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November 17, 2016 by Susanna Bean

Despite Sex Trafficking Laws, Kids Can be Charged with Prostitution in Majority of States While Exploiters Walk Away

WASHINGTON, D.C., Every state now has a law covering child sex trafficking according to an annual State Report Card released by Shared Hope International (SHI), the only U.S. NGO working in every state to end child sex trafficking through legal reform.

“But kids can still be prosecuted as criminals in 31 states because law has not kept up with reality – the reality is that these children are victims of sex trafficking and cannot be criminals at the same time for the same thing,” said SHI founder Linda Smith, at a press conference in Orlando, FL where the National Foundation for Women Legislators is meeting.

SHI started the annual report card—known as the Protected Innocence Challenge—six years ago, in 2011, when 26 states got Fs and 15 had Ds. This year 30 states have As and Bs.

While she commended legislators and activists for the progress they have made, “We must stop criminalizing kids for crimes committed against them!” declared Smith. “Domestic minors are twice condemned: first by sex buyers and the voracious commercial sex trade, then by the juvenile justice system.”
“Only when buying sex becomes very costly—meaning steep fines and jail time—will we be able to prevent this crime from happening in the first place,” Linda observed. Shared Hope research shows that a very small percentage of buyers are arrested and even fewer do time.

Although the majority of minors identified in the commercial sex industry are girls, an increasing number of service providers across the U.S. say young men are victimized too.

Dr. Brook Bello, founder of More Too Life and Florida’s 2016 Advocate of the Year, has worked with hundreds of sex trafficking survivors.
Regarding sex buyers, Dr. Bello admonished, “Bringing cash to the scene of the crime should not give you immunity.”

Alyssa Beck, Survivor Advocate said, “The system failed me at age 15 by not recognizing that I was a victim. Instead I was arrested. Men who bought sex with me were never brought to justice.”

Linda Smith, served as a state legislator and Member of Congress from Washington State (1983-1998), and is the author of Renting Lacy (2009). She founded Shared Hope in 1998.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Susanna Bean
717.608.1039
Susanna@sharedhope.org

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November 17, 2016 by Susanna Bean

National Foundation of Women Legislators Passes Resolution on Child Sex Trafficking

Today at the annual conference for the National Foundation of Women Legislators the members passed an important resolution on child sex trafficking. Shared Hope International has worked with NFWL to craft a resolution that addresses the key issues currently confronting legislators responding to child sex trafficking victims.

You can read the whole resolution below.

Resolution regarding the critical importance of improving protections for child sex trafficking victims.

WHEREAS child sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exploits some of the most vulnerable members of society;

WHEREAS online exploitation has exponentially expanded the market for child victims who are bought and sold through online classified websites and other online venues developed around the commercial sex market;

WHEREAS child sex trafficking victims suffer serious trauma resulting from commercial sexual exploitation, regardless of whether they have an identified trafficker;

WHEREAS buyers of sex with children are central perpetrators in the crime of sex trafficking and failure to address the conduct of buyers as a crime of sex trafficking creates barriers to critical protections, services and resources for child victims;

WHEREAS children, who cannot consent to engage in commercial sex, must not be criminalized for commercial sexual conduct that is inherent to their victimization;

WHEREAS children who are exploited through commercial sex are victims of sex trafficking in need of specialized, trauma-informed services in lieu of being arrested and detained for their own victimization; and

WHEREAS strong state laws are critical to preventing children from becoming victims of sex trafficking and for protecting those children who have been exploited; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that members of the National Foundation of Women Legislators—

(1) strongly condemn the crime of child sex trafficking;

(2) recognize the need for states to develop mandatory response laws on behalf of child sex trafficking victims that ensure access to services and resources for recovery;

(3) call on every state to set a clear goal and plan for eliminating criminalization of minors for commercial sexual conduct and other conduct that is a result of their trafficking victimization; and

(4) urge every state to statutorily recognize all commercially sexually exploited children as child sex trafficking victims and align the state sex trafficking law with the reality that children are exploited by both traffickers and buyers by ensuring both types of offenders are acknowledged as perpetrators under the state’s core sex trafficking law.

November 10, 2016 by Susanna Bean

Pathbreaker Awards 2016

Shared Hope International is pleased to announce Michelle Guymon and Margie Quin as the 2016 Pathbreaker Award Honorees.

About the Award

In 2000, the U.S. Department of State enlisted Shared Hope International to host Pathbreaking Strategies conferences in six countries to energize the conversation about trafficking and share innovative approaches to combat the problem. During this process, we created the Pathbreaker Award to recognize the pioneering efforts of those who broke the trend of inaction and initiated proactive responses to prevent sex trafficking.

This year, Shared Hope International is proud to honor these individuals who have developed innovative strategies to combat demand, expose trafficking, and seek justice.

Michelle Guymon, MSW – Director of the Child Trafficking Unit Los Angeles County Probation Department

Michelle Guymon is Director of the Child Trafficking Unit with Los Angeles County Probation Department, the nation’s first probation department with a unit specifically devoted to addressing the physical, mental and emotional needs of commercially sexually exploited youth. Michelle has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Los Angeles County’s Law Enforcement First Responder Protocol for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children for which she serves as the project manager. This nationally recognized protocol which was launched in August 2014 places a priority on treating trafficked children as victims rather than criminals. She is a frequent presenter and trainer, has received numerous awards for her work in the area of child sex trafficking, and has been featured in the media as a subject matter expert on the topic, specifically within the juvenile justice system. Michelle is currently the lead on the Los Angeles County CSEC Action Team working with various county/community agencies to create a multi-system response model for CSEC in Los Angeles County. Michelle prioritizes survivor leadership in her work, and has led the development of an innovative yearly conference created by young survivors for young survivors. She provides field expertise to Shared Hope through her ongoing work as a member of our JuST Response Council. She is an advocate for youth and is very passionate about her work within the Probation Department.

Margie Quin – Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Margie’s twenty-three years of law enforcement experience include patrol, criminal investigations, high-tech surveillance, drug interdiction, supervision and leadership. Margie received her M.S. in Public Service Management from Cumberland University, a B.S. in Criminology from Auburn University and graduated from the 241^st session of the F.B.I. National Academy. During her nineteen years with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, her assignments included the Middle Tennessee Drug Division, Technical Services Unit and she was promoted in April of 2007 to Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the Criminal Intelligence Unit, housed within the Tennessee Fusion Center. In 2010, ASAC Quin led a T.B.I./Vanderbilt team to research and publish the groundbreaking and award winning study, “Tennessee Human Sex Trafficking and its Impact on Children and Youth.” This study has paved the way for passage of 43 pieces of legislation in the state of Tennessee since 2011. ASAC Quin supervises the first-ever statewide Human Trafficking Unit. The newly formed unit has conducted six major undercover operations across the state since 2015. These demand reduction operations, code named, “Someone Like Me,” have resulted in the arrest of over 120 men and identified over 30 women, who were provided services at the time of encounter. ASAC Quin’s career awards include: 2000 T.B.I. Agent of the Year, 2009 AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Year for the United States and 2014 Tennessee Victim Advocate of the Year.

About This Year’s Awards

This year’s Pathbreaker awards are original works by Kristen Tebow, a survivor of sex trafficking and leader in the anti-trafficking movement. After 8 years of sobriety and two bachelor’s degrees, she is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Work and engaged full time as a trainer, presenter, and advocate in the Lawrence, KS community where she was trafficked. Kristen uses the wisdom gained through her trauma in her work with youth and adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Besides being a wife and “mother” of two Jack Russell Terriers, she is an accomplished painter. Here is her description of the motivation behind the works she created for the Pathbreaker Awards:

Learning to Swim—“I have learned that life will always have storms and frightening waves. You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to swim through them. It’s how you handle them that really counts.”

Lifeline —“Wonderful people in my life have led me to my current state of peace. I didn’t get there by myself; the many people who have cheered me on continue to be the lifeline that pulls me forward.”

October 12, 2016 by Ernie Allen

MY NEW ROLE WITH SHARED HOPE

I was recently asked to serve as a Special Advisor to the President of Shared Hope International, Congresswoman Linda Smith, a request I easily accepted. I met Linda when she came to Congress in 1995. At the time, I was the President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and she and I would have an opportunity to work together on the protection of children during the next two decades.

From the day she arrived on Capitol Hill, it was clear that she cared about children and would be a tireless force for hidden victims everywhere. In 1998 she traveled to Mumbai and saw women and children enslaved in brothels, sold as commodities. She was angry. She returned home and undertook an unprecedented effort to evaluate the situation in her own country. She found that this was not just a problem on the other side of the world; it was also a problem in the United States. She turned her anger and indignation into action, founding Shared Hope International and beginning a nearly two decade long campaign to eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking.

Simultaneously, I launched an Exploited Child Unit and CyberTipline at NCMEC. Because Linda and I shared the conviction that too little was being done, we worked together. When she left Congress and focused her energy exclusively on Shared Hope, our collaboration continued.

Shared Hope has awakened policy makers and citizens. It investigated buyers, facilitators and traffickers in four countries, concluding that sex trafficking is demand-driven. It performed field research in 10 cities for the US Department of Justice, helping shape US policy. It did much more. Shared Hope is a leader in many areas, but I am particularly impressed by its extraordinary impact in three: Changing laws, rescuing victims, and reducing demand.

Shared Hope’s Protected Innocence Challenge has resulted in new laws nationwide. Based on a legislative framework of 41 laws, Shared Hope reviews progress state-by-state each year and issues report cards. The first year, 2011, 26 states received an F, in 2015, no states had an F grade.

Shared Hope is also a strong voice for victims. Rescue and rehabilitation services for victims were woefully inadequate. Shared Hope advocated a victim-centered approach, creating shelters and services, keeping victims out of detention centers, ensuring they are eligible for restitution and other civil remedies, and more. It is changing the way America assists these victims.

I am particularly enthusiastic about Shared Hope’s pioneering efforts to address demand. This problem persists because it is easy, low risk, enormously profitable and because there is massive demand for commercial sex with children and youth. Shared Hope has worked to ensure that laws are enforced that will hold a buyer of sex with a minor accountable for that act and be punished for the crime.

Shared Hope is a powerful voice and advocate for change. I am proud to be able to play a role as a Special Advisor to its remarkable President, Congresswoman Linda Smith and look forward to our continued collaboration on behalf of children.

About the author: Ernie Allen serves as an advisor to governments, law enforcement, technology companies and others on the digital economy, public-private partnerships and child protection. Appointed by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, he chairs a global initiative to combat online child abuse and exploitation for the British government. He is a founder and the former President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

October 12, 2016 by Susanna Bean

Ernie Allen, Co-Founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Joins Shared Hope

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ernie Allen, widely recognized expert on child protection and former CEO and co-founder of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) joins Shared Hope International today as Special Advisor to the President. This alignment brings together two prominent voices in the fight to protect children from commercial sexual exploitation both internationally and domestically.

“We sat down together years ago and found we were working to fight the demand for sex with children from different angles,” said Linda Smith, president and founder of Shared Hope International and former U.S. Congresswoman from Washington State. “Today we are joining forces to continue that work.”

Ernie Allen explained, “Shared Hope has leveraged its global experience fighting demand to lead the development of child sex trafficking laws across the nation that protect our children and punish the criminals who buy and sell sex with kids. I am pleased that my experience, along with our common purpose and long history together in this fight, will bring about innovations in child protection.”

Ernie Allen joins Shared Hope at an important time. On Nov 17, Shared Hope will release the annual Protected Innocence Challenge state report cards on the sufficiency of laws to protect children and make child sex trafficking a serious crime. The first year, 2011, 26 states received an F. Missing and exploited children are frequently the victims of child sex trafficking, with NCMEC reporting 1 in 5 of the 11,800 reported children in 2015 were likely sex trafficking victims, up from 1 in 6 in 2014. Shared Hope works with the state policymakers and advocates to enact strong laws based on research and action.

Shared Hope International is an international anti-trafficking organization focusing on prevention, restoration and justice for victims of sex trafficking.