According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, people who have legitimate access to children are some of the same individuals who are producing child pornography. It is a federal crime to have child porn in your possession. The Cyber Tipline was created to report these types of crimes against children. You can call the tip center with information on people who manufacture, distribute or have child pornography in their possession or if you receive images in your e-mail.

If you know of children who are being recruited for these disgusting acts, please report that to the tip line as well.

It is also a federal crime to send obscene material to any child under the age of 16. Take a look at the helpful information under the Cyber Tipline to understand more about protecting the youth.

Dr. Carrie Baker (left) Michelle Sigona (right) photo courtesy "Expressions of Eden Photography," Kimberly Elliott

I had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon recently to be a part of a movement that is shaking communities and changing the way the public views domestic sex trade in America.  The Soroptimist Northwest Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NWCAT) organized and held their third annual conference.  I was honored to be a part of their event as a presenter on Child/Adult/Identity Internet and Technology Safety.  Along with the workshop, I attended training on domestic human trafficking, met survivors of this underground world, learned from the experts in this industry and more importantly became energized to make a difference in my own city and state. 

The phrase “human trafficking” may be something we’ve heard and maybe it was a phrase we stored into the “that doesn’t affect me category”; the same category that we associated with, “this is something that is an international problem and isn’t happening in American communities.”  Actually, this is a problem in our own towns, one that we may not see on the surface and one that is directly affecting children and teens in America.

The issue of domestic human trafficking is affecting our kids and the demand is growing by the day because the supply is there.  The laws to combat this problem are not unified across the board.  In some states the repercussions to traffic a child into slavery are greater than other states where offenders just get a slap on the hand.  We have to do something about that, and there is a specific plan outlined below for how you can make a difference where you live.    

Predators are figuring out quickly that it is easier and safer to court a child, groom them as a sex slave and make thousands of dollars off of them than it is to go out and sell drugs.  Predators have also figured out that there are vice teams dedicated to battling the “war on drugs,” but the resources are still very limited to combat the war on “human trafficking.”  What many don’t understand is this issue does not just pertain to runaways, drug addicts, prostitutes or females who think they want to do this.  There are many children and teens who come from middle to upper class families, and who are getting sucked into this trade in a variety of shocking ways by pimps’ slick recruitment and retention. 

Michelle Bart, Soroptimist International, photo courtesy "Expressions of Eden Photography, Kimberly Elliott

Every detail of the conference and master plan was organized by the amazing Michelle Bart and her team.  I’m not sure if I saw Michelle eat, sleep or rest during the entire conference.  She devotes her life to helping families of missing children and to help the Soroptimist organization tackle the issue of educating citizens about human trafficking, specifically children who are being trafficked in communities. 

 The workshops were informative, the training changed my life and the networking possibilities to learn more about this growing problem was tremendous – for all of those things, and much more, I am grateful.

The women with Shared Hope International are also on a mission to change the way we think and react to a prostituted child.  The victims and survivors are not bad girls who made bad choices.  These are females who have been manipulated, and sucked into a life that they don’t know how to get out of.  The victims have been brainwashed, and until law enforcement learns the signs to look out for, and communities start reporting red flags, we will continue to be reactive instead of proactive to a growing problem.

This is 21^st century slavery and the average age of a minor who is being sex trafficked is 12-14 years of age.  These are children who are brought in through a variety of measures to include stripping, pornography and prostitution.  I learned the teens are manipulated, promised a better job and a better life and then left to pay for it all.  Sometimes the courting can take months.  One story shared was about a teen we will call “Amy” who was working at a restaurant.  A guy would come in every so often and chat with her.  Over time he learned about her dream to go to college, her dream to move to Seattle, her desire to be successful.  Amy was a straight “A” student who never got into trouble.  Within a few weeks, two other guys started coming in, and over the months they learned more about the teen, not just from her, but also from the first man who was scoping the place out. 

Daryl Hannah, Actress and Advocate

Six months went by, and after daily visits to the restaurant, these random guys weren’t so random anymore. They were now friends of the teen.  Amy turned 18, borrowed her dad’s car and drove to the home of the men in Seattle.  They were staying in a large home, had tons of money and promised her a life she could only dream about.  Within 48 hours, Amy was stripping at a local club and bringing in big cash.  

She had to get the vehicle back home to her dad because he was calling and getting very angry, but she didn’t want to leave.  The men let her go home to return the vehicle, but she was desperate to try to find a way back up to the “new life” she had discovered.  Amy called a guy friend and told him all the great things that were going on (including the fact that she had become a stripper); luckily the friend recognized the signs and staged an intervention.  The CEO of Shared Hope, Linda Smith, was brought in and with Amy’s parents, friends and Linda, she was finally brought to the realization that she was being groomed and she had been duped.  If Amy would have returned, who knows what would have happened and how many times she would have been victimized.  Today Amy is in college going after her dreams and only keeps a close handful of friends in her circle.   

That was one classic success story, but sadly there are so many that aren’t as successful as Amy’s case.  There are some statistics that have been released, but to be honest, they just aren’t accurate and I am just not going to quote them. This underground trade industry is just that, underground.  The victims generally fall in love with their pimps and they are often bribed.  The victim’s photos are often taken, and they are told if they tell anyone that the pictures and video will be released to their families and friends and everyone at school will know they are a “whore.”  In reality, the pimp is using those images already online to find new Johns, and the photos and video are already being bought and sold.  

The difference between foreign and domestic human trafficking is the “pimp control.”  The pimp control environment is different in the United States, namely the physical and mental control is different. 

Who is vulnerable?  Any little girl. 

When a pimp approaches a girl, these are some things that take place during the GAME:

1)      Selection process is underway, the predator is making contact with the victim at the mall, school, playgrounds, parties and parks.

2)     Once a connection is made and a friendship is developed, the courtship process takes place.  He becomes this loving boyfriend, buying gifts, listening to problems, being the rock the victim can lean on.

3)     At this point, isolation begins to kick in.  The pimp will require the child to move into his “stable.”  She becomes part of the “family” and the other girls in the stable are referred to as “folks.”  In many cases, the pimp will want the child to call him “daddy.” 

If a child is a runaway, and wasn’t approached in a safe environment, statistics usually show within 72 hours of a child leaving home, they will be approached.  Now matter how the child is courted, they are told that they have to help pay for their home and to help be a provider, and if they loved their “daddy” that they would do that by taking jobs.  Generally, a child under this control is given a quota to make every night before she is allowed to come home.

Operation Cross Country was developed by the FBI.  I’ve told you about it on International Crime Wire before.  There are currently 39 working groups who have rescued more than 1,200 children. According to the FBI, there have been 625 convictions during these cross country sweeps.  Once the children are rescued, it takes an extensive amount of time to build their trust.  There is a rocky period where they go through withdraws and they can easily head right back in the wrong direction.  Portland Police Sgt. Mike Geiger heads the human trafficking unit within his department.  These investigations formerly were connected with the drug unit that are now investigated by the detective division. It all started one day when the vice unit came down to review a search warrant, and as he began reading it was more appropriately attached with human trafficking and sexual assaults against minors; that all began an interesting change of pace.  Instead of looking at these cases and children as prostitution, they began looking at the cases as sex crimes against a child.  Instead of cracking down on the girls in the field, they began to focus more on tracking down the pimps, taking down the Johns and offering services to the victims.  Sgt. Geiger said after the girls are rescued, “abused, bonded with their traffickers, not something that will be fixed within a two hour interview with a detective.”  Human trafficking is not people dealing with issues in other countries Geiger continued to say, it’s right here and right now.  “We don’t know all the answers and the sad reality is we don’t know all the victims.  They don’t call 911 and report a crime, they don’t report to police they are being human trafficked.”  Sgt. Geiger said he and his team are working to get better at identifying the signs in the field, and to date, they have helped to identify more than 130 victims.  Although that is a lot of rescues, Geiger said, “I think if we get into a numbers game, we missed the point. There are children in our communities who are being horribly violated.”  Sgt. Geiger’s unit has participated in three of the five cross country sweeps and they are looking to do more.  We are extremely grateful for his dedication and service, thank you for all you do! 

Jennifer McDaniel with Shared Hope said there are specific things that need to happen, the survivors need a place to lay their head and food to eat.  If they don’t have the basic necessities, the healing and education cannot even begin to take effect in their lives.  There are less than 100 beds in America devoted to human trafficking victims, the resources are extremely limited, but with education and events like the one in Portland this past week, citizens can start making a difference.

Linda Smith and her team conducted a comprehensive report and are releasing a report card for each state.  The report is based on the laws and punishment for these types of crimes against children.  You can view the reports here and Shared Hope International has information on how you can help raise the grade in your own state as well as how to help victims and survivors.

Bradley Myles, Polaris Project

Bradley Myles, CEO and Founder of Polaris Project, said there are specific things you can do to help with this mission.  First, Craigslist erotic/adult services section was a huge problem and was causing 50% of the free avenue of prostitution.  There was major success over the last couple of months when Craigslist decided to cut that section out after an on-going battle.  The next step is to do the same for BackPage.com.  It is another area where children are being bought and sold, and the Johns are rating the children.  Bradley says if we approach this on a grassroots level by going to that page, flagging ads, writing in, and making noise about this issue, then there’s a chance we can eliminate another portion of the problem.

Bradley and his team recently developed a trafficking hotline specifically to aide and connect victims with resources in their community.  You don’t have to be a victim to call the hotline; anyone can call in with questions, comments, research, etc. 

You are encouraged to call this hotline 24/7 to give or receive information:   888-3737-888.  There are also specific red flags and human trafficking indicators that victims may display.  The Polaris Project outlined those indicators in a report you can read more about here.

In many cases the victims think they are in love with their boyfriend, “daddy,” pimp and it is hard to make a breakthrough – hard, but not impossible.   At the end of the day, if there was not a demand, there wouldn’t be a supply.  If we start young, and educate men and women about the dangers of pornography, how it can change lives and how this industry is impacting the youth of America – we may start to make a mark in the world of domestic human trafficking.

NetSmartz

NetSmartz411 is a page specifically designed for parents.  You can send detailed questions to experts, and get all the answers needed about the newest lingo used by kids or technology. Parents and teachers, this resource is FREE and it is something you can actively be involved with.  If you take the time to learn the latest trends of the virtual world it may prevent a potentially negative situation in your child’s life.

If you have questions, or need more resources, please visit the RESOURCE section of this site or if you have a specific question you would like to ask, please visit the ASKMICHELLE section.

NetSmartz

NetSmartz is a unique resource provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  Its safety approach is one-of-a-kind and teams up with law enforcement, educators, and parents to ensure the safest practices on the web.  The goal is to recognize dangers on the Internet, and to educate.  There is also a special NetSmartz411 specifically for parents.  This is a place you can send detailed questions to experts, and get all the answers you need about the newest lingo or technology.

Parents and teachers, this resource is FREE, and it is something you can be actively involved with.  If you take the time to learn the latest trends, you can be up-to-speed on what is entering your childs life. If you have questions, or need more resources, please visit the RESOURCE section of www.michellesigona.com or if you have a specific question you would like to ask, please visit the ASKMICHELLE section.