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. 

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As Many as 8 Million Children Are Kidnapped and Trafficked Into Sex Slavery Every Year by Global Pedophile Network – of Which Many Politicians Are Members

Ethan Huff

According to official statistics that you’ll never hear reported by the mainstream media, as many as 800,000 children in the United States, and eight million children globally, are being kidnapped and trafficked into sex slavery every single year as part of a massive pedophilia network that spans the entire world. And though it might not be comfortable to think about, many high-level politicians on both sides of aisle actively participate in, and partake of, this unimaginable evil.

Earlier this year, The International Tribunal for Natural Justice (ITNJ) met for three days to launch its Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Human Trafficking and Child Sex Abuse, the purpose of which is to investigate and bring to the forefront this prolific scourge of child sex abuse all around the world, much of it satanically ritualistic in nature.

One of the speakers at this event was Chief Counsel Robert David Steele, a former CIA officer who opened the Plenary Session of this first Judicial Commission of the Tribunal. He spoke about how child torture, child murder, and child organ harvesting are now “accepted” practice within the highest levels of government all across the globe, as well as within non-governmental organizations (NGOs), multinational corporations, academia, and “civil” society.

“This scourge persists because it is allowed to exist by the complicit authorities,” Steele stated during his roughly 13-minute speech, which you can watch below:

High-level pedophiles perform ritual satanic abuse involving the torture and murder of infants in order to produce “adrenalized blood” that they consume for energy.

Steele says he’s convinced that most of the organizations and institutions that facilitate these sex crimes against children started out with “the best of intentions,” but were eventually infiltrated by pedophiles who transformed them into something else. Regardless, such crimes are taking place every single day, often by people who are presented to the public as “authorities” and “civil servants.”

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And it’s not just that these wicked abominations are abducting innocent children in order to have sex with them. In many cases, there’s ritual satanic abuse taking place in which children are purposely traumatized before being murdered, allowing satanic pedophiles to drink their blood and eat their flesh like vampires.

“It appears that pedopredation – including the attendant torture and murder of infants to produce adrenalized blood via ritual Satanic abuse – is in some cases considered an elite ‘privilege’ whereupon these echelons are permitted to practice such perversity with impunity,” Steele explained during his speech, pointing out that it’s the people we see every day on television, in movies, and in government buildings who are engaging this these unspeakable evils.

The “deep state” is powered by pedophilia

Why this is so important to bring to the public’s attention is that pedophilia is a type of “initiation rite,” according to Steele, to draw new members into the “deep state” and “shadow government.” High-level government officials who participate in pedophilia activities such as those previously mentioned quickly become puppets who are fully controlled by their invisible overlords, which use the deviant activities of their puppets as blackmail in order to fulfill various other evil agendas.

“The center of gravity for taking down the deep state, pedophilia is both the induction glue, pedophilia is how the deep state recruits and controls people,” is how Steele concluded his speech. “It is also the Achilles heel of the deep state.”

Be sure to read the full report by Health Impact News about all of this, which contains other powerful interviews by other whistleblower folks who were sex slaves themselves.

Online Grooming of Children for Sexual Purposes

Foreword

Over  the  past  decade,  The  Koons  Family  Institute  on  International  Law  &  Policy  has  worked  to  address numerous child  protection  issues  through  the  development  of tools and  resources  that  facilitate greater  awareness  and  improved  capacity  of policymakers, child-serving professionals, and  the  public worldwide.  Child  Pornography:  Model  Legislation  &  Global  Review,  first  released  in  2006,  has  become ICMEC’s long-running  rule  of  law  project.  We  are  currently  working  on the  9th  Edition, which,  when released  will  have  a  slightly new  title:  Child  Sexual  Abuse  Material:  Model  Legislation  &  Global Review.  This shift  in  terminology is consistent  with  the  evolution  of  the  global  discussion  surrounding these  issues  and  more  accurately  reflects  the  true  nature  of  the  crime  that  is  committed  against  the child.  The  report  laid  the  groundwork  for  our  approach to  gaining a better  understanding  of  the  global legislative  landscape  as  it  relates  to  child  sexual  abuse  material.  From  the  beginning,  the  report  noted the  connection between  the  production of  child  sexual abuse  material  and  sexual grooming  of children, though  grooming  was a  little-known  issue  then.  In recent  years,  there  has  been  an  increasing  number of  reports  related  to  online  grooming  of  children  for  sexual  purposes  –  when  an  adult  communicates online  with  a  child  under  the  age  of 18  in  order  to  establish  an  emotional  connection  or  relationship with  the  child  and  gain  their trust  for  the  purposes  of  sexual abuse  or  exploitation.1  This  growing  trend prompted  us  to undertake  a  new  global review,  using  the  same  approach,  focused  on  online  grooming.   

While  child  grooming  takes place  both  face-to-face  as  well  as  online, the  Internet  poses  a  particular challenge,  as those  seeking  to  victimize  children  take  advantage  of the  relative  anonymity online interaction  provides.  Children  may be  unsupervised  or  minimally supervised  when  online  and  are generally more  willing  to  share  information  and  trust  that  the  person  with  whom they are  interacting  is a friend.  Once  a trust  relationship has  been  established, children  may be  pressured  and  manipulated into  engaging  in  sexual  activities  like  sexual  conversations,  creating  sexual  images  and  videos,  or interacting  over webcam  with  the groomer.2  Children  may  not  even understand  that  they  are  being groomed  for  future  sexual  abuse  until  it  is too  late.  

The  grooming process  can  happen  quickly, within a  matter  of  minutes in  some  cases,3  but  the  negative  impact on  the victim  is  often  long-lasting.4 It is  therefore imperative  that parents/guardians  and  children alike  have  access  to information about the  risk  of  online  grooming,  and  that  resources  be  available  to  support  victims  and  their  families  when such abuse  occurs.  To  curtail  this growing  phenomenon,  policymakers,  law  enforcement  agencies,  and child-serving  professionals  must  work  to  take  legislative  action  to  prevent,  identify,  and  prosecute online  grooming  of children.   

Realizing  the  importance  of  considering  various  cultural,  religious,  socio-economic,  and  political norms,  our  model  legislation  resembles  more  of  a menu  of  concepts  that  can  be  applied  in  all  countries throughout  the  world  as  opposed  to  actual  statutory  language. 

The  model  legislation  consists  of  a number  of  fundamental  topics/provisions  that  are  essential  to  a  comprehensive  legislative  strategy  to combat  online  grooming. It is  divided  into  three  parts:

(1)  Definitions; (2)  Offenses;  and  (3)  Sanctions  and  Sentencing.  

This is followed  by an  overview  of  related  regional  and  international  law,  as well  as a discussion  of  implementation  and  good  initiatives. The  final  section  contains  a  global  review  of  countryspecific  legislation.   It  is important  to  note  that  the  legislative  review  accompanying  the  model  legislation  is about  assessing the  current  state  and  awareness  of  the  problem,  and  learning  from  one  another’s  experiences. Additionally,  a  country’s  lack  of  legislation  specific  to  online  grooming  of children  for  sexual  purposes does not  mean  that  other  forms of child  sexual  exploitation  and  child  abuse  are  not  criminalized. We hope  that  this  report,  like  Child  Sexual  Abuse Material:  Model Legislation  & Global Review,  will  be studied  and  used  towards  the  goal  of  making the  world  a safer  place  for  all  children  and  that it will inspire  progress  similar  to  what  we  have  seen  with  regard  to  child  sexual  abuse  material. As  a global community,  we  must  strive  together  to  ensure  that  children  are  better  protected  from  sexual exploitation  and  abuse.   

1 2 3 4 National  Society  for the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children  (NSPCC),  Grooming:  What  it  is,  signs  and  how  to  protect  children,  at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/grooming/  (last visited  Jun.  30,  2017) (on  file  with  the International  Centre for  Missing &  Exploited  Children). Helen  Whittle et  al.,  Victims’  Voices:  The  Impact  of  Online  Grooming  and  Sexual  Abuse,  UNIVERSAL  JOURNAL  OF  PSYCHOLOGY  1(2):  59-71, 2013,  at  http://www.hrpub.org/download/201308/ujp.2013.010206.pdf  (last  visited  Jun.  27,  2017)  (on  file  with  the  International Centre  for Missing  &  Exploited  Children). Dr. Rowenna  Baldwin,  Children  at  risk  of  grooming  in  as  little  as  18  minutes,  British Science  Association,  at http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/news/children-at-risk-of-grooming-in-as-little-as-18-minutes  (last  visited  Sep.  5,  2017) (on file  with the  International  Centre  for  Missing  &  Exploited  Children). Helen  Whittle et  al.,  supra  note 2, at  59-60.   

36 convicted in largest international sex trafficking ring brought down by federal government

Dozens of people have been convicted for their role in a massive international sex trafficking organization based out of Thailand, which sold women in a variety of U.S. cities, including Minneapolis.

A federal jury handed down the convictions for five defendants Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. Thirty-one other defendants had previously pleaded guilty in the case.

At a press conference, officials stated that this was the largest sex trafficking ring ever dismantled by the federal government.

Sex trafficking is an industry that is built on supply and demand and this organization fed that industry,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Erica MacDonald. “It exploited, it abused, enslaved, and sold women in response to the high demand of commercial sex that exists not only in the United States, but here in Minnesota.”

After receiving a tip about the operation in 2014, authorities in Minnesota managed to take down the international sex trafficking ring in 2016.

The victims, all women in their 30's, were smuggled from Bangkok, Thailand and sold in cities all over the country, including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago and D.C.

The U.S. Attorney said that the women were sold like cattle until they could pay off a bondage debt. The operation went on for more than a decade and generated tens of millions of dollars. There were hundreds of victims and thousands of men who purchased these women.

Officials say that many of the women were misled to believe that participating in the scheme would lead to a better life.

“It was an organization that brought poor and vulnerable women from Thailand to the United States where they were forced to engage in sexual acts, every day all day and they couldn’t walk away,” said MacDonald.

Many of the victims are working to rebuild their lives. The defendants in the case will face sentencing next year.

Troubled Girls Were Sent to This Town to Heal. Many Were Lured Into the Sex Trade Instead

Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Residential Treatment Center in Mount Pleasant, N.Y., is being closed. Some residents were forced into a sex-trafficking ring, federal prosecutors said.CreditCreditBryan Anselm for The New York Times

By Nikita Stewart and Benjamin Weiser

Tucked inside a neighborhood in a small town just north of New York City, Hawthorne Cedar Knolls was on idyllic, green grounds. It was landscaped to give some peace and stability to the emotionally troubled teenagers who were placed there.

But in recent years, Hawthorne, located in the town of Mount Pleasant, began experiencing unusually high rates of teenagers going missing from its campus. Staff, law enforcement officials and advocates for children said they knew that some of the missing residents had fallen victim to sex traffickers. Many of the girls in the rehabilitation center had been placed there in the first place to rescue them from the sex trade.

On Thursday, the breadth of a pipeline carrying young women out of Hawthorne and into prostitution became clearer. Nineteen people were charged in a sex-trafficking ring that exploited young women and girls as young as 13 years old, federal prosecutors said.

At least 15 victims were in the child welfare system, including nine who were residents of Hawthorne, the prosecutors said.

The defendants named in a series of indictments unsealed this week face charges including sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy, which carry maximum sentences of up to life in prison.

The indictments do not name the residential center in Westchester County, referring to it only as “Facility-1,” but it is Hawthorne, an official at the center and two other people briefed on the matter said. Some of the defendants are in their 20s; the two oldest are 59, prosecutors said. None of the defendants were staff members of Hawthorne.

The charges were announced by the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan, the F.B.I. and the Police Department.

Some details of the alleged scheme were contained in the unsealed court papers.

One defendant, Hubert Dupigny, 34, recruited a 16-year-old girl from Hawthorne who worked for him as a prostitute until he was arrested in December 2016, prosecutors wrote. At that point, the girl went to work for his brother, Hensley Dupigny, 29, who posted advertisements for her on Backpage.comand collected most of her earnings, the prosecutors said.

A prosecutor said at a court hearing in August for Hensley Dupigny that the alleged conspiracy was “particularly egregious” because the defendants sought out minors in the social services system, often children with behavioral or emotional problems who had become wards of the state.

“These were especially vulnerable victims,” the prosecutor, Elinor L. Tarlow, said. “They didn’t have stable residences. They didn’t have family support. They didn’t have guidance.”

She said the accused traffickers capitalized on that vulnerability. “They approached victims as if they had a romantic interest in them,” she said. “They offered them a place to stay and then they pushed them into prostitution.”

As part of the investigation the government spoke to “multiple victims, who provided firsthand accounts,” Ms. Tarlow added.

The Dupigny brothers have each pleaded not guilty. A lawyer for Hubert Dupigny wrote recently to the court, “Mr. Dupigny adamantly denies that he is guilty of any of the charges” or that he ever forced, threatened or coerced anyone to engage in prostitution. Lawyers for the two men either declined to comment on Thursday or could not be reached for comment.

Hawthorne, which had been heavily scrutinized for its failure to keep teenagers from running away, has been closing in phases all year, said Chris Giglio, a spokesman for the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, which operates the facility. Mr. Giglio added that the nonprofit was cooperating with federal investigators.

Only six children remain and are expected to be moved to a new location by Tuesday, said Monica Mahaffey, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Children and Family Services.

The Jewish Board announced it would close Hawthorne earlier this year, following pressure from state legislators, severe sanctions from the state child welfare office and growing complaints from residents of Mount Pleasant about teenagers wandering the town, particularly as they headed to trains back to New York City.

In 2016, the town began charging the Jewish Board and another nonprofit that runs a nearby residential treatment center $250 for every call about missing children in an effort to push the nonprofits to beef up security.

In one recent year, about 73 percent of the 188 residents placed at Hawthorne by the city’s child welfare agency were reported missing, a significantly higher rate than at comparable programs. As a residential treatment center for children with emotional and behavioral problems, Hawthorne was not as restrictive as other facilities for children with more severe mental issues.

Though the nonprofit installed new fencing and took steps to foster trust with the teenagers in hope of dissuading them from running away, the momentum to close Hawthorne was too strong. The federal investigation was also well underway.

David Hansell, the commissioner of New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, said in a statement that his agency was cooperating with the investigation.

“We have zero tolerance for trafficking, and we have strong programs in place to protect young people from being trafficked and exploited,” he said.

Susan Beachy contributed reporting.