Their legal aide also includes guidance for survivors interacting with law enforcement, assistance with obtaining legal status, and other referrals to immigrant social services. Lock Make no mistake, the Philadelphia Child Exploitation Task Force is working each and every day to lock up sex traffickers and other predators preying on innocent children., This investigation is 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. Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Children cannot sell sex even in places where prostitution is legal. Kevin Smith allegedly did just that to three young women and a child. If you have not done so already, follow @USAO_EDPA and @USAttyMcSwain on Twitter to get the most up-to-date information about big cases and community news. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS This means the demand for this is modern-day enslavement continues. They pay their airfare, hotel room and everything else. A Northeast Philadelphia hotel owner was ordered to pay $24 million to eight sex trafficking victims. Address: 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia PA 19144. WebYoung women and girls are the most at-risk of trafficking, although boys are also trafficked and are less likely to ask for help. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. Dawns Place 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. Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts AACP Philadelphia Branch Update NAACP Philadelphia Branch Tweet Share Pin Email ABOVE PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Tweet Share Pin Email By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO WASHINGTON (AP) Conservative justices holding theSupreme Tweet Share Pin Email By DAN GELSTON PHILADELPHIA (AP) Irv Cross was a man of faith Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts Whats Cookin? PCA conducts forensic interviews of the younger victims, and our partners in the Human Trafficking Task Force conduct the interviews for older teens. The charges against the defendant stem from his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding regionincluding Bucks and Delaware counties. So, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun is beginning a series about human trafficking. They may be lured thinking that someone is helping them find a job. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA Text the letters "Befree" or the numbers 233733 to reach the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Working alongside the international community, we have seen significant increases in trafficking prosecution and conviction, and we have made great strides in supporting victims.. CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Officials announced Tuesday th arrest of three people for allegedly trafficking a missing child for prostitution. Horne created Internet advertisements for each of the victims on the website Backpage.com, and he transported them across state lines to New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., and Maryland for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. According to public filings, Ossai trafficked one minor, took her to a lingerie store where he picked out lingerie for her, posted an advertisement of her on a website used to advertise sexual services for a fee, and harbored her in a hotel room in Lester, PA. As charged, Ossai drove the minor victim to a housing project in Philadelphia for her to engage in a commercial sex act, and he attempted to have sex with her himself. Media Contact Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Covenant House If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment. The minor was rescued from Ossais vehicle after he was pulled over in Tinicum Township. A lock ( For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Lock Media Contact On December 8, 2021, Jeremiah Eli Lowery pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Philadelphia Police Department Vice Unit, with assistance from the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office and the Bucks County District Attorneys Office. WebPHILADELPHIA United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that three men, Andre Michael Felts, 32, Kevin Michael Francis, 60, and Ryan Keel, 39, all of Philadelphia, EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA The FBI's Philadelphia Division said that 15 pimps and associates were arrested in the area as part of the takedown, which included participation from the Philadelphia Police Department, suburban police departments and prosecutors' offices and the Pennsylvania State Police. 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. A locked padlock Main Office: Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Phone: 1-888-373-7888 As part of the scheme, the defendant recruited, enticed and maintained three minor children, one of whom was as young as 13 years old, to engage in commercial sexual encounters. 3. Also according to court documents, Adams and Kendall each coerced the minors into having sex with them on multiple occasions, and Hampton-Devero instructed one of the minor victims to record commercial sex acts on her cell phone for Devero to post online to attract more sex buyers. It is going take the men taking control to reverse this. Official websites use .gov Please contact WOAR via the 24-hour Philadelphia Sexual Violence hotline:215-985-3333. Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Babb Wilmoth. Enoch Smith, 36, a/k/a Drees, a/k/a Idris, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today of all charges including sex WebPHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that John Adams, 41, Mercedes Hampton-Devero, 28, Malachai Kendall, 20, and Chukuw Ossai, RALEIGH, N.C. A Maxton man was sentenced today to 252 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for moving kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from Mexico to Robeson County, North Carolina. Official websites use .gov Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov. 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. Eastern District of Pennsylvania You can also TEXT HELP to BeFree (233733). For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 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. appreciated. In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. WebAddress: 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 Phone: 215-387-9500 Legal and Immigration Services, Trainings and Advocacy Justice At Work Justice At Work Consequently, in order to rescue human trafficking victims, one must know how to identify them, the warning signs, and how to help them. Eastern District of Pennsylvania We cannot use terms like child prostitution. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Sex Trafficking Children in Northeast Philadelphia, 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, Philadelphia Man Sentenced To 45 Years For Sex Trafficking Children In Northeast Philadelphia. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A lock ( Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. To view tips on identifying sex and labor trafficking red flags, please see the Red Flags Infographic. At least four of the recovered children were connected to child sex trafficking, the marshals service said on Thursday. Its a hard statistic, but 1 in 6 children reported missing in the U.S. are likely victims of child sex trafficking, one of More are involved than we realize.. Prior to joining the FBI, I was employed as an Immigration human trafficking, violent crimes against children, and other federal violations. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. WebHuman Trafficking | Philadelphia | Battle4Children Charities You're not a victim for sharing your story. Have a question about Government Services? A locked padlock Enslavement of African Americans is rising in the City of Brotherly Love and Sister Affection. 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. WebSixteen children considered critically missing were rescued during a four-week operation that concluded this week, according to the US Marshals Service office in Philadelphia. 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. He even transported them to other cities and states, determined to keep the money coming in at their expense. 2. When you hear the testimony of those who have been victimized, men have to be honest. Address: 600 Chestnut St., Suite 500B Philadelphia, PA 19106 The Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Working to Restore Adolescent Power (WRAP Court), and related programs serving child victims of human trafficking. Nationalities Service Center Because this is the start of the prime season for human trafficking. Know that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working every day to put traffickers like Horne behind bars and ensure some justice for their victims. So far the Its not just that women have lowered their standards, but that men are the one who see women as lower, too.. The church has a ministry that addresses trafficking in the Philadelphia area. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Further, Keel and Felts allegedly had explicit discussions via Facebook Messenger about the commercial sex acts occurring at the residences. An official website of the United States government. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 215-861-8300. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. We know of 22 locations in the state where this is taking place. Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 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. I am gratified that the defendants are all now off the streets and in custody pending trial on these charges, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. Discovery Company. 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