Human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. Trafficking for sex or labor exploitations is increasing in the United States at an alarming rate.
While there are many organizations around the country that are trying to put a stop to human trafficking through prevention one organization in Colorado Springs is working with victims once they’ve been rescued.
Restore Innocence is dedicated to helping victims of child trafficking. The organization is working on opening a safe house where victims can be restored and reintegrated back into society. Victims would receive counseling and medical treatment as well as receiving help in getting a job or into college.
“Our big vision is to open the Cinderella House which is an all-encompassing after-care facility. Once the girls are rescued and taken off the street they would come to us for healing and restoration,” said Michelle Korth, founder and executive director. “It’s getting them on their feet before they are out in society and having a safe place for them even after they leave. They can know they’re cared for and loved and they can come back for holidays. We’ll always be in their lives. It’s not just a program where they come and leave.”
The average age of victims Restore Innocence works with is 18-year-olds.
CHILD TRAFFICKING STATS
There are approximately 100,000 to 300,000 human trafficking victims in the United States.
Korth said 90 percent of all human trafficking victims in the country are American children with the average age being 13. About 70 percent are deemed throw-a-way kids — those who have run away, are in foster care or are neglected by their parents. Some kids are even sold by their parents for drugs. Only one percent of child trafficking victims are kidnapped.
According to the organization Stop Child Trafficking Now 2.8 million children run away in the U.S. each year. It is estimated that within 48 hours of hitting the streets one-third of those are then lured or recruited by sex traffickers.
The U.S. Department of Education states on its website, www.ed.gov, that children are targeted because of their “vulnerability and gullibility.” The streets are not the only place victims are targeted. Young victims can be found on chat lines, clubs, through friends, at malls and even after-school programs.
Korth said there is a surprising number of victims who come from wealthy families.
Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states and while many are trafficked for labor most of the U.S victims are trafficked for sexual servitude. The Justice Department reported that 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the U.S. each year.
When Korth and her husband first got a glimpse into the world of trafficking they set out to make a difference and said they would have moved anywhere. However, when they learned how staggering the number was in the U.S. they knew they had to do something at home.
TOO CLOSE TO HOME
Just last month 14 men received indictments for their participation in a child trafficking ring in Colorado. Four of the men coerced girls under the age of 18 into prostitution in Denver, Lakewood, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs and Boulder.
According to a statement by the Attorney General’s office the suspects arranged “out-calls” through the Internet. They face charges of trafficking in children, the pimping of a child, inducing child prostitution and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In addition, 10 others were indicted on charges of patronizing the operation.
According to a documentary video on YouTube by Rocky Mountain Slavery Interstates 25 and 70 are being used to transport victims of human trafficking, particularly international victims. Additionally, the video states that human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. (That video can be seen on the left of your screen.)
Chief Jake Shirk said the Monument Police Department does not have any jurisdiction on Interstate 25 so he does not know to what extent it is used for transporting trafficking victims.
“Let your imagination run wild with what is occurring on I-25. We know there are drugs. Human trafficking, I assume there is,” Shirk said.
Shirk said in his seven years with the Monument Police Department he has never received a report of human trafficking occurring in the area.
“If it was happening we’d be very concerned with it but I don’t have any indication that it is,” Shirk added. “I’ve never heard of any rumors (of it happening). If I did I would take it very seriously.”
During his years with the Aurora Police Department Shirk said he never got involved in cases of child trafficking at the street level because it was always dealt with through higher level investigations. He did say, however, that there was one case of human trafficking that he was involved in as S.W.A.T. commander.
He was called in to assist with the tactical needs during a joint operation involving law enforcement agencies in metro Denver and across the state that involved Oriental massage parlors.
Korth said human trafficking is occurring in small towns elsewhere and not just the big cities. “It can happen anywhere,” she added.
Steph_Mizel posted at 12:17 pm on Mon, Feb 18, 2013.
There is a fabulous program called Unbounded: Breaking the Chains of Modern Day Slavery Unbounded: Breaking the Chains of Modern Day Slavery is a multi-cultural, multi-media performance that weaves together Jewish and African American songs and narratives of slavery, struggle and freedom. An evocative narrative brings to light the realities of modern day slavery and is a powerful call for freedom and action. Before and after the performance, the “marketplace” will be open, consisting of different grass-roots organizations who are working to end modern day slavery, to empower audience members by educating and giving them concrete ways to get involved.
FREE preview of the performance Tuesday Feb 19th at 7pm at the Central library
Full performance Thursday March 7th at Temple Emanuel at 7pm
Tickets at www.mizelmuseum.org
HELP Educate the world and change it!
jill watson posted at 10:33 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
Mostly, the police found and arrested adult prostitutes and pimps. When the police go after underage prostitutes they mostly find and arrest adult prostitutes and johns. Why are the police wasting their time on adult prostitutes? Instead of spending that time going after underage prostitutes?
Why aren’t the police finding millions of children forced against their will to have sex for money? Because their aren’t millions of them. And what proof do they have that they were forced against their will?
Why are the police just finding, and arresting consensual adults? Because the child victims either don’t exist or are very few in number. They use the excuse of children to arrest consenting adults. If they are just after children, they why don’t they leave the consenting adults alone? The police arrest the consenting adults that they find Why?
If there is no children involved – why arrest the consenting adult prostitutes, johns, and pimps? They are no children involved? Why are the police wasting their time on adult prostitutes? Instead of spending that time going after underage prostitutes? Because the police are mostly after adult prostitutes, not children.
Were all the underage prostitutes forced and raped? crying, kicking and screaming while being forced, against their will to have sex for money?
If a prostitute is 17 and under the age of 18, she can not give legal consent. So, she could have wanted to be a prostitute, and given consent for sex, but since she is underage, she can not give legal consent, so legally she was “forced” even if she gives total consent to sex and it was consensual - she was “forced” according to the court and justice system. There is a BIG difference between being legally “forced” and truly being physically forced against someone’s will.
This gives the impression that all prostitutes under the age of 18 are “forced” when they may in fact, not have been. If fact, if two people who are both 17 years old have sex, they both are legally considered to be victims and sex predators at the same time. It is strange how the justice system works.
jill watson posted at 10:32 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
Denver police are potentially wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money and distorting facts while trying to find the elusive “victims” of a crime that is being blown immensely out of proportion. Police officials are so determined to justify their actions they openly state they refuse to believe people who claim they’re not victims, but are instead just trying to make a living in today’s post-recession world.
The so-called crime (and much of the time it’s not illegal at all) is being an adult involved in sex work of her own free will.
(Although there are male as well as female sex workers, the feminine pronoun will be used here to refer to sex workers in general in order to maintain clarity.)
Recent articles in The Denver Post regarding the topic (such as “Denver police increase efforts against human trafficking” on Oct. 30th) revealed how Denver police are attempting to convince sex workers to play the role of “victim” after being arrested. In exchange for saying she was forced into the business by a pimp, the sex worker is given special treatment and even potentially allowed to go free.
Faced with the alternative of jail time, obviously such a practice openly encourages the creation of fictional stories about imaginary pimps. Or, to quote the noted Denver Post article, “Prostitutes often avoid charges if they cooperate.”
But even in situations where a sex worker tells the truth and informs officers that she’s an independent business woman working of her own free will, Denver police have chosen not to believe them.
“We have to help them realize they are victims,” Denver vice Lieutenant Aaron Sanchez told reporters of a local newspaper, despite the fact he also said, “These girls just flat out say, ‘Nope, that’s not what’s happening.’”
Why would police act in such a way? Because if they don’t have victims, they don’t have any reason to accept the huge grant – $290,000 from the federal government to fight human trafficking – which means to keep the money they need to find victims … even where victims don’t exist.
“I do not feel any shame for what I do. In fact, quite the opposite,” said Danielle Rae, an escort in her mid-30s who has been in the business for three years.
jill watson posted at 10:31 am on Thu, Oct 18, 2012.
The Denver Police (and other Police departments around the country) receive grants from the Federal government for fighting Sex Trafficking. When they don’t find any forced against their will prostitute victims – They make them up, so that they won’t lose funding.
“Prostitutes are not friendly. It’s not like you’re talking to a child-abuse victim or a fifteen-year-old sex assault victim who wants to cry out and wants to explain what happened or is just scared. These girls just flat out say, ‘Nope, that’s not what’s happening.’
“We have to help them realize they are victims,” Denver vice Lieutenant Aaron Sanchez says.
So… the police are trying to invent victims? Where no victim exist?
The prostitutes say that no one is forcing them and the police don’t believe them?
So the police want the prostitutes to lie? and the police are forcing the prostitutes to lie about being forced?
This Denver Post article link below says: “Defense attorney Maureen O’Brien said that in cases where a prostitute is willingly engaging in the business, she has an incentive to allege force or coercion against a pimp to avoid charges herself. O’Brien thinks calling pimping “human trafficking” could change judges’ perception and has the potential to boost prison sentences.” http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19225280
This doesn’t make sense, Police and lawyers trying to get prostitutes to lie about being forced. Lying is bad, telling the truth is good. – I also thought lying was against the law.
rewati posted at 2:29 am on Mon, Feb 13, 2012.
Every child has right to be safe, thousands of young boys and girls are trafficked every year, making child trafficking a is a global issue. I would like to share a documentary "Innocents Lost", documentary about crimes against children around the world. This documentary brings to the screen the faces and voices of children who are, for a brief moment, given a chance to be heard, a space to speak of their silent unhappiness.
Watch documentary on - http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/5076