Global human trafficking roundup (December 16, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

Ohio: State panel held to combat human trafficking recommended to arrest johns to curve sex trafficking. According to the report, a subcommittee leader of the Ohio Trafficking in Person Study argued that "there is no substitute for arresting men" buying sex. The committee also cited the report on johns that one out of five men surveyed said that they have visited a prostitute at least once in his life.

California: A man gest court date on December 27th for allegedly pimping on teenagers. He was charged with dozen counts, including human trafficking of minors. The girls, in the age of 13 and 14, were runaways who the man forced into prostitution. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

EUROPE

UK: Police arrested eleven individuals during the raids on twelve properties in East Kent. According to the report, the raid was led by the two year long investigation in Kent. Police also rescued victims of human trafficking in several addresses, and 19 people were taken to a center in Canterbury for support. The arrested individuals are in the age between 22 and 36 and charged with money laundering, fraud, and human trafficking.

Italy: The Chief prosecutor said that over 60 percent of prostituted women in Italy are trafficked from Nigeria. He also mentioned that so far, more than 80,000 human trafficking victims were rescued and received victim assistance in Italy.

ASIA

Australia: A sex worker was sentenced to two and a half year in prison for prostituting her friend's underage daughter. The sixteen year old victim testified that she was forced to use drugs and prostitute herself though she found prostitution as degrading. Her mother was also jailed as an accomplice to the sex worker who forced the teenager into prostitution.

Jordan: Labor advisor in Egyptian embassy denied the allegation that Egyptian workers are exploited with labor in Jordan. He also stated that labor exploitation of Egyptian employees remain less than one in thousands. He also encouraged the Jordanian employers to hire Egyptian workers without the assistance of a mediator or agencies to prevent labor trafficking.

AFRICA

Ghana: The authority established human trafficking unit in upper west region. According to the report, a three day work shop was designed to train more than 30 law enforcement officers all over the region. The workshop was aimed at strengthening law enforcement and judicial offices in order to combat human trafficking.

Global human trafficking roundup (December 15, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

Illinois: A undocumented madam was indicted on Monday after she was arrested for pimping on young women. One of the women was 16 year old high school girl, who was picked up from school by the madam several times a week. The victims testified that they were lured into prostitution by false pretense and forced to perform sex acts with threat by the madam. One victim said that she was told that her daughter would end up dead if she refused to prostitute. Another victim was told by the madam that she would end up dead on the street if she refused to prostitute. Investigators said that six women were working for the madam at an apartment, and johns paid more for the 16 year old girl.

LATIN AMERICA

Mexico: The authority arrested five individuals and 50 illegal migrants. They were arrested on a bus while traveling between Sonora and Chihuaha states in Mexico. According to the report, they attempted to smuggle migrants from Latin American countries into Mexico. But, their final destination is the U.S. While one of the individuals was charged with human trafficking, the report is silent on details of human trafficking activities.

EUROPE

Belgium: EU adopts new directive to fight against human trafficking. The new legislation will punish those who assist smuggling gangs with 5 through 10 years of prison term. The new law will also toughen up the measures against labor trafficking. What's more, if the trafficker is a legal entity, the new directive will impose fines or exclude the entity from public funding.

UK: Anti-child trafficking group in Derby may be hit by government cut. The group, in the past, helped law enforcement with catching pimps who preyed on children as young as 12 with prostitution and assist the child prostitution victims. However, the chief executive of the group fears that the government funding cut for her group will affect the level of service that her group can provide for the victims.

ASIA

China: A family was reunited after being trafficked 30 years ago. The wife followed her uncle's neighbor to meet her husband who was working in different state. She also brought her son and a daughter with her. However, instead of meeting her husband, she was sold to one family with her daughter while her son was sold to a 72 year old man as a son. The mother and the daughter escaped and reunited with the father. But, they couldn't find the son anywhere for a long time. Recently, police however found the tips to find the son and reunited him with his family.

Global human trafficking roundup (December 14, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

Florida: A couple were sentenced to 51 months and 78 months in jail for labor exploiting at least 39 Filipino workers. They forced the workers into labor with the threat of deportation and arrest. According to the report, 28 workers slept in one house, and some of them slept on the kitchen floor.

Georgia: The U.S. Marshall captured two fugitives at Tempa Florida. They were listed on America's most wanted in connection to the homicide case in Georgia. They are accused of killing and shooting a recruited prostitute who later ran away from them. The charges against them including murder, sex trafficking of minor, running a prostitution ring, etc.

Colorado: A state senator wants to open a class to educate johns who were arrested for soliciting prostitution. He argued that the new bill will allow johns to be educated on harmful side of sex industry on prostituted women and human trafficking victims. He also argue that after taking the class, johns will not go back to solicit prostitution. The class will also be available to first time offenders as plea bargain that would dismiss the charge if they complete the program.

EUROPE

Denmark: Denmark opted out from signing EU human trafficking directive. The authority argued that the agreement should be based on the decision among the member of union states, which would be a long process. Meanwhile, media slammed on the authority's opt-out on EU human trafficking directive arguing that the opt-out may cause Denmark to become a hub of human trafficking.

ASIA

Taiwan: Police busted Asia's largest human trafficking ring. The ringleader profited from more than 30 cases of human trafficking in the past, according to the report. The arrest was a result of cooperation among the law enforcement in Hong Kong, UK, the U.S., and Thailand. The police arrested seven members of human trafficking and summoned seven others for questioning.

China: Shelter manager arrested for selling homeless as forced labor. Some of the homeless people were mentally disabled. The investigation began after the police visited a factory, where the homeless people with mental disability were working. The shelter manager allegedly sold 11 residents to the factory.

Is the U.S the corporate giant of child porn?

The Netherlander police arrested a 27 year old man for sexually abusing more than 50 children for child pornography last week. He worked as a substitute at a daycare in Amsterdam and advertised for his babysitting job online. According to the report, he allegedly abused between 30 and 50 children for child pornography, but the investigation is ongoing. Aside from the number children who were victimized by this predator however, there is another reason why this case catches public's attention, particularly of those in the U.S. Based on the same report, the leading tip-off for the initial investigation was based on the U.S., where child porn produced by this Netherlander perpetrator was discovered.

Is the U.S. a corporate giant of child porn market?

Statistics on internet child pornography confirms the sad reality of child pornography market in the U.S. industry. According to Internet Watch Foundation report in 2008:

•Of all known child abuse domains, 58 percent are housed in the United States (Internet Watch Foundation. Annual Report, 2008).

•In a study of arrested child pornography possessors, 40 percent had both sexually victimized children and were in possession of child pornography. Of those arrested between 2000 and 2001, 83 percent had images involving children between the ages 6 and 12; 39 percent had images of children between ages 3 and 5; and 19% had images of infants and toddlers under age 3 (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Child Pornography Possessors Arrested in Internet-Related Crimes: Findings fro the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study.

What's more, Internet Watch Foundation stated that "the contents are becoming more abusive," as child pornography is the fastest growing market online. In 2008, Internet Watch Foundation also found that 1,536 individual hosting website for child pornography.

Pedophiles say

Pedophiles argue that children have the ability to consent to the sexual act as porn viewers argue that pornography is victimless crime. However, contrary to their unwarranted claims, children victimized by child pornography suffers from just as horrific symptoms as other sexually abused child victims according to the science. The symptomsinclude: Age inappropriate knowledge of sex, withdrawing from activities they used to be involved in, difficulty walking or sitting, complains of pain with urination or bowel movement, bleeding from the genital area or anus, academic problems, lowered self esteem, symptoms of PTSD such as panic attacks, somatic complaints, regression of behavior, having new words for private body parts, and excessive masturbation.

Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable

According to the report on this child pornography case in the Netherlands, the 27 year old predator victimized many children with learning disabilities in the age up to four years old. Sadly, children with disabilities does not seem to be uncommon targets for many predators. One child pornography victim once contacted me with her story a while ago. She was having hard time finding someone to investigate her story, including the law enforcement and social workers. Understandably enough, because of her disability, it was not only difficult to make sense out of her story itself but also to find the ways to confirm the truth behind the trauma. However, the symptoms caused by her trauma were apparent throughout the interview. Yet, the society seems to be far from finding ways to protect these children from predators and the life-long trauma caused by the abuse.

Global human trafficking roundup (December 11-13, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

New Mexico: A man is convicted of trafficking a woman into prostitution. This was the first conviction through the state's human trafficking legislation in New Mexico. He admitted to coerced the victim into prostitution at a local motel by using threats, force, and coercion. He is facing three year jail term.

Tennessee: Police arrested five people from Columbia on human trafficking charges. Police also stated that Nathaniel Roberts used Backpage.com to advertise victims. He also boasted that he learned $100,000 as a pimp on MySpace.

Nevada: Cab drivers benefit from providing transportation to prostitutes and customers to message parlors, brothels, etc. in Las Vegas. According to the report, a $140 massage at a parlor can result $70 in a driver's pocket. Cab drivers also benefit from sex industry by bringing tourists to the brothels and clubs, where they can receive profits the most. According to the report, IRS is making the drivers accountable for the fast cash generated from delivering prostitutes.

LATIN AMERICA

Jamaica: Twin sisters were denied on bail after being arrested for allegedly prostituting a teenage girl. According to the report, the teenage victim ran away form her home to live with the twins who introduced her to a man. The man later took her to his home and forced her to have sex with other men at his house. Police also arrested the three men who had sex with the victim. But, the men were offered bail in the amount of $100,000.

EUROPE

Bulgaria: Police arrested an Italian man who pimped on women in France. According to the report, he appeared at a court in Strasburg for his trial in 2005. But, he moved to Italy then Bulgaria in order to avoid the four year jail term in France. After the arrest, he however requested a voluntary extradition to France to Bulgarian police.

The Netherlands: A 27 year old man was arrested for abusing more than 50 children for child pornography. He worked as a substitute carer at a daycare in Armsterdam and advertised babysitting job on internet. The investigation began after a number of child pornography generated from the Netherlands were found in the U.S.

ASIA

Nepal: A 24 year old man was charged with trafficking a 17 year old girl and sold her to a brothel in Mumbai. He pleaded guilty to luring the victim with a promise of a marriage and a lucrative job and sold her to sex trade in India.

AFRICA

South Africa: A 32 year old Nigerian man was arrested on human trafficking charges. He allegedly lured a 18 year old girl with a promise of a job as a house sitter. But, when she arrived in Durban, he drugged her at his apartment, where she was supposed to work as a house sitter. After she was drugged with cocaine, he forced her into prostitution. He was denied the bail.

Global human trafficking roundup (December 9, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

Washington: Tacoma woman uses her donut shop for child prostitution. She took two 13 year old girls and forced them into prostitution after taking pictures and post them online. She often met up with johns at donut shop and took the men to the apartment, where two girls are held against their will.

Texas: A 44 year old man was indicted on charges related to human trafficking incident in 2007. He was arrested for kidnapping a 13 year old for more than a week for prostitution in 2007. The victim testified that he and his four accomplice tied her up, drugged, and locked her in a bedroom at a house. If convicted, the man is facing life sentence in prison.

Kentucky: Two men are facing charges on human trafficking. According to the police, they victimized a 15 year old who was under one of the men's care. They both are facing multiple charges including human trafficking, sodomy, rape, and sexual abuse of a minor.

Florida: FBI found 27 people who may be human trafficking victims during the raid. The raid was conducted inside of two homes and one local restaurant. The FBI spokesperson said that 8 of them were found in a residence in Clearwater and 19 people in a Largo home. He also said that they were Asian and Hispanic origin cramped in a small house all together. But, they had all of their basic needs.

Canada: Federal justice minister expressed his disappointment on Craigslist for its failure to remove adult service section. He sent a letter asking Jim Buckmaster, the CEO of Craigslist to remove adult service section on Craigslist Canada last month, but Craigslist has yet to removed the adult service section on its Canadian website. The minister once again urged the company to shut down adult service section as critics say Craigslist facilitate child prostitution and sex trafficking in Canada.

EUROPE

The Netherlands: The council of Armsterdam began a campaign to combat human trafficking. The campaign will focus on sex trafficking of women in the city. Since 2007, the city provided aftercare assistance to the victims including, medical care and social care. Each year, it assists 150 victims, among which 20 are minors. The campaign effort will include awareness raising among johns in red light district, advertisement through media outlets, etc.

ASIA

Indonesia: A woman returned home blind from Saudi Arabia, where she worked as housemaid. She was physically assaulted by her employer for no reason and continuously tortured. She lost her eyesight when her employer repeatedly slammed her head against the wall. According to the statistics generated by a nonprofit, 43 percent of the migrant workers working in Saudi Arabia are exploited by their employers.

AFRICA

Egypt: Approximately 250 refugees from Eritrea are treated like slaves by their traffickers. The refugees paid smuggling fee to their traffickers to enter Israel. But, instead, they are kept in hostage to demand money from their families and friends. The refugees are kept in chain and live under threats and violence.