http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1472612/posts
Sex Tourism: Addressing the Demand for Trafficking
House Committee on Financial Services: Addressing the Demand for Trafficking
HUMAN TRAFFICKING (SLAVERY) - Legislative Update - (up to 900,000 victims each yr; mostly children)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1530000/posts
Illegal Immigration, Human Trafficking, and Organized Crime
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1529927/posts
CIS - Canada: The Organized Crime Marketplace in Canada
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1103602/posts
Travel Agents Indicted for Arranging 'Sex Tours'
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1168921/posts
Teenagers offer cheap sex (New Zealand prostitution)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1189898/posts
Charges Dismissed In 'Sex Tours' Case
BUSH ADMINISTRATION HOSTS FIRST NATIONAL TRAINING CONFERENCE TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING
President George W. Bush And Attorney General John Ashcroft Address Conference
TAMPA - Today, President Bush joined Attorney General Ashcroft and other senior Bush Administration officials at the first-ever national training conference on human trafficking: Human Trafficking into the United States: Rescuing Women and Children from Slavery. Hosted by the Justice Department, the conference brought together over 500 attendees, comprised of the hundreds of state, local and federal officials who work together to combat human trafficking in communities across America. Trafficking in persons, a modern day form of slavery, is a serious problem in the United States and throughout the world. Each year, an estimated 600,000-800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked against their will across international borders. Of those, 14,500-17,500 are trafficked into America. Victims are forced into prostitution, or to work in sweatshops, quarries, as domestic labor, or child soldiers, and in many forms of involuntary servitude.
Throughout the past three years, the Bush Administration has taken strong steps to combat trafficking at home and abroad. Today at the conference, the Bush Administration announced new steps and resources to combat human trafficking. These initiatives include $14 million to law enforcement to help human trafficking victims, $4.5 million for organizations to assist victims, new interagency cooperation to ensure the timely delivery of benefits and services to victims, a model state law criminalizing human trafficking, new training resources, new task forces, as well as greatly increased investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking.
“From the very beginning of his Administration, President Bush has spoken forcefully and eloquently about the brutal crime of human trafficking,” said Attorney General John Ashcroft. “We will protect the victims, prosecute the perpetrators, and build partnerships to address, attack and prevent human trafficking. These steps send a clear message that America will repel aggressively assaults on our core values of freedom and respect for human dignity. We have had success in the past three years, but we understand that these efforts are only the beginning. It is critical that we work together to track down those who hide their barbaric businesses in the shadows, and to help their victims.”
* $14 Million for Law Enforcement Agencies and Service Providers To Help Trafficking Victims:
The Bush Administration today announced Department of Justice funding to support and implement local efforts to identify, rescue, and restore victims of trafficking. The Justice Department will make available $14 million to law enforcement agencies and service providers, and as many as 25 communities across the country will be eligible to receive this funding. This money will support anti-trafficking efforts to identify, rescue and restore victims of trafficking in communities across the country. The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will administer the new grant program.
* $4.5 Million for Organizations To Help Trafficking Victims: Today, the Justice Department awarded $4.5 million to nine local organizations that provide shelter where victims of trafficking can find refuge in the interval between rescue and the determination of eligibility for public assistance and other benefits. The grant program provides comprehensive services for victims of trafficking by building on existing community resources, to strengthen the collaboration and cooperation among existing agencies and organizations that serve trafficking victims; to provide training to criminal justice personnel, social service providers and the public of the rights and needs of trafficking victims; and to support the ability of trafficking victims to cooperate with law enforcement and prosecutors in the investigation and prosecution of trafficking cases. The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is administering this grant program. Grant recipients include:
Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, CA: $500,696
Safe Horizon: $500,000
(For work in the five boroughs of NYC)
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance: $500,000
(For work in the state of NY, minus NYC’s five boroughs)
International Institute of Boston, MA: $500, 000
International Rescue Committee, NY: $499,999 (For work in the state of WA)
World Relief Corporation, Baltimore, MD $499,998 (For work in Al, FL, KY, MD, MS, NC, LA, TN, TX, SC, OK)
U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC: $413,298
(For work in MD, DE, PA and NJ)
U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC: $372,237
(For work in OR)
Refugee Women’s Network, Inc.: $311,708 (For work in GA)
* Cooperation to Combat Trafficking: To ensure the smooth and timely delivery of benefits and services to trafficking victims as well as comprehensive investigations and prosecutions, the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security are working together to share information and provide benefits to victims most in need. In addition, the charter for the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center went into effect July 2004 and brings together representatives from law enforcement, intelligence, and diplomacy to combat alien smuggling, trafficking in persons, and terrorist travel networks.
* Comprehensive Anti-Trafficking State Laws: While many states have laws that address various aspects of the crime of trafficking in persons, comprehensive anti-trafficking statutes are needed to deter and punish the wide range of coercive tactics used by traffickers. To meet this need, the Justice Department has drafted a model anti-trafficking statute for states. Texas, Washington, Minnesota, Missouri, and Florida already have comprehensive state trafficking laws.
* Increased Investigations and Prosecutions of Human Traffickers: The Bush Administration has greatly increased human trafficking prosecutions. From FY 2001-2003, the Justice Department initiated prosecutions of 110 persons, nearly a three-fold increase compared to the previous three years. Of those, 78 involved allegations of sex trafficking. From FY 2001 to now, the Department obtained convictions and guilty pleas from 107 individuals. From FY 2001-2003, the Department opened 210 new investigations, more than double the number opened in the previous three years. At present, the Department has 168 open investigations into possible human trafficking crimes, more than twice as many as were open in January 2001.
* Anti-Trafficking Training for Law Enforcement and Organizations that Help Victims: The Department of Justice provides anti-trafficking training to federal, state and local prosecutors, as well as law enforcement agents and officers, to non-governmental organizations and to officials of foreign governments. The training program will be made available to trafficking response teams attending the conference to enhance their efforts. The Justice Department is also developing a model curriculum for the victim-centered approach to identifying and rescuing trafficking victims and investigating and prosecuting their traffickers and abusers.
* Anti-Trafficking Task Forces: To combat trafficking, the Bush Administration has convened anti-trafficking task force coalitions in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Tampa and will create a dozen additional task forces this year. These task forces bring together federal, state, local, and non-governmental sectors to combat trafficking and provide comprehensive assistance to victims. Additionally, public service announcements have been issued in Spanish, Russian, Polish, Chinese, and Korean to inform victims of their rights.
These new efforts will support the Bush Administration’s ongoing initiatives to combat human trafficking and provide assistance to trafficking victims. Since 2001, President Bush has provided more than $35 million to 36 faith-based and community organizations across the country to aid victims of trafficking with services such as emergency shelter, legal, mental, and health services, as well as English-proficiency instruction. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has launched a referral hotline to help victims. The Administration has also worked to provide immigration relief for trafficking victims through a new class of visa (T-visas) that allows trafficking victims to remain in the U.S. for three years with work authorization and access to benefits and services. Additionally, on an international level, President Bush’s budget has provided more than $295 million to support anti -trafficking programs in more than 120 countries since 2001.
The conference was attended by trafficking response teams made up of federal, state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and victim service providers from at least twenty-one cities with known concentration of trafficking victims. Teams came from communities including Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; El Paso, TX; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Long Island, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Newark, NJ; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Metropolitan Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Richmond, VA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; St. Louis, MO, Seattle, WA and Tampa, FL. These teams learned how to uncover and investigate cases, as well as how to provide services to trafficking victims. The conference emphasized the importance of combating trafficking using a victim-centered approach. Rescuing victims requires proactive law enforcement strategies and an understanding of the collaborative approach to human trafficking that includes community members, first responders, restorative care service providers, victim advocates, as well as state, local, and federal law enforcement.
The latest U.S. government interagency report on human trafficking, Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons can be found at www.usdoj.gov/trafficking.htm
New York targets immigrant slavery in `human trafficking' bill
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Earlier this year, a couple in Michigan was accused of enslaving a 14-year-old African girl, hitting her with a belt and shoes and sexually abusing her for three years. Last fall, a 60-year-old Filipino woman in California won an $825,000 lawsuit after claiming she was enslaved and assaulted, working 18 hours a day, and sleeping in a dog bed. And last month, federal agents broke up a prostitution ring in Brooklyn exploiting Asian girls.
They are among as many as 20,000 immigrants smuggled into the U.S. each year headed toward possible slavery or prostitution often through the major ports of New York, California and Florida, according to federal officials and a study by Florida State University. (more at link)
'Slavery' called a growing fear for immigrants
PARAMUS - Victims of human trafficking are growing in numbers "right underneath our noses," North Jersey Asian-Americans were told Saturday in a workshop designed to help community activists identify and assist the casualties of this "modern-day slavery."
According to government estimates, between 18,000 and 20,000 immigrants are smuggled into the United States every year for labor or sexual exploitation - including some 4,000 coming to New Jersey - mostly from Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. (more at link)
Nevada Attorney General Asks for Human Trafficking Bill
A bill to crack down on human trafficking and involuntary servitude has cleared another hurdle in the Nevada Assembly. The proposal, passed by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, is backed by Attorney General Brian Sandoval. It would make it illegal to enslave someone by confiscating a passports, threatening deportation or threatening to harm family members. Offenders could get up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $50,000. (more)
Report: Japan sex industry ensnares Latin women
Migrant Women Trapped in Europe's Sex Industry
The money Rosa was earning in a Turkish shoe factory was not enough to support the three children she had left behind in Ukraine.
Then her new friend in Turkey, Katerina, told her she could earn $700 a month as a casino waitress in Bosnia and convinced Rosa to come home with her to Moldova and then make their way to Bosnia.
"I began to think of all the things I could do to change my life to help my children, my family."
As the time came to leave Moldova, Katerina said she had a problem with her passport and would join Rosa in Bosnia a week later. At the station, she introduced Rosa to a Romanian man who would accompany her.
Rosa felt something was wrong when she said good-bye and Katerina just turned away.
"I pushed my feelings aside," said Rosa, who declined to give her real name. "I don't usually trust anyone, but I told myself that sometimes you have to have faith."
Rosa paid Katerina $300 to get her a job but a criminal gang had already paid Katerina $700 to make Rosa their slave.
She was smuggled across Europe in cars and once in a fold-away bed on a train, was sold and resold, beaten, raped and forced to work in brothels. (more)
Unicef cites rising rate of child-trafficking
Unicef warned Monday that millions of children round the globe are being trafficked annually in an illegal industry worth $10-billion (U.S.) a year, rivalling the trade in illicit drugs and arms. UN Children's Fund executive director Carol Bellamy urged legislators worldwide to ensure the protection of children by instituting laws that stop their exploitation and abuse.
“Parliamentarians have a choice,” Ms. Bellamy said at the launch of a handbook to help legislators combat child trafficking that coincides with the Inter-Parliamentary Association's annual meeting in Manila, attended by hundreds of legislators from all over the world.
“They can make decisions that ensure the protection of children, or they can make decisions that leave children vulnerable to being exploited and abused,” she said.
She said legislators can enact laws to protect children, allocate funds from national budgets and use the power of parliamentary inquiry to hold governments, industries and civil society accountable.
IPU President Sergio Paez said ensuring respect for the rights of children “is part of our social responsibility” and calls “not only for the expression of political will, but also for the establishment of institutions, standards and a new international culture.”
Ms. Bellamy said child-trafficking persists because criminal syndicates are behind the illicit trade, tourism is sometimes involved and victims often are afraid to come forward. (more)
More on all below headlines found here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1499376/posts
STATE DEPARTMENT ACCUSED OF AIDING SAUD FAMILY ENSLAVEMENT AND TORTURE OF US CITIZENS.....
ARABIAN PENINSULA AND THE INTERNATIONAL SEX SLAVE TRADE....
STATE DEPARTMENT SENSITIVITIES TOWARDS THE SAUDI ARABIAN INTERNATIONAL SLAVE TRADE...
This room eerily looks like the room in Kuwait used by the Iraqis to torture Kuwaitis during the gulf war. This cell is in the Eastern province of Saudia Arabia within King Fahd's nephews' palace and is where the "US child whore slave" was held.
MIDDLE EAST TIMES SPEAKS OUT ON SAUDI PRINCES SEX SLAVES....
US CHILD SEX SLAVES...
KING FAHD'S SONS' LOS ANGELES SEX RING...
PRINCE JEFRI'S SEX SLAVES
These girls were brought to Brunei in a similar manner to that used by Saudi princes. Within the US a child is generally defined as someone that is under 17 years of age. We do not know if some of the girls in the above picture are under 17 years of age or their country of origin. This rare glimpse of the international sex trade sheds light on not only what goes on in Brunei but what goes on in Saudi Arabia. King Fahd's sons and other Saudi princes are directly involved in the international child sex industry as high end buyers. We see one of the usual enticements of a modeling job in a distant land. Life Magazine reports; "former Miss USA Shannon Marketic, in a recent lawsuit, claims she was imprisoned. She had gone there for what she believed was legitimate modeling work paying $3,000 per day ... she tried to leave and was forbidden."
US CHILDREN AS A TARGET OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEX SLAVE TRADE...
CHILD MOLESTERS: A BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS...
PRINCE FAISAL'S SEX RING IN HOUSTON...
CAN SAUDI PRINCES BE CONSIDERED PEDOPHILES?
GOVERNOR PRINCE MOHAMMED AND HIS SEX RING...
SAUDI HEADMASTER ACCUSED OF MOLESTING BOY...
KING FAHD'S NEPHEWS RAPISTS!...
KING FAHD IS CAUGHT RAPING A YOUNG FRENCH GIRL...
PRINCE SULTAN'S CHILD SEX SLAVES...
MANILA ISSUES SAUDI SEX WARNING TO MIGRANT MAIDS...
US CHILD SEX SLAVE MYSTERY ON THE NILE
TESTIMONY OF ROSA, AGE 14
before U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
When I was fourteen, a man came to my parents' house in Veracruz, Mexico and asked me if I was interested in making money in the United States. He said I could make many times as much money doing the same things that I was doing in Mexico. At the time, I was working in a hotel cleaning rooms and I also helped around my house by watching my brothers and sisters. He said I would be in good hands, and would meet many other Mexican girls who had taken advantage of this great opportunity. My parents didn't want me to go, but I persuaded them.
A week later, I was smuggled into the United States through Texas to Orlando, Florida. It was then the men told me that my employment would consist of having sex with men for money. I had never had sex before, and I had never imagined selling my body.
And so my nightmare began. Because I was a virgin, the men decided to initiate me by raping me again and again, to teach me how to have sex. Over the next three months, I was taken to a different trailer every 15 days. Every night I had to sleep in the same bed in which I had been forced to service customers all day.
I couldn't do anything to stop it. I wasn't allowed to go outside without a guard. Many of the bosses had guns. I was constantly afraid. One of the bosses carried me off to a hotel one night, where he raped me. I could do nothing to stop him.
Because I was so young, I was always in demand with the customers. It was awful. Although the men were supposed to wear condoms, some didn't, so eventually I became pregnant and was forced to have an abortion. They sent me back to the brothel almost immediately.
I cannot forget what has happened. I can't put it behind me. I find it nearly impossible to trust people. I still feel shame. I was a decent girl in Mexico. I used to go to church with my family. I only wish none of this had ever happened.