Global human trafficking roundup (February 15, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Texas: Police charged 59 people on prostitution related crimes in Arlington during the days leading up to and on the day of Super Bowl. According to the report, thirteen of them were visitors in the area, three men were believed to be pimps, and one faces a human trafficking charge.

Washington: Two men have pleaded guilty to forcing young women into prostitution. According to the federal prosecutor, they facilitated women's prostitution by providing cell phones, transportation, and motel rooms. They also used threats to force them into prostitution. The arrest was made after the 17 year old victim called her brother and said that she was held against her will at a motel.

South Carolina: The state authority creates a sex offender watch website to protect children from the criminals, including child traffickers. The new website allows a family to monitor registered sex offenders who are prohibited from residing within 1000 feet from school, day care, and children's recreation center, etc.

South Dakota: Three men from South Dakota and Iowa face commercial sex charges after online sting. If convicted, they all can face life in prison. The men were arrested after responding to the online ads posted as part of undercover operation by Homeland Security and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

EUROPE

UK: A Nigerian female pastor is facing a jail term for trafficking children and a woman to keep them as domestic servants in UK. According to the court document, she allegedly smuggled the victims into UK with false passports in 2000. Since then, the victims were kept as domestic workers and routinely subjected to physical abuse.

ASIA

UAE: Four women received jail term for sex trafficking other women in two different cases. One woman was sentenced to three years in jail for sex trafficking another women. Another woman and her assistance each received two year and a year jail sentence for forcing a victim into prostitution. The other woman received three year jail term for sex trafficking her victim. All of them will also face deportation after serving their jail terms.

The Philippines: Police intercepted nineteen victims of human trafficking before they were leaving for Malaysia, according to the report. The victims were illegally recruited by an agency and was about to board a commercial ferry. The interception was part of anti-human trafficking operation at ports in Zamboanga City.

Global human trafficking roundup (January 25, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

North Carolina: A woman faces 25 years in jail and $500,000 fine for keeping a 17 year old boy as a slave and starving him. She allegedly forced him to clean her 60 yard trailer yard and withdraw his birth certificate. She denied the allegation. Instead, she told the media that she did the boy's father, who is also an illegal immigrant, a favor by agreeing to take care of the boy.

Nebraska: Police have arrested of human trafficking and pandering. A 42 year old man Jarod Rosenow was arrested Wednesday after an 18 year old woman reported the police of Rosenow. The woman met Rosenow on Craigslist while looking for a female encounter. Rosenow posed as a 22 year old woman. He told the woman that the 22 year old woman is actually a 14 year old boy and threatened her to report to the police and register as a sex offender, if she doesn't have sex with him. The woman never met Rosenow in person.

South Carolina: Police charged a woman in connection with her role recruiting and harboring a 20 year old woman into prostitution. She allegedly forced the 20 year old victim into prostitution to pay off her smuggling fee. Police is still looking for two other men in connection with the case.

EUROPE

Greece: Police dismantled a baby trafficking ring in Bulgaria and Greece. According to the report, five people were arrested in Bulgaria and nine people were arrested in Greece for trafficking Bulgarian babies to Greece. The criminal gang transported pregnant women who agreed to sell their babies in Greece.

ASIA

UAE: Two women were charged with trafficking three women for labor and sexual exploitation. They allegedly forced the victims into prostitution at a massage parlor. According to the report, this is the first case that women are charged with human trafficking.

AFRICA

Ghana: The trial date for three sisters who allegedly forced women into prostitution in Nigeria was postponed. The court was adjourned after the sisters' lawyer withdrew his service because he is traveling. The three sisters allegedly recruited women from Ghana with a promise of job security in Nigeria. Upon arrival, victims were forced to sell porridge during the day and prostitute at night.

Uganda: Police arrested two men for trafficking Ugandan women to Malaysia for prostitution. One woman was promised a job in Malaysia but was locked up in a brothel and forced into prostitution. The victims also had to pay for their own food, water, and electricity on the top of $6000 plane ticket to Malaysia to the traffickers.

Global human trafficking roundup (January 7, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

California: A man was convicted of keeping a child sex slave. He spent 29 years as a fugitive after being convicted of child molestation in Orange County in the 1970s. He was again convicted in Florida of bringing child across the state lines for sexual purpose. According to the report, he brought a girl from Vietnam and molested on daily basis and even encouraged her to bring her friends so that he can molest them too.

Ohio: Two siblings were charged during the state wide investigation on human trafficking rings in nail salons. Along with two other women, they face multiple charges including, "fraud, submitting false documents and tampering with documents." One state cosmetology board authority stated that human trafficking in nail salons by using fraudulent identities is a multi-million dollar scheme.

South Carolina: Advocates pushes for a bill to make traffickers pay for the crime. On January 11th, the advocates plans to lobby for SC H4522, asset forfeiture laws. If passed, the traffickers will be mandated to turn over all of their assets to the state, which will be used for victim assistance programs.

New Hampshire: Police is investigating online brothel involving child prostitution case. A teen girl was sold as a prostitute at a local hotel by out of state suspects. The police said that the girl was exploited through backpage.com. Because of the ongoing investigation, police said that further details could not be disclosed.

South Dakota: A man was arrested for allegedly pimping on high class call girls. He is charged three counts of pimping and two counts of hiring prostitutes for sexual activity. But, the state's attorney said that he can be charged with fifty additional counts and may qualify for human trafficking.

ASIA

Cambodia: A woman was charged with trafficking her mentally disabled 13 year old daughter after allegedly sending her to Malaysia to work. Police said that the woman was arrested at her residence. The woman allegedly forged documents to indicate that the girl was 19 years old. The investigation began after World Vision informed the police that the girl was only 13 years old and working in Malaysia.

South Korea: A 37 year old man was sentenced to 17 years in jail for killing his Mongolian wife's friend and severely injuring her husband. The crime occurred after the 37 year old visited their residence in search of his wife who ran away from the man's domestic violence. The incident caused public stir over increasing reports of domestic violence and human trafficking.

India: Ten Nepalese women who were trafficked into India were sent back to their country upon rescue. According to the nonprofit advocates who worked with these women stated that these women are lucky to be able to go back to their country. Many of them are left in brothels, shelters, or even in prison instead of finding their ways to go home.

AFRICA

Uganda: Immigration officer testifies against pastors for trafficking a 17 year old girl. According to the report, the two pastors allegedly lured the girl from her hometown into flying to Dubai for a job opportunity. They also allegedly falsified the document stating that the girl is 19 years old to obtain a passport.