한인 성매매 여성들 "현대판 노예생활"

http://chosunilbousa.com/ninfo.cfm?id=26236

워싱턴을 포함해 미주 전역에서 성매매를 하는 한국에서 원정 온 여성들은 ‘현대판 노예’의 삶을 살고 있는 것으로 조사됐다. 

특히 이들 여성들은 하루 평균 12.3시간 일하면서 7.2명의 손님을 받고 있으면서 포주에게 여권을 뺏기거나 맡긴 상태에서 이 도시 저 도시를 전전하며 성매매를 하며 거주이전의 자유를 심하게 제한 받고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 

매사추세츠 로웰대학 추경석 교수는 한국형사정책연구원과 재미한인범죄학회가 공동 주최한 국제학술행사 ‘한국과 미국의 범죄 피해조사 및 정책 비교 연구’에서 이 같은 내용을 포함한 ‘성적 인신매매의 개념 정의, 인신매매 희생양인가, 성매매 이주노동자인가’를 발표했다. 

지난 수 개월간 실시한 조사에서 추 교수는 성매매 중인 18명의 한인 여성과 심층 면접을 실시했는데, 그 결과 조사 대상자의 60% 이상이 하루 12시간 이상 일하고 있으며, 2명은 하루 종일 일하고 있다고 답하는 등 휴일 없이 하루 평균 12.3시간 일을 하며 평균 7.2명의 손님을 받고 있다. 화대는 포주 6과 본인 4비율로 나눠 가진다. 

미주 지역으로 성매매를 나서는 여성들은 주로 인터넷 카페의 광고나 주위 친구의 권유 등을 통해 연결되는데 빚이 있던 여성들이 브로커나 포주에게 적게는 5000달러에서 많게는 4만달러 정도의 빚을 일단 진다. 

워싱턴 등 미주에 도착해서는 선금 1만~1만5000달러에서 20%의 선이자를 떼고 8000~1만2000달러 정도를 받은 뒤 일을 시작하는데, 이들의 선금은 120% 이상의 고리로 불어나 대부분의 성매매 여성이 빚에 허덕이며, 이를 갚기 위해 성매매를 계속 하게 되는 원인으로 조사됐다. 

또 대체적으로 포주의 폭력 등에 의해 강압적으로 성매매에 나선 경우는 드물지만, 여권을 포주나 브로커에게 빼앗기고 살아가거나 일정기간 성매매 후에 다른 도시로 강제 이주 당해 성매매를 하는 등 거주이전의 자유를 제약당하고 있는 것으로 드러났다. 

이번에 조사 대상자는 30~51세 였으며, 이 중 35%인 6명은 2년제 또는 4년제 대학을 졸업하기도 했다. 

김성한 기자 

경찰, 살해 여중생 성매매 시킨 2명 '영장'

http://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/4389740

서울 관악구 한 모텔에서 여중생이 숨진 채 발견된 사건을 수사 중인 경찰이 이 여중생에게 성매매를 시킨 일당에 대해 구속영장을 신청했다. 

서울 관악경찰서는 아동·청소년 성보호에 관한 법률 위반 혐의로 박모(28) 씨와 최모(28) 씨에 대해 구속영장을 신청했다고 28일 밝혔다.

많이 본 기사

• 경찰관이 대학 여자 동기생 성폭행하고 동영상 촬영
• 박근령 "천황폐하에 계속 사과 요청… 창피한 일"
• "지금 빚내서 집 산다? 폭탄을 사는 겁니다"
• 가수 도은영 사망…향년 33세
• "고속도로 통행료 면제, 황당하다"…도로공사 끝까지 반대

 

이들은 지난 26일 오전 6시 30분쯤 관악구 봉천동 한 모텔에서 A(14) 양에게 성매매를 시킨 혐의를 받고 있다. 

경찰 조사결과 박 씨 등은 지난달 초 온라인 대화방에서 A 양을 처음 만나 성매매에 끌어들인 것으로 드러났다. 

한편 A 양은 이날 낮 12시쯤 같은 모텔에서 숨진 채 발견됐고, 국립과학수사연구원의 부검 결과 사인은 목 졸림에 의한 질식사인 것으로 나타났다. 

경찰은 A 양과 함께 투숙한 남성을 유력한 살해 용의자로 보고 추적 중이다. 

뉴욕경찰, 성매매현장 급습…한인女 등 줄줄이 압송

미국 뉴욕의 맨해튼에서 성매매뿐만 아니라 마약까지 제공하는 기업형 성매매 업소를 운영해온 한국인 9명이 체포되고 5명이 수배되는 충격적인 사건이 발생했습니다. 

뉴욕에서 김원배 특파원이 보도합니다.
뉴욕 맨해튼에서 성매매 업소를 운영하던 한인 여성들과 성매매 접대 여성들이 검거돼 줄줄이 압송되고 있습니다.

뉴욕 경찰은 미국 프로풋볼리그 우승팀을 가리는 수퍼볼을 앞두고 1년 가까이 수사해 온 맨해튼의 한인 타운 근처 성매매 업소들을 급습해 이들을 검거했습니다.

검거된 11명 가운데 9명이 한국 국적자였고 수배자 7명을 포함해 총 18명의 관련자 가운데 14명이 한국 국적을 가진 것으로 드러났습니다.

41살 윤 모 씨 등 3명은 성매매 업소를 운영해 온 여성들이고 나머지는 성매매 접대 여성과 브로커, 그리고 마약 공급책인 것으로 밝혀졌습니다.

이들은 맨해튼의 아파트에 호화 시설을 갖추고 손님이 원하면 마약까지 제공하는 원스톱 서비스를 의미하는 '파티 팩'이라는 상품을 판 것으로 드러났습니다.

[인터뷰:쉬나이더만, 뉴욕주 법무장관]
"감청에 따르면 적발된 성매매 업소들은 마약인 코카인을 주얼리(보석), 수제비 등으로 불렀습니다."

술과 마약으로 정신을 잃은 손님의 신용카드를 무단 사용해 하룻밤에 만 달러 이상을 청구하기도 했습니다.

이런 수법으로 이들 한인 성매매 조직은 지난해에 카드로만 3백만 달러, 우리 돈으로 30억 원 이상을 벌었다고 미국 수사 당국은 밝혔습니다.

수사 당국은 이번에 적발된 성매매 여성들이 주로 한국에서 온 여성들이라고 밝혔습니다.

성매매 여성들의 미국 입국을 차단하기 위한 특단의 대책이 필요해 보입니다.

Kim, B. (2014 February 1) New York police busts South Korean prostitution ring. (뉴욕경찰, 성매매현장 급습…한인女 등 줄줄이 압송). YTN.com Retrieved from http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_201402010935372319.

Canadian Police busts prostitution ring with 500 individuals.

http://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/4392259

加 연방경찰, 한인 낀 성매매 조직원·여성 5백명 적발

• 2015-04-02 14:21
• CBS노컷뉴스 박종환 기자메일보내기

캐나다 연방경찰이 성매매조직 일제 단속에 나서 성매매 여성들을 밀입국시킨 한인이 포함된 아시아계 매춘 조직원과 매춘 여성들을 대거 적발했다. 

1일(현지시간) CTV뉴스 등 캐나다 언론에 따르면, 연방경찰은 이날 기자회견을 열고 "지난달 27일부터 전국의 성매매 조직 일제 검거 작전을 벌여, 토론토와 몬트리올 지역에서 핵심 매춘 조직원 6명을 체포하고, 성매매 여성 5백 여명을 적발했다"고 밝혔다. 

검거 작전은 핼리팩스와 몬트리올, 오타와, 토론토, 위니펙, 캘거리, 에드먼턴, 밴쿠버 등 전국적으로 이루어졌으며, 6명은 아시아를 주무대로 활동하는 국제 범죄조직의 일원이라고 경찰은 설명했다. 

경찰은 "범죄조직은 성매매 여성 5백 여명을 캐나다로 불법 입국시켰는데, 이들 대부분은 한국과 중국 여성들"이라고 강조했다. 

이들 여성들은 다양한 종류의 성매매 업소에서 성적으로 착취를 당하며 열악한 생활을 하고 있었다고 캐나다 경찰은 설명했다. 


핵심 조직원 6명 중에는 한인이 포함됐고, 2명의 수배자 중 1명도 한인인 것으로 전해졌다. 

경찰은 매춘 조직으로부터 컴퓨터와 휴대전화, 자동차, 현금 등을 압수했다.

Park, J. (2015 April 14). Canadian National Police busts prostitution ring with over 500 individuals.  (加 연방경찰, 한인 낀 성매매 조직원·여성 5백명 적발.)  No Cut News. Retrieved from http://www.nocutnews.co.kr/news/4392259

Labor Trafficking of Chinese to the U.S. and Other countries

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/12/taiwan-arrests-more-than-40-people-in-human-trafficking-ring-that-sent-migrants-to-canada-australia/

Taiwan arrests more than 40 people in human trafficking ring that sent migrants to Canada, Australia

The Canadian Press  Jul 12, 2012 – 9:48 AM ET

Andy Clark / Reuters files

A family is escorted off the MV Sun Sea after they and an estimated 490 suspected Tamil refugees arrived on a cargo ship at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in Colwood, British Columbia on Vancouver Island in 2010. Authorities intercepted and boarded the ship after it entered Canadian waters after sailing from Sri Lanka. 

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Officials in Taiwan have arrested more than 40 people in a human trafficking ring that may have sent hundreds of Chinese nationals into Canada and Australia.
A report on the Taipei Times newspaper website says the lucrative operation was allegedly run by Chinese national Wang Cheng-wei, who was arrested in February.
Since Wang’s arrest, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency reportedly cracked multiple cases of human smuggling by working with authorities in Canada and Australia.

According to Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency, the smugglers would buy Chinese passports for people from Fujian Province and add their photos to the documents.
The report says the smugglers conducted more than 50 successful operations, smuggling one to four Chinese per trip.
Canada has launched an ambitious international effort to prevent smugglers from reaching its shores.
In 2009, the MV Ocean Lady brought 76 Tamil migrants to British Columbia, and the MV Sun Sea brought 492 a year later.
The Harper government has offered financial assistance to help foreign countries like Thailand to crack down on human smuggling rings.
The government has also introduced a tough new immigration bill that targets the gangs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most labor trafficking victims you will see in the restaurants in the U.S. are Fujanese. Though the report says that the Fujanese are smuggled into Canada and the Australia, based on the past cases, traffickers and smugglers often use Canada's weak immigration regulation to smuggle and traffic the victims into the U.S.

Fujanese are subject to migrant smuggling and trafficking in developing countries in Europe, North America, and Australia. Fujanese are historically and culturally discriminated within the Chinese providence among many ethnic groups in China.


Traffickers and smugglers use countries with weak immigration legislation to transport victims and migrant workers to the U.S.


More information on Fujuanese
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CFoQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1006%26context%3Dforcedlabor&ei=neP-T8irIoSC2wWOiP3YBA&usg=AFQjCNFVshutqTvBQZY44IKSJmj4bK-ftw&sig2=MsPPvJy_Hr3Fd5lYwktWWw

TEXAS: Authorities charge two people in connection with human trafficking at massage parlors

http://www.statesman.com/news/williamson/authorities-charge-two-people-in-connection-with-human-2414188.html

ROUND ROCK — Authorities said Monday that they have arrested an Elgin man and woman who are accused of forcing five Asian women into prostitution at two massage parlors Panda Paws in Cedar Park and Unique Massage in Round Rock.
Xiaofeng Wo, 47, and Greg Sanfratello, 46, were both charged with continuous trafficking of persons, a first degree felony according to the Cedar Park Police Department. Wo was also charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution.
The women who worked at the massage parlors were forced to live there or were shuttled to an apartment Wo had leased in the 300 block of Cypress Creek Road in Cedar Park, a warrant said. The apartment had no furniture, and the women slept on sheets on the floor, the warrant said.
The warrant shows that Wo is a Chinese citizen, but Capt. Jeff Hayes, a spokesman for the Cedar Park Police Department, said the immigration status of the five women was uncertain.
Wo and Sanfratello, who lived at the same Elgin address, were arrested last week and being held Monday in the Williamson County Jail, according to an arrest warrant. Wo's bail was set at $515,000 for the two charges. Sanfratello's bail was set at $500,000.
Wo owned the massage parlors, located in the 900 block of S. Bell Blvd. in Cedar Park and the 2000 block of Interstate 35 in Round Rock, a warrant said.
Police seized $15,964 in cash, a 2004 Mazda 6 and a 2011 Honda Accord, according to court documents.
The Cedar Park Police Department and the Round Rock Police Department began their investigation in June after a man submitted an anonymous complaint saying that he had gone into Unique Massage on April 11 to receive a foot massage and was asked whether he wanted a "happy ending," the warrant said.
The warrant said that "a ‘happy ending' is common terminology used in the sex industry."
An investigator also read postings about sexual services the two massage parlors offered on a website.
Police sent an undercover officer into Panda Paws on June 21 and another into Unique Massage on June 22 and both were touched in an inappropriate way, according to the warrant.
The women who worked at the massage parlors were taken to a "safe and secure location where they are receiving appropriate follow-up assistance," police said. 

Contact Claire Osborn at 
246-7400

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some studies say that Chinese women in massage parlors are not forced into prostitution per se, but they are prostituting on their own by flying into the U.S. on their own will. A report like this shows the contrary evidence. It also confirms the anecdotes that Chinese massage parlors are connected to marriage fraud. I am not sure how Sanfratello was involved with Wo. They were just co-habitating. Some say that massage parlor owners and victims are use American citizens to obtain green card through marriage fraud. I don't know if this is the similar case. Police must look into what's behind the women's ownership; i.e. who was the investors, how she opened the massage parlor, etc. 

Sex Trafficking of mentally disabled victim in Missouri

Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that four southern Missouri men and a St. Louis, Mo., man -- among them the postmaster general of Nevada, Mo. -- have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a commercial sex trafficking conspiracy. The indictment alleges that a young, mentally deficient woman was sexually abused and tortured for several years in a Lebanon, Mo., home, and forced to work as an exotic dancer at local strip clubs.

"The allegations contained in this indictment are among the most horrific ever prosecuted in this district," Phillips said. "The sexual torture suffered over a period of years by the victim is highly disturbing.

"The Human Trafficking Rescue Project is specifically designed to address the problem of human trafficking from every direction," Phillips added. "We are providing the victims of human trafficking with the protection and support they need. At the same time, as this indictment illustrates, we are prosecuting both the supply and the demand, both the traffickers and their customers."

Edward Bagley, Sr., 43, and Michael Stokes, 62, both of Lebanon, Mo., Dennis Henry, 50, of Wheatland, Mo., James Noel, 44, of Springfield, Mo., and Bradley Cook, 31, of St. Louis, Mo., were charged in an 11-count indictment that was returned under seal by a grand jury in Kansas City on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The indictment was unsealed and made public Thursday upon the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants. Henry is the postmaster general of Nevada, Mo. Stokes is a national representative for Disabled American Veterans.

The federal indictment alleges that, from December 2002 to February 2009, Bagley coerced a female victim, identified as "FV," to become a sex slave and sexually tortured her. Bagley allegedly advertised online that FV could be sexually tortured during live online sessions or in person. The indictment states that Stokes, Henry, Noel and Cook participated in this conspiracy as customers who paid Bagley to sexually abuse and torture FV. The indictment also alleges that Bagley forced FV to work as a stripper and kept the proceeds from that work.

The federal investigation began after Bagley allegedly suffocated and electrocuted FV during a torture session to a state of cardiac arrest on Feb. 27, 2009. FV, who was 23 years old at that time, received emergency medical treatment and was hospitalized.

According to the federal indictment, Bagley enticed FV, then a 16-year-old runaway who suffered from mental deficiencies, into his trailer home in December 2002. Bagley promised FV, who had grown up in foster care homes, that he would help her to become a model and a dancer; she was given her own bedroom and provided with clothes and food. Bagley allegedly gave FV marijuana and ecstasy, showed her images of pornography and sadomasochism activities, and began sexually abusing her.

Bagley began sexually torturing FV in February 2004, according to the indictment, when she turned 18 years old and Bagley had her sign a "sex slave contract," which he convinced FV legally bound her to him as his slave for the rest of her life. If FV attempted to stop the activity or cried for help, the indictment says, Bagley escalated the torture.

Bagley allegedly threatened to kill FV and demonstrated to her that he could do so by keeping numerous guns in the home. Bagley shot animals that FV cared for in front of her, the indictment says, and bragged about the bodies he had already buried in the woods behind the trailer home. Bagley also threatened to bury FV alive, the indictment says, and showed her a video demonstrating how he intended to do it.

Bagley had FV tattooed to mark her as his property, the indictment says, including a bar code on her neck, a tribal tattoo on her back with the letter "S" to mark her as a slave, and the Chinese symbol for slave on her ankle.

Between February 2005 and February 2009, Bagley tortured FV on live webcasts on the Internet. Noel paid Bagley $300 to watch Bagley torture FV, and to sexually abuse and torture FV. Henry and Stokes also sexually abused and tortured FV, and watched Bagley torture FV. Cook sexually abused and tortured FV and downloaded streaming Internet video of Bagley torturing FV.

Stokes gave Bagley steaks, cigarettes, coats, clothing, lighters and cash. Henry and Stokes paid approximately $2,900 for Bagley to transport FV to California in December 2006 for a photo shoot in which FV performed sexual acts. Henry accompanied Bagley on the trip. Stokes paid Bagley $300 for a torture session, and also gave him money to build a home-made device to sexually torture FV. Cook gave Bradley a hard drive with sadomasochism and torture videos downloaded from the Internet.

In addition to the criminal conspiracy, each of the five defendants is also charged with one count of commercial sex trafficking and one count of using the Internet to facilitate the unlawful activity.

Bagley is also charged with forced labor trafficking and document servitude. The federal indictment alleges that Bagley forced FV to work as a stripper and exotic dancer at adult entertainment clubs from June 2007 to February 2009. Bagley allegedly earned approximately $112,200 from FV's work. According to the indictment, Bagley punished FV with torture and physical and sexual abuse for failing to be a top earner at the adult entertainment clubs where he had her dance and strip. Bagley allegedly confiscated FV's identification documents, including her state-issued identification card, birth certificate and Social Security card, at the time he had her sign the "sex slave contract."

Bagley is also charged with using the Internet for enticement, enticement to travel for sexual activity, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21 and being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Bagley and Henry are also charged together in one count of transportation for sexual activity. Cook is also charged with one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition.

The federal indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Bagley to forfeit to the government any proceeds obtained from the alleged offenses, as well as any property used to commit the alleged offenses, including $112,200 allegedly obtained by the forced labor trafficking of the victim, two computers, sex toys and paraphernalia and torture devices and 11 firearms. Cook would also be required to forfeit three computers, a hard drive, two Xbox 360s and seven firearms.

Under federal statutes, a conviction for commercial sex trafficking carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. A conviction for either commercial sex trafficking or forced labor trafficking that involves aggravated sexual abuse carries a maximum penalty of life in federal prison without parole.

Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.

Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

http://www.nevadadailymail.com/story/1663332.html