson Auto Group, was booked into Wichita County Jail on charges of trafficking of a person and indecency with a child by exposure. New Hampshire Concord Teacher Arrested On Prostitution, Child Sex Image Charges In December 2020 a former Concord High School student accused a relatively new teacher at the school of being involved in soliciting younger men online on Grindr, a self-described dating site and app for gay and bisexual men and the trans community. New Jersey/New York Authorities Smash International Sex-Trafficking Ring In NJ, NY, Rescue Dozens Of Victims More than 50 women were forced into prostitution in North Jersey, Rockland County, and New York City by members of a large-scale international human trafficking ring. Detectives and uniformed police and sheriff’s officers arrested 21 ring members. California Human Trafficking Investigation Nets 145 Arrests in LA County “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild” involved more than 100 federal, state, and local agencies, and resulted in 450 arrests statewide, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Statewide, 39 victims of human trafficking were rescued during the operation, including 13 juveniles, officials said.  Ohio 8 women arrested in Central Ohio Human Trafficking single-day sting “Arresting the people who are the victims of human trafficking sounds harsh, but the complicated reality is that this often is the best way that law enforcement can help,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. We cannot arrest potential victims and then expect their cooperation in criminal cases. These arrests also create an environment in which their options are limited, often leaving them stuck with their traffickers; these victims often cannot obtain housing, livable wages, and other basic needs with arrests and convictions on their records.  At Collective Liberty, we use a multi-pronged approach to the very complex issue of human trafficking. We work to arm law enforcement with critical data-driven intel, elevate the voices of survivor leaders to help navigate the landscape, breakdown silos between various anti-human trafficking stakeholders all while simultaneously combating the vulnerabilities that lead to victimization in the first place. To help alleviate some of those vulnerabilities with every donation of $100 or more, we are gifting face masks from the Mazahua indigenous community in Mexico. This community, which has relied heavily on the country’s tourism as their source of income, is more vulnerable than ever during the current pandemic and we want to do our part to help. Join us in supporting the Mazahua tribe and helping in the fight against human trafficking.  JOIN US >> |
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