 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. |
 Money is just one of the tools traffickers use when preying on victims. Often times, victims are in need of basics, such as a warm place to sleep or food to keep from going hungry or victims can be addicted to drugs or alcohol and traffickers exploit these needs. Florida A couple pleads guilty in sex trafficking investigation A Jacksonville man and woman have pleaded guilty after an investigation into child sex trafficking. The couple took plea agreements, which state that the man and the child victim began regularly using heroin and crack cocaine together in 2018. During that time, he started directing the child to engage in sexual acts in exchange for drugs. Tennessee Three men arrested in human trafficking investigation Three Western North Carolina men were arrested as part of a sting operation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Human Trafficking Unit. Authorities placed several decoy advertisements on websites known to be linked to prostitution and commercial sex cases to target sex buyers.Wisconsin Federal Jury Finds Milwaukee Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking He used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to compel female victims to engage in commercial sex acts in cities across the country, including Milwaukee, Chicago, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Miami, as well as in parts of Southern California and Hawaii. One of the victims was a minor. Media typically portrays child sex trafficking as commercial sex, but the reality is far more vast. Sex trafficking of children can include pedophilia, sex with a minor, or child pornography – particularly devastating as the internet gives these traffickers an accessible avenue for their crime. Nevada California man jailed in Las Vegas on child sex trafficking charges A California man is accused of bringing a child to Las Vegas and trafficking her in prostitution. Gregory Don Davis, 27, of Richmond, is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center on suspicion of the kidnapping of a minor, assault with a deadly weapon, sex trafficking of a child under 18, and child abuse. In some states, charges of kidnapping apply when an adult relocates a child without parental permission or keeps them somewhere against their will. It does not automatically indicate a violent abduction. North Carolina Johnston County man sentenced to 35 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor He involved a woman and a minor in prostitution around Eastern North Carolina in December of 2017 and January of 2018, and was convicted last year after a four-day jury trial. He was arrested after a prostitution sting operation in 2018 at a hotel in Wilmington. After his arrest, he attempted to manipulate the minor victim into signing false affidavits. Human trafficking is embedded into our economies, crossing sectors, and industries, especially the hospitality industry. Traffickers often take advantage of the privacy and anonymity accessible through hotels and motels. It is crucially important for hospitality employees to be aware of human trafficking signs and report to the police as soon as possible. Maryland Man accused of committing sex trafficking at St. Louis County motel A St. Louis County man is facing charges for allegedly participating in sex trafficking and prostitution at a Maryland Heights motel. He is charged with trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and promoting prostitution. Prosecutors allege he recruited and kept two people in a room at the Motel 6 in Maryland Heights, and provided narcotics in exchange for sex with clients that he found through a website.  We cannot arrest potential victims and then expect their cooperation in criminal cases. These arrests also limit survivors’ options; these victims often cannot obtain housing, livable wages, and other basic needs with arrests and convictions on their records. New York Two people were arrested and accused of prostitution and operating an illegal massage parlor A search warrant was executed and police found and arrested two workers who investigators said are not licensed to perform massages. They were also found to be involved in prostitution at the time the warrant was executed. Practicing massage without a license is a felony-level arrest in New York. New York 2 arrested in LI massage parlor raid: police Two Queens women accused of operating an unlicensed massage parlor in Suffolk County were arrested. Police in Suffolk County had received numerous complaints about the massage parlor. Officers, detectives, and patrol conducted an investigation of W Foot Spa on New York Avenue Friday at around 4 p.m. Authorities arrested Guimin Zhang, 54, and Jiang Wei, 45, both of Flushing. They were charged with two counts of unauthorized practice of a profession and two counts of prostitution.  Collective Liberty teamed up with the Jefferson County DA’s Office to present our Advanced Human Trafficking Institute in Beaumont, Texas, to local and federal law enforcement from the Beaumont area and members of the Greater New Orleans Human Trafficking Task Force. Collective Liberty CEO Rochelle Keyhan, ADA Kim Duchamp, Detective Chuck Duchamp, and Detective Joseph Scaramucci discussed law enforcement and prosecutorial best practices to ensure that quality cases are built against traffickers without the need to arrest victims, holding the proper people accountable.  JOIN US >> |
