Conspiracy of Silence (1993) - Unaired Documentary

Brett Fletcher @trinitymount

"Conspiracy of Silence" is a Discovery Channel documentary that never aired from 1993, concerning high level government officials involved in child sex trafficking and abuse. 

An important and powerful testimony of alleged government corruption and cover-up, using intimation and scare tactics to silence the child victims and those who attempted to expose the government officials involved in this child sexual abuse ring.

Watch this banned documentary for yourself and draw your own conclusions concerning the testimonies of the child abuse victims and those who tried to give them a voice - so that this conspiracy will no longer be hidden and covered up, ending the reign of silence.

More Than 80 Arrested In Human Trafficking Sting

Tampa, Florida - Hillsborough County deputies rounded up dozens of men and women suspected of sex-related crimes as part of a six-month operation targeting human traffickers.

During a news conference Monday, Sheriff Chad Chronister said Operation Trade Secrets landed 85 in jail.

"The efforts behind Operation Trade Secrets will have no ending until human trafficking is stopped," the sheriff said. "Whether you live here, are vacationing or visiting for any of our large upcoming sporting events like Wrestlemania or Super Bowl LV, there is zero tolerance for this type of predatory behavior. Our message for anyone involved with the despicable practice of human trafficking: stop because we're coming for you."

Chronister said the suspects face a range of charges including prostitution, sex trade, drugs, weapons and child pornography.

Marcell Walsh, 40, is the only person facing a human trafficking charge after, according to deputies, a woman told deputies Walsh was forcing her into prostitution.

Chronister believes there may be many more similar cases.

"Do I think that more than one person that was being trafficked for sex? Absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt," he said. "The only way to get the victims of human trafficking are to do an operation like this because you don't know who's there on their own free will and accord and who's being forced to have sex."

The arrests took place at hotels, motels, spa and massage businesses, strip clubs, and adult book stores throughout the county.

Chronister urges victims of human trafficking and anyone who knows victims to call the Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST, or visit CYBERTIPLINE.ORG.

Social Media Can Lure Kids To Sex Trafficking

Prevention training for parents

By Craig Smith

TUCSON, Ariz. - Parents know social media as something that can pull their kids into their own world -- Far removed from the family.

But Tucson Police know social media and smartphones can pull kids into a dangerous world so they're helping parents learn how to defend against it.

Through a Saturday morning class at the Tucson Police west side substation parents learned more about what a lot of them knew already; that kids can sink into a swamp of social media that could pull them into a world of drugs and sex trafficking.

Lieutenant Frank Hand commands TPD’s Special Investigations Section. He says, “This is a constantly changing environment. And these predators online, are like on the cutting edge as far as they look for the new thing. Or they even develop their own apps that they'll have people download so they can communicate with them."

There are apps that may look like an innocent calculator that are really ways to hide secret files like nude pictures.

Parents may not see through emojis that turn sexy talk into pictures.

Police say use sources like the Urban Dictionary to understand that texts like CU46 translate into "see you for sex." Or LMIRL means lets meet in real life.

To shake parents who think their children would never take that risk, Tucson Police show a video by Coby Persin. He normally puts entertainment on YouTube . But to make a serious point he posed as a fifteen year old and convinced girls to meet him in person --while their parents were nearby.

Here’s how it went when the girl, named Michaela came to a park.

Persin: "Michaela?”

Michaela: “Who are you?”

Persin: “From Facebook. Remember?”

Michaela’s father runs out and yells: “Michaela! Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind?”

Michaela: “Sorry.”

Father: “He could have been a rapist! He could have been a pedophile! How could you do this?!"

Damon Jackson says he does check his daughter's phone looking for signs she's texting her way to a dangerous meeting.

"Let your kid be mad at you; and take their phone and check it. Better to have a little bit of anger now than I never see you again."

PARENT RESOURCES:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: Online enticement

AZ TRUST: Raising awareness

U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Indicators of Human Trafficking 

FBI Finds 231 Missing Children in Atlanta during the Month of May

By GAFollowers @GAFollowers 

The Atlanta office of the FBI has announced 231 missing or exploited children are safe again after an effort called Operation Safe Summer.

From May 1 to May 24, federal, state and local law enforcement collaborated to combat child exploitation ahead of the summer months.

“Thanks to the month-long efforts of our partners, 231 children are no longer vulnerable to predators who would seek to exploit them,” FBI Atlanta special agent in Chris Hacker said in a statement.

FBI Atlanta said children are  especiallyvulnerable during the summer because they aren’t in school and spend more time online.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reveals some striking statistics about missing children:

More than 23.500 runaways were reported in 2019. One in seven of those were likely victims of child sex trafficking.

In 2016, 11 percent of endangered runaways were believed to be involved with gangs.

In March 2019 — two months before the operation started — more than 400 children were missing or had run away in the metro Atlanta area.

The FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force led the operation, with help from various state agencies and local police departments.

What Is Human Trafficking? Blue Campaign - Homeland Security

Indicators of Human Trafficking

Recognizing key indicators of human trafficking is the first step in identifying victims and can help save a life. Here are some common indicators to help recognize human trafficking:

• Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?
• Has a child stopped attending school?
• Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?
• Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
• Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?
• Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
• Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
• Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?
• Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
• Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?
• Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?
• Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?
• Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?

Not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.

To report suspected human trafficking:

1-866-347-2423

To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

1-888-373-7888

or text HELP or INFO to

BeFree (233733)

Ashton Kutcher Quietly Saved 6,000 Children From Human Sex Trafficking

The name Ashton Kutcher is synonymous with acting and his huge fan base indicates that he is no run-of-the-mill actor but one to be reckoned with. The actor who has a huge fan following will definitely increase the number of fans that he has with the new role that he is committed to; that of helping victims of human trafficking.

Kutcher’s non-profit organization Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, of which his ex-wife Demi Moore is a co-founder, has taken a huge leap in helping victims of human trafficking. 

The organization’s efforts have been so effective that with their help, law enforcement has been able to identify 5,894 child sex trafficking victims. 103 children were also rescued from grievous situations of sexual abuse in 2017.

According to data published in the organization’s 2017 impact report, Thorn claims to have upset the plans of 6,608 perpetrators. Through its Stop Sextortion campaign, the organization has also been able to educate 3.5 million teens and has also encouraged more than 140,000 individuals who have been looking for material on child sexual abuse.

The organization which was previously called DNA foundation was started in 2009 with Demi Moore to try and put the brakes on the huge market that exploits children for sex. Kutcher realizes that this grievous issue has swelled to gigantic proportions in recent years because of the internet.

When speaking to 48 Hours about the work that he is doing he commented.

“What we do at our core is we build technology to help fight sexual exploitation of children.” He went on to explain. “You can roll up your sleeves and go try to be like a hero and go save one person, or you can build a tool that allows one person to save a lot of people.”

In February 2017, Kutcher gave a 15-minute speech on modern-day slavery to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the hope of compelling Congress to take some concrete steps towards ending the horrors faced by women and children around the world.

In his speech, he not only spoke about the rights of these women and children that have constantly been violated but also touched upon how he has been trolled and criticized for the stand that he has taken. He has often been told to ‘stick to his day job’ by these critics but he says that what he does now and what his organization stands for is his day job.

He also recounted horrific incidents of young children under the age of ten being raped and content being shared on the dark internet. The Department of Homeland Security had also enlisted the help of his organization in trying to track down the perpetrator of a 7-year-old victim who they had been trying to nab for the past three years.

Ashton Kurcher on Technology

Nurse Practitioner Student Creates Screening To Identify Human Trafficking Victims

By Chaunie Brusie

At the moment, Michigan might be best known for the extreme cold temperatures, snow, and ice it is facing, but to Danielle Jordan Bastein, an ER nurse at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan is also known for something far more dangerous:

Human trafficking. 

But now, thanks to a new screening protocol that she implemented while a student at Wayne State University, Bastein is fighting back — and working to help trafficked individuals before it’s too late. 

What Does Human Trafficking Have to Do with Hospitals? 

In an article with Fox 2 News Detroit, Bastein explained that a large majority of trafficked individuals come into contact with health care workers at some point during their trafficking, but shockingly, very few of them are actually identified by healthcare staff. One study found that approximately half of all trafficked individuals (mostly women and female children) do see a healthcare worker at some point during their exploitation. In fact, healthcare workers are the most likely of any profession to come into initial contact with a trafficked girl or woman, so even the National Conference of State Legislatures has identified healthcare workers as a key first-line defense against trafficking. 

So, what are we missing here? 

Well, in Bastein’s eyes, we are missing out on crucial screening protocol and training that would ensure that emergency room triage nurses are able to routinely ask the right questions and do the right assessment that would flag a potential trafficking victim for further follow-up. Her screening tool looks for patterns of inconsistencies in the patient’s story, abuse, torture, or neglect signs, and other behaviors consistent with trafficking victims, such as if they aren’t holding their own ID or money, or if the person they are with is answering questions for them and refuses to leave or let them be alone. 

If the patient is identified as a victim and agrees to help, the hospital then works to provide the individual with housing, transportation and any necessities they may need. And if you’re thinking that all this is well and good in theory, but may not fly in “real life”, get ready for this stat: since implementing the screening, the hospital has successfully rescued 17 victims of trafficking in the past year alone, a number that shocked even Bastein herself. 

"It took me aback it actually worked and we kept it going," she told Fox 2 News.

Making a Difference in the Mitten State

What Bastein is doing is important for the nation, for the future of nursing, and for the state of Michigan. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline organization, Michigan has the 6th highest reported incidences of human trafficking in the entire country, with 176 reported cases in 2018 alone. The organization reports that sex trafficking among female adults and children make up the vast majority of Michigan’s trafficking, with cases high in the traveling and hotel/motel industries.

It’s thought that Michigan’s highway connectivity, as well as its proximity to bordering states and Canada, make it a prime location as a pass-through or origin source for trafficking. Additionally, major events, such as the Detroit Auto Show tend to attract large spikes in human trafficking incidents. For example, WXYZ Detroit reported on Jan 17th that the FBI rescued as many as 40 children who were trafficked during the show and that sex trafficking goes up between 280% and 300% during the auto show. 

How Nurses Can Get Involved Against Human Trafficking 

In a post about Bastein’s story shared by Johnson & Johnson on Facebook, several nurses in the comment section praised her efforts and noted that they wished more training on trafficking screening would be offered to current and upcoming nurses in the future. “This is so needed,” commented Laurie Crosgrove. “Hopefully other hospitals will use the protocol and even more woman can be saved from the horrendous life they are leading. As a nurse myself, I applaud your efforts. Great job Danielle!”

Supporting and sharing Bastein’s efforts are important and could be a conversation starter with your own facility about implementing a similar program, but there are other steps you can take if you’re a nurse who wants to do more to help human trafficking victims: 

• Take a CE course on human trafficking. There are several CE classes dedicated to helping you learn more about how to identify and help victims of trafficking online, such as this one. 
• 
  
• Know the stats for your state. Many people think human trafficking isn’t a problem in their area—until they actually look at the statistics. 
• 
  
• Memorize and display the information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline for potential victims: (888) 373-7888 or text “help” to 233733. 

The more nurses who are aware of the problem of human trafficking and the vital role they can play in helping to stop and rescue victims, the more of an impact can be made. Bastein hopes that her efforts will spread to other areas across the country to save even more victims of the modern-day form of slavery. 

"It feels pretty amazing that at least I had a small part in getting this person help,” she noted. 

FBI: 169 arrested in metro Atlanta Super Bowl sex trafficking sting, several children recovered

Nine children were recovered as part of the sting targeting metro Atlanta during Super Bowl LIII, the FBI announced.

Author: Lauren Padgett

Published: 11:09 AM EST February 5, 2019

Updated: 3:19 PM EST February 5, 2019

ATLANTA — Several child sex-trafficking victims were recovered and 169 people were arrested during an 11-day operation targeting sex trafficking during Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

The arrests included 26 sex traffickers and 34 individuals attempting to engage in sexual acts with minors, according to the FBI Atlanta field office. Nine children were recovered from sex trafficking; the youngest was 14 years old. Nine human trafficking victims were also identified.

The operation was conducted by the Violent Crimes against Children/Human Trafficking Program and Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation (MATCH) Task Force, which included the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia, the GBI and Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice.

Local police agencies involved included Atlanta, Alpharetta, Clayton County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Gwinnett County, Marietta and Smyrna police departments.

The goal of the months-long investigation called “Operation Interception” was “to arrest persons who communicate with children on-line, have sexually explicit conversations, and then travel to meet them for the purpose of having sex,” according to a release. 

Human-trafficking crackdown: 510 arrested, 56 rescued in California

By Jovana Lara

Los Angeles - More than 500 suspects were arrested and 56 people were rescued during a statewide human-trafficking crackdown, officials said.

The Los Angeles County Regional Human Trafficking Task Forces announced the arrests of 510 suspects during the three-day sweep, called Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.

During the operation, which took place between Jan. 25 and 27, the task force said 45 adults and 11 girls were rescued.

Among the 510 suspects arrested, 30 are suspected traffickers and 178 are alleged "johns."

The task force is housed by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and is a collaboration of more than 85 federal, state, county and local law enforcement and non-profit community organizations.

Speaking at a Tuesday press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell gave details surrounding some of the arrests.

In one very disturbing incident in Milpitas, California, a man dressed in full police uniform - including a side arm - was arrested on felony charges after he sexually assaulted a human-trafficking victim, McDonnell said. The suspect was found to be already on felony probation and wanted by police for additional, similar crimes.

The sheriff said the operation targeted those who use the internet to exploit victims. In one such instance, McDonnell said an undercover deputy posing as a young female on social media was contacted by a suspect, who recruited her to work for him in the commercial sex trade.

After arranging a meeting, the pimp drove from Riverside County to meet with his victim. He demanded $500 from the victim for him to manage her. The suspect would collect the money from the customers and give the victim whatever he decided she needed. McDonnell said the suspect was arrested by task force detectives and found to be in possession of a stolen .357 Magnum handgun.

The task force was established in November 2015 and since that time, 948 suspects have been arrested in connection to human trafficking.


The Los Angeles-based non-profit Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking is providing help, including shelter and food, to the victims rescued during the operation.

FBI: 30-40 children sex trafficked within metro Detroit during Detroit Auto Show

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The FBI says 30-40 children are trafficking within the greater Detroit area during the North American International Auto Show. The bureau joined Detroit Police Chief James Craig to talk about human trafficking ahead of the auto show opening to the public on Saturday.

According to Michael Glennon with the FBI, there is a 280-300 percent increase in sex trafficking workers in the area. Ten percent of them are under the age of 18.

Chief Craig said that on Wednesday, VICE unit got a tip on a missing girl. They followed up, and found out that the missing girl was abducted and she was sexually assaulted. The suspect was preparing for her and another missing female to move them to Atlanta to continue with sex trafficking activity.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations says human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes, and is akin to modern-day slavery.

"Victims pay to be illegally transported into the United States, only to find themselves in the thrall of traffickers," HSI said. "They are forced into prostitution, involuntary labor and other forms of servitude to repay debts - often entry into the United States."

In certain cases, human trafficking victims are children, surrounded by an unfamiliar culture and language without identification documents.

"Human trafficking cases are notoriously difficult to pursue," said Steve Francis, HSI special agent in charge. "Victims and their families are often intimated into compliance with the threat of violence and other forms of abusive coercion."

"We urge members of the public to educate themselves on these heinous crimes so they recognize the indicators. An educated public can help law enforcement rescue individuals in these situations and ensure those committing these acts are punished.”

HSI says recognizing key indicators of human trafficking is the first step in identifying victims and can help save a life. Not all indicators listed below are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.

Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?

Has a child stopped attending school?

Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?

Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?

Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?

Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?

Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?

Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?

Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?

Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?

Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?

Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?

Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?

Does the person appear to have all their belongings in a plastic bag, easy to grab if forced to quickly move locations?

Is the juvenile using a false ID or lying about his or her age?

Does the person appear to not be familiar with his or her surroundings, e.g., not know their location?

HSI urges the public to not attempted to confront a suspected trafficker directly or alert a victim to any suspicions. 
If you notice suspicious activity, please contact HSI through its tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services provided the below statement:

Davenport Shelter is licensed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as a child-caring agency for youth who are in the care of the department. The Division of Child Welfare Licensing at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services today began a special investigation of Davenport Shelter as a result of the information that surfaced yesterday. The department will conduct an expeditious and thorough investigation.

Case specifics about children in the care of the department are confidential.

MDHHS takes very seriously its duty to protect the safety and well-being of children and thoroughly investigates child safety issues at licensed facilities. Human trafficking of vulnerable children is a national problem that is of extreme concern to the department.

One in every seven missing kids are trafficked

One in every seven missing children ends up getting involved in trafficking. Those children being forced to have sex for money and many of them are right here in our area. January is human trafficking awareness month.

We have known young girls are being forced to have sex for money, but in recent years there have been more reports of young men forced to do the same.

Nationally, there are about 25,000 endangered runaways every year and those children are most at risk for this. Officials at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children say there are at least 100 cases of child trafficking in the Greater  Rochester area and it's even worse in bigger cites.

Even scarier, there are people looking for kids to target. Criminals are using social media, malls, parks and more to find vulnerable children and convince them to join trafficking rings often disguised as "families."

Ed Suk, New York Director for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says there are signs parents and loved ones can watch out for to keep kids safe.

"Maybe there has been changes in their behavior, maybe they're wearing clothing has changed, maybe they're wearing clothes that are more provocative, access to large amounts of money, they may have significant cash in their purse or pockets...multiple cell phones hotel key cards, receipts from hotels in the area...things you wouldn't normally see in the hands of a teenager," Suk said.

Keep in mind, a child doesn't have to be missing to be trafficked. A lot of kids come right back home after experiencing this abuse. If you suspect a child is involved in any sort of sex crime, you can report it online on the CyberTipline by the NCMEC.

Hundreds of trafficked children go missing from UK care homes

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - 

A growing number of trafficked children in Britain are going missing from care homes, with some feared to be returning to their traffickers after being treated like criminals or illegal immigrants by authorities, two charities said on Wednesday.

A quarter of the 1,015 identified or suspected child trafficking victims in the care of local authorities went missing at least once last year - 246 children compared to 167 in 2015 - according to research by ECPAT UK and Missing People.

The child victims reported as missing from care disappeared seven times on average. Their reasons for running away included poor accommodation, fear of authorities and the ongoing control of human traffickers, the charities said in a report.

The findings raise doubts about Britain’s ability to care for vulnerable children at a time when a record number of suspected child slaves are being referred to the government - 2,118 last year and up two-thirds on 2016 - campaigners said.

“Trafficked and unaccompanied children continue to be failed by the system which should be safeguarding and protecting them,” said Jane Hunter, senior research manager at Missing People.

“(They) are particularly vulnerable, and may go back into a highly exploitative situation to those they were trafficked by.”

Britain’s Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that any missing child was cause for “serious concern”.

“We require all care placements to have clear procedures in place to prevent children from going missing,” he said in a statement.

About a fifth of the 975 trafficked or unaccompanied children reported as missing from care in Britain last year have not yet been found, according to the charities’ data.

“I can see why young people run away to their trafficker,” one child who went missing from care was quoted anonymously as saying in the report. “It is ‘better the devil you know’.”

Despite being hailed as a global leader in the anti-slavery drive, Britain said in July it would review its landmark 2015 law amid criticism that it is not being used fully to jail traffickers, drive firms to stop forced labor, or help victims.

Many child victims of trafficking are convicted of crimes they are forced to commit in captivity - such as drug offences on cannabis farms where many Vietnamese teenagers are found - and are later refused asylum, lawyers and campaigners have said.

Between 2015 and 2017, Britain denied asylum to 183 people trafficked as children from nations such as Vietnam - double the total for the previous three years - government data obtained exclusively by the Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed in July.

“Too often these children are treated as criminals or immigration offenders, rather than vulnerable children requiring support,” said Catherine Baker, ECPAT’s senior research officer.

Britain is home to at least 136,000 modern slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index by rights group Walk Free Foundation - a figure 10 times higher than a government estimate from 2013.

Reporting by Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Claire Cozens. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit news.trust.org

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 

SC lawmakers proposing harsher punishment for sex traffickers

By:

Julie Calhoun 

South Carolina law makers are proposing a bill that will give stricter penalties for solicitation of prostitution and sex traffickers. The proposed bill will also help human trafficking victims who find themselves behind bars.

The Rape Crisis Center of Horry and Georgetown counties said human trafficking victims often get arrested for prostitution. This proposed bill could help their defense.

The bill will establish affirmative defense when a victim of human trafficking is charged with prostitution. Which means evidence of human trafficking can be used in their defense.

"We really need to have  a lot of education for law enforcement and solicitors about what a human trafficking victim really looks like because its not always what we picture," said Nicole Service, volunteer coordinator at the Rape Crisis Center.

The Rape Crisis Center said teens ages 14 to 17 are the ones lured into sex trafficking, and believe they are in a relationship with their trafficker which is one reason why sometimes they don't want to turn them in.

"People are given an option give up your pimp or trafficker and they don't want to and they are charged with solicitation," said Service.

They said another reason not turning their trafficker in is out of fear. Most human trafficking victims the Rape Crisis Center deals with are in their thirties by the time they realize they're a victim.

"It can be difficult sometimes for people to recognize that someone at that age who it may seem like they're doing what they're doing willingly is actually a victim of human trafficking," said Service.

The bill also includes harsher punishment for those who force someone with a mental disability into prostitution and someone who runs a brothel.

"When it comes to any legislation regarding human trafficking or prostitution. We should really be listening to people on the ground, and that's sex workers and victims of human trafficking," said Service.

The first offense is a $1,000 fine or 30 days in jail. The third offense means a $1,500 fine or a year jail. For those who force someone with a mental disability into prostitution, that's 2 years in jail and a $5,000 fine.