SHI Staff, Author at Shared Hope International

November 5, 2011 by SHI Staff

Protected Innocence Initiative Part 2: Criminal Provisions Addressing Demand

Demand fuels the commercial sex industry. Without buyers seeking paid sex with children, traffickers would not have a market to sell young children for sexual exploitation. To achieve significant deterrence, severe penalties must be in place to adequately punish the crime of purchasing sex with a child. This dynamic is illustrated in the case below.

Operation Precious Cargo took place in 2005 in Pennsylvania. During this operation, the stretch of US Route 11 connecting Interstate 81 to Interstate 76, locally known as the “Miracle Mile” for the high prevalence of commercial sex, was the main target. Along the “Miracle Mile” there are three truck stops, three truck terminals, and sixteen motels that were investigated by law enforcement during a sex trafficking sting. Of the 151 victims of prostitution found at just one truck stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 45 were minors— the youngest was only 12 years old. If this sting happened today, buyers in Pennsylvania could face a third degree felony with a fine of up to $15,000 and imprisonment up to seven years. However, if this sting happened in Oregon, for example, the buyer may face only 30 days after the second conviction.

30 days.

This is the reason for the Protected Innocence Initiative, because children deserve a standard level of protection no matter what state they live in. The Protected Innocence Challenge is designed to reveal these critical gaps in legislation so concerned activists and legislators can work in proactive partnership to strengthen state law to better protect children and prosecute the perpetrators.

October 23, 2011 by SHI Staff

Part 1: Victims or perpetrators: Who goes free in the “Land of the Free”

The words “human trafficking” often conjure images of dark, grungy alleys in countries such as India and Thailand. Though awareness is growing, the 100,000-300,000children that officials estimate are forced into prostitution each year are often not regarded as trafficking victims, though legally defined as such by the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), because the laws in some states fail to specifically criminalize domestic minor sex trafficking.

That is why Shared Hope International launched the Protected Innocence Initiative. The Protected Innocence Initiative is the first proactive study to effectively combat domestic minor sex trafficking by analyzing and grading six areas of law within every state’s legal framework. The first area of analysis under the Protected Innocence Legislative Framework is criminalization of domestic minor sex trafficking. Under this component, we are analyzing and grading every state’s law on it ability to specifically criminalize domestic minor sex trafficking and define minors used in commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution as human trafficking victims. Click here to learn more about this component.

One young girl, Kelly, spoke out about her sex trafficking experience in Virginia saying, “I carried around guilt that I thought I was a prostitute. I thought that I had made the decision. I didn’t really understand that someone had taken advantage of me and manipulated me.” Kelly was forced into the sex industry by a pimp after she ran away from home. However, despite being trafficked at a young age and finally seeking help, Kelly’s pimp could not be charged with sex trafficking of a minor because the state does not currently have any law directly criminalizing domestic minor sex trafficking.

Stories like Kelly’s have become all too common in today’s society. Through the Protected Innocence Initiative, Shared Hope International seeks to help victims like Kelly by making sure the laws properly criminalize domestic minor sex trafficking.

In order to truly make a difference, American’s must realize that sex trafficking is not some far off phenomenon, but a reality within our own borders. Sex trafficking happens within every state and every city. To combat this, each state must work to strengthen or create legislation to criminalize domestic minor sex trafficking. It is only through these efforts that one day America will escape the horrors of modern day slavery and be able and call itself “The Land of the Free.”

February 23, 2011 by SHI Staff

An Earnest Request: Survivor letter to 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee

After working on this issue for over a decade, we’ve read through countless touching letters, describing the horrific events of being sold for sex. This letter hits close to home as the author describes how she was forced to travel to Dallas against her will, in the very same area which will host next week’s 2011 Super Bowl. In hopes of persuading the Super Bowl Host Committee to endorse the I’m Not Buying Itcampaign, A.H. has shared her experiences in an open letter to both the committee as well as the NFL. Should they hear her request, both recipients have the power to discourage the buying and selling of girls who have been victims of sex trafficking during the Super Bowl celebrations next week.

Dear Super Bowl Host Committee & National Football League,

My name is A.H. and I’m a survivor of sex trafficking. I’m not a big football fan, but I’ll never forget my first trip to Dallas/Fort Worth several years ago. It was 2006 when I was dragged there against my will by a pimp. I was forced to dance, strip and sell sex (along with five other young girls) for over a month while he pocketed the cash ($1,000-$3,000/night from each girl) and planned our next gig. I was trapped in a life I never wanted without any hope of escape.

You might be shocked to know that I come from an upstanding, supportive and loving family. I’ve been an excellent student my whole life, earning a scholarship to college. I had dreams, ambitions and the courage to make them happen. Everything changed the day I met the man who would later become my pimp. He was intelligent, attractive and seemed to genuinely care about me. When I lost my scholarship due to an injury, he offered to help me and I believed he would. As soon as I realized what he had in mind, I tried to leave. He grabbed me by the neck, threw me down and almost choked the life out of me. When he threatened to hurt my family if I didn’t cooperate, I knew I was trapped.

This nightmare was my life for over a year. During that time, we traveled to several states where I was sold at nightclubs, bars, and parties — fulfilling a demand for sex nationwide. He was always there, always watching. If I refused to work, I was beaten and tortured.

We spent an entire month in Dallas/Fort Worth, where my pimp said the “real money” was. We were all young (some as young as 14-years-old) and that’s what the men wanted. No one asked if we were being forced to work, or if we enjoyed it. No one cared. While we were being sold for sex every night, our pimp was recruiting other local girls – from the Galleria, the clubs, concerts, and even McDonald’s.

I lived in fear every day, hoping I’d survive to see the next. It wasn’t until I heard him loading his gun to kill me that I finally mustered the courage to escape. Today, I’m a survivor. I share my story with you in the hopes that you’ll realize sex trafficking is real. It happens to young girls across America every day – girls as young as 13. With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, you have a choice to help stop it. Dallas/Fort Worth will soon become the nation’s biggest party – and every pimp’s center for business.

Please join me, Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff, and 65,000+ fans who’ve signed the Change.org petition in taking a stand against the exploitation of women and children during the Super Bowl. Every victim deserves the chance to become a survivor. And every young girl deserves to be protected and live a life free from slavery and exploitation.

I’m asking you to endorse the I’m Not Buying It campaign. By placing posters and billboards in and around the stadium you can deter men from engaging in the commercial sex market and save the lives of countless victims. You can make a difference – please, what would you do if it was your daughter?

Thank you,

A.H., Survivor of Sex Trafficking

A.H. was provided support and assistance through the anti-trafficking organization Courtney’s House, and her letter is supported by Courtney’s House and Shared Hope International. You can support A.H. and the many other trafficking survivors who have been sold in Dallas/Ft. Worth by joining the campaign to fight sex trafficking at the Super Bowl.

January 27, 2011 by SHI Staff

WA Senate Hearing on new Bill to Fight Child Sex Trafficking

Read the Full Release

January 14, 2011 by SHI Staff

Oregon Receives Dangerously Low Grade for Child Sex Trafficking Laws

Portland, Oregon, often referred to as “Pornland”, has earned a reputation for having the largest legal sex industry per capita in the nation, even compared to Las Vegas. One Portland directory lists 40 erotic dance clubs, 47 all-nude strip clubs, 35 adult businesses and 21 lingerie modeling shops and most of these businesses are stacked conveniently on 82^nd Avenue. Numerous child victims have revealed they were groomed by their pimps and ultimately advertised for purchase through these legal sex markets. In 2009, the Sexual Assault Resource Center served at least 75 victims of trafficking. Is Portland one of the most dangerous cities for children in America?

Despite the mounting negative press, the leadership of Portland is confronting this issue head on. Mayor Sam Adams recently stated

“Human trafficking, and especially juvenile human trafficking, goes against everything this city believes in and stands for, and we must do much more to combat the causes and symptoms of this problem.”

And it’s not all talk. City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, recently sponsored a resolution that was approved by the council to dedicate assets seized from pimps and their customers to shelter and services for victims. In a downtrodden economic environment, it’s a brilliant and fitting idea to make pimps and buyers foot the bill for the victims they create.

However, according to the Protected Innocence Oregon Report Card, which landed Oregon a “D”, there is clearly more work to be done. The Protected Innocence Legislative Framework outlines six areas of law critical to protecting and responding to child sex trafficking. The Report Card identified several areas of Oregon law that should be applauded for its strength such as the strong investigative tools provided to law enforcement to combat the crime of trafficking. This lightens the responsibility of the child victim as the primary witness in a case. Additionally, Oregon’s broad child abuse and neglect statues allows for a child protection response rather than a delinquency response. The Report Card provides legislators, community advocates, students, and professionals with a road map of the changes necessary to ensure protection for the victims and punishment for the criminals who exploit them.

The Oregon Report Card outlines four critical legislative changes needed:

– Amend the state human trafficking law to align with the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act by eliminating the requirement of force in cases of child sex trafficking.

– Amend the sex offender registry law to require convicted traffickers and buyers of child sex trafficking victims to register as sex offenders.

– Make buying or attempting to buy sex with a minor a separate crime from solicitation of an adult for prostitution and reference the trafficking in persons statute as the applicable crime and penalty. Currently, the law on solicitation of prostitution does not differentiate adults from a minor and is a misdemeanor – regardless of age.

– Amend “rape shield” law to include the victim-witnesses of compelled prostitution or sex trafficking so they are not left unprotected from a re-traumatizing examination when they testify. As in other sexual offense cases, evidence of a victim’s past sexual behavior should not be admissible.

These are changes that legislators can make right now. Let’s lend our voice to advocate for those who have been silenced through sexual slavery. Getting a “D” on the protection of children from traffickers is not acceptable! Legislators are stepping up to the plate, let’s encourage them to follow through on their commitment to make Oregon a safe place for children. Those stuck in sexual slavery are counting on you to make a difference!