Here’s what was going on across the nation last month in the fight against human trafficking.
Cases in the news:
- A 31-year-old man in Milwaukee is on trial for trafficking four minors and a 19-year-old woman. From 2006 to 2008, he advertised the victims’ prostitution services on Craigslist and kept all of the resulting profits.
- Four men in Oregon are accused of shooting child pornography and putting it on YouTube. Investigators claim there is a gang connection to the case, and are concerned that more and more gang members are ditching drug dealing in favor of human trafficking because of the decreased risk of consequences.
- A 19-year-old San Antonio woman is accused of trafficking a minor and advertising her as a 20-year-old escort on Backpage.com. The young victim is a runaway.
- A 33-year-old man is accused of trafficking two teenage girls at a Florida motel. One victim claimed that he threatened her with a gun when she refused to work as a prostitute and would not let her leave the motel room
- A 37-year-old Lafayette woman has been arrested for allegedly trafficking a minor under the age of 12. The case is still under investigation, and more arrests are expected as the victim reveals more information.
New legislation:
- Nebraska lawmakers approved LB 255, which strengthens penalties for solicitation, pandering, debauching a minor, and running a house of prostitution. It also prevents anyone under the age of 18 from being criminalized for prostitution.
- Nevada lawmakers approved Assembly Bill 67, which creates the new crime of sex trafficking in the state. The new law also states that minors cannot voluntarily consent to prostitution. Assembly Bill 311 sets up a fund for human trafficking victims.
- U.S. Senators introduced the federal Child Sex Trafficking Data and Response Act of 2013, which aims to improve state and national data on child sex trafficking and reform the child welfare system to better identify and aid children who are victims of human trafficking.
- Louisiana lawmakers approved HB 126, which strengthens enforcement of the requirement that National Human Trafficking Resources Center hotline information be posted at certain establishments. They also approved SB 88, which aims to protect children who may have been trafficked and also makes victim restitution mandatory.
- Ohio lawmakers approved House Bill 130, which would increase protection for victims of human trafficking and extend the period during which a prosecution for human trafficking is required to begin from six to twenty years. The bill also requires those convicted of solicitation to register as sex offenders if the individual they were soliciting is under 18 years-old.
Awareness and advocacy efforts:
- Orlando, Florida and Jackson, Michigan have launched human-trafficking task forces to help assist victims and teach the public how to identify cases of human trafficking.
- Through a new federal program dubbed the Blue Campaign, the Department of Homeland Security is distributing thousands of new posters, tip sheets, and public service announcements about trafficking. As part of this campaign, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security have developed a training program called the Blue Lightning Initiative to teach employees about indicators of human trafficking and to train them on how to identify potential victims.
- Florida unveiled a new online training video to teach law enforcement about human trafficking, its indicators, and the resources available to victims.
For more information on human trafficking, click here.