8/31/2020: Human Trafficking News Bulletin

We monitor and fact check media coverage of human trafficking and will share the top cases from each week with you. A broad view of what is happening across the country can be translated into action, allowing us to collectively change the systems and the public narrative.

We often have a predisposed idea as to what a trafficker looks like, and sometimes it isn’t what we think. For many people it is hard to imagine that traffickers can be women.

Arizona Mississippi woman arrested in Phoenix, accused of child sex trafficking
Florida Two women accused of sex trafficking minors in Broward, Palm Beach counties

When it comes to those who engage in trafficking there is no specific gender, location, age, or profession.

Florida. Former Seminole Tax Collector facing sex trafficking charges. He used a state database to look up information about the victim
Ohio. A priest arrested on sex-trafficking charges
Texas. Two men were arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor in Bowie County. The agent making these arrests attended our Advanced Human Trafficking Training Institute last month in Tyler, TX. The Texas Department of Public Safety is doing great work targeting traffickers who are trying to exploit children.

Massage parlor trafficking is an insidious form of trafficking that is incredibly organized and difficult to eradicate across the nation.

Colorado Seven indicted for allegedly running prostitution ring out of Denver massage parlors We were so grateful for the Denver Human Trafficking Unit’s participating in and contribution to the training institute we hosted in Waco, TX in August 2019. Their championing of national best practices in Colorado is an enormous support to victims as law enforcement continues to identify and stop traffickers without placing the entire burden of the case on victims.

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.

California Two Women Arrested On Suspicion of Prostitution at La Verne Spa
Michigan Two women arrested for offering sex for money in Battle Creek prostitution sting This operation was focused on sex buyers, and had moved in the right direction. However, two women engaging in commercial sex were arrested before the buyer operation began, despite acknowledgment that they were out there “to stay afloat for rent or food or habits.”

Our CEO, Rochelle Keyhan, spoke about the viral #Savethechildren campaign for NBC News. It is great to see a national focus on child trafficking, but let’s make sure we’re leaning on the facts to #SaveOurChildren. Follow our Twitter account for more expert and up-to-date information on trafficking and ways to help.
Florida Court Rules Secret Videos Can’t Be Used in Robert Kraft Massage Case Collective Liberty teaches trauma-informed best practices and victim-centered investigations. If a trafficker creates a video of victim sex acts, that is evidence. However, if law enforcement makes the video, it can be excluded from evidence for violating privacy as was ruled in this high-profile case.