An official website of the United States government. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 An official website of the United States government. WebPhiladelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child. Common examples of identified child trafficking cases include: Commercial sex Stripping Pornography Forced begging Magazine crews Au pairs or nannies Restaurant work Hair and nail salons Agricultural work Drug sales and cultivation We know of 22 locations in the state where this is taking place. At least The Indictment alleges that for about seven days at the end of September 2019, Smith knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, maintained a minor for the purposes of forcing that minor to engage in commercial sex acts in Philadelphia. Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. The defendants allegedly used their cell phones to post advertisements of the victims on a website which is known to be used for advertising sexual services for a fee, directed the minors to participate in commercial sex acts, and took a portion of the proceeds on each occasion. They educate and provide technical assistance to legislators, policy decision makers, and other stakeholders in order to improve legal responses to CSE. Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 Media Contact Discovery Company. New Day consists of community case managers in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, the New Day Drop In Center on Kensington Ave., a Police Assisted Diversion Program, and New Day New Home, our transitional home for female identifying survivors ages 18+ located at a confidential address in Montgomery County. Have a question about Government Services? 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 A lock ( WebAn FBI operation focused on combatting child sex trafficking around the world resulted in the arrests of 15 suspected pimps and associates in the Philadelphia region, authorities The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages. Tipsters can remain anonymous, if they like.. Eastern District of Pennsylvania A lock ( A lock ( According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Smith operated a prostitution business in Philadelphia between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. The fraud is they are selling love, said Hugh Organ, associate director of the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition. It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. The children involved are considered some of the most at-risk and challenging cases in the Philadelphia area, the marshals service said, based on high-risk factors including child sex trafficking and exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Three Philadelphia men were charged, by a federal grand jury, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their roles in a sex trafficking operation that exploited numerous minors from 2016 through 2017. 215-861-8300. Justice At Work Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Have a question about Government Services? Official websites use .gov Many girls and women, boys and men are forced or coerced into this lifestyle. The charges against the defendant stem from his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding regionincluding Bucks and Delaware counties. WebThey will be trafficking women and young girls on major highways and airports, arranging for sexual rendezvous in Center City hotel rooms or unmarked vans on a tree-lined residential This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. If you, a family member or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking (sex or labor), or you suspect that human trafficking is taking place, resources are available: National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) NSC also assists individuals with obtaining long term immigration status, supporting survivors when working with law enforcement and assessing for other legal needs. An official website of the United States government. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much It is going take the men taking control to reverse this. Enons A Day In The Life Conference Uses The Victims Voice To Talk About Human Trafficking, Enon Tabernacle holds human trafficking walk/run Oct. 3, Biden declares Kyiv stands in surprise visit to Ukraine, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Former Philadelphia Eagle, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE, Queen Latifah will host the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25 in Pasadena CA. Children cannot sell sex even in places where prostitution is legal. Those in the community must also engage in self-examination to ascertain if one is playing a role in the proliferation of this crime against humanity. The crimes alleged in these Indictments will have a devastating and long-lasting impact on these minor victims, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. Its not just that women have lowered their standards, but that men are the one who see women as lower, too.. WebPHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that John Adams, 41, Mercedes Hampton-Devero, 28, Malachai Kendall, 20, and Chukuw Ossai, Media Contact They will be trafficking women and young girls on major highways and airports, arranging for sexual rendezvous in Center City hotel rooms or unmarked vans on a tree-lined residential street. Email Phone: 215-387-9500. Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 If you have not done so already, follow @USAO_EDPA and @USAttyWilliams on Twitter to get the most up-to-date information about big cases and community news. Official websites use .gov 2023 Cable News Network. hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters in Washington. WOARs Sex Trafficking Advocacy and Response Team also assists with crisis support, sex trafficking assessment, prevention/education, and advocacy. At least one of the victims was also a victim of physical violence during the operation of the trafficking ring: according to public filings, Felts pulled her from a vehicle and repeatedly stomped on her. Enoch Smith, 36, a/k/a Drees, a/k/a Idris, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today of all charges including sex Phone: 215-893-8400 After a few days they are trafficking them. We get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls have been taken. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The children were cleaning blood and animal parts off the floor of meatpacking plants by night and going to school by day, the Labor Department investigators said. WebAdding a category of perpetrator to include: an individual 18 years of age or older who engages a child in severe forms of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking, as those terms are defined under section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Nationalities Service Center Though local statistics are difficult to come by, the one thing that experts agree on is that girls and young women are its primary victims. As a city Philadelphia has major conventions and athletic events as well as many entertainment strips. Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. Main Office: Blue Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Have a question about Government Services? Fax: 215-733-0876. Dawns Place offers a year-long residential program to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. WebIn January 2020, we convened the Philadelphia Juvenile Anti-Trafficking Coalition, gathering 50+ public and private agencies to collaborate on identifying gaps in services for trafficked Every action we take at home, form the clothing we wear to the food we eat, is connected to what happens around the world, Obama said. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child, Eastern District of Pennsylvanias U.S. Attorneys Office Hosts Presentation on Autism-Based Discrimination in Schools, Camps, and Childcare Facilities, One Leader of a Violent Sex Trafficking Gang Sentenced to Life and a Consecutive Ten Years Imprisonment, and a Gang Associate Sentenced to 37 years Imprisonment, Chester County Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Operating Pill Mill Out of Main Line Pain Clinic. Dawns Place Phone: 215-733-0878 Free counseling and trauma therapy services offered include individual and group sessions. Email. An indictment is an accusation. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, The defendants allegedly advertised the minors online and harbored them in area hotels and properties, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Four Philadelphians Charged With Sex Trafficking of Minors, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Teenage Girls, Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison, Four Members and Associates of Reading Boarding House Sex Trafficking Gang The Sevens Convicted After Six-Week Trial in Allentown. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. He has no regard for the law -- or even basic human decency -- as evidenced by his willingness to sell the bodies of children for sex to benefit himself. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Three Philadelphia Men Detained on Charges of Child Sex Trafficking, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Teenage Girls, Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison, Four Members and Associates of Reading Boarding House Sex Trafficking Gang The Sevens Convicted After Six-Week Trial in Allentown, Three Philadelphia Men Detained On Charges of Child Sex Trafficking. Prior to joining the FBI, I was employed as an Immigration human trafficking, violent crimes against children, and other federal violations. An official website of the United States government. He deserves every minute of the 45 years that he received today., Artavius Horne made his living by sexually exploiting children, advertising underage girls for sex with strangers, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division. WebThe Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Main Office: We ask anyone with knowledge of child or adult sex trafficking to let us know about it, so we can help. PHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kevin Smith, 27, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with sex trafficking by force and sex trafficking a minor. Official websites use .gov Lock An official website of the United States government. Commercial Sexual Exploitation Institute U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Charged With Forcible Sex Trafficking of Multiple Victims Including a Minor, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Teenage Girls, Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison, Four Members and Associates of Reading Boarding House Sex Trafficking Gang The Sevens Convicted After Six-Week Trial in Allentown. Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Lock The crimes Smith is accused of committing are some of the most devastating to victims that our office prosecutes, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Many who engage in the paid sex during Super Bowl season are not the typical prostitute street walker. Dubbed Operation Safeguard, the initiative began on February 15 when a US Marshals Service task force took over 26 missing children cases at the request of other law enforcement agencies. Its a hard statistic, but 1 in 6 children reported missing in the U.S. are likely victims of child sex trafficking, one of Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL A Warner Bros. Eight Croatian nationals charged with attempting to traffic children, outside the magistrates court in Ndola, Zambia, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. The indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young females, including minors, to engage in commercial sex acts; harbored the victims at various residences for that purpose; transported and provided the victims to males who purchased the commercial sex acts; and collected a portion of the proceeds. Kendall was also charged with both production and distribution of child pornography, and Adams was also charged with tampering with evidence in a federal investigation. Please contact WOAR via the 24-hour Philadelphia Sexual Violence hotline:215-985-3333. Eastern District of Pennsylvania To view tips on identifying sex and labor trafficking red flags, please see the Red Flags Infographic. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. Blue Campaigns educational awareness objectives consists of two foundational elements, prevention of human trafficking and protection of exploited persons. A lock ( A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Apple Tea Whats Cookin? A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 31, 2013. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Michel J. Driscoll of the FBIs Philadelphia Field Division made the announcement. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The comprehensive programming at Dawns Place supports individuals by addressing their complex needs including trauma services, substance use disorders, legal and educational concerns and more. Working with our federal partners, we will do all that we can to keep criminals who sell the bodies of children for their own profit securely behind bars so they can do no more harm., To advertise underage girls for sex, to willfully pimp them out for profit, is heinous, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE Secure .gov websites use HTTPS An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. Covenant House is a youth shelter in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Yet many are not aware of it despite the fact more and more are becoming victims of human trafficking. These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tinicum Township Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica Kivitz. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Sex Trafficking Children in Northeast Philadelphia. Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against the most vulnerable victims., Using physical threats to control another human being, to force them into sexual exploitation, is unconscionable, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS He admitted that he had to examine himself as to whether he lusted after young women young enough to be his daughter. Enslavement of African Americans is rising in the City of Brotherly Love and Sister Affection. So, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun is beginning a series about human trafficking. WebIf you are victim of human trafficking and need help or suspect that someone else is a victim: Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. The FBIs Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and received significant assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department. PCA conducts forensic interviews and offers therapeutic services specializing in understanding the needs and experiences of trafficking survivors. As many are gathering in front of large flat screen televisions during Super Bowl Sunday surrounded by trays of hors doeuvres, party platters and beer, an underground network will also be working hard. It will also educate parents and family members to notice the warning signs of children and adolescents who may be involved in the life, as many call it. Online Tip Reporting. Based on the results of that assessment, PCA will secure services for the child. Now that there is more transparency, we have to be more honest, Walls said. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. One person who is well aware of this is Ellyn Jo Waller, the first lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, with campuses in Mount Airy and Germantown. Further, Keel and Felts allegedly had explicit discussions via Facebook Messenger about the commercial sex acts occurring at the residences. Smith would photograph each female in his home with his camera and, using his laptop computer, would create an Internet advertisement for each on a website known as Backpage.com. Our resolve remains steadfast in finding other children in peril.. CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Officials announced Tuesday th arrest of three people for allegedly trafficking a missing child for prostitution. Red flags Infographic FBIs Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and significant! 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