Trafficking Updates and Helplines

escapefromstress

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Hi Perbies! Greetings from Ontario! :wave:

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since I moved from Chilliwack. I really miss BC and hope to move back again in the future.

I’m posting this thread to draw attention to the human trafficking that is taking place in cities across Canada. Although stats regarding the trafficking of sex workers have been conflated, we can’t deny that it does still happen.

Those of us involved in the industry need to continue to take a strong stand against trafficking/pimping in the sex trade, and the abuse of underage sex workers.

Clients are the ones most likely to meet with a victim, and can be prepared to offer help and/or report the situation when appropriate.

I haven’t done any research on arrests or charges laid in BC, AB or the prairies, so if some of you would like to watch for media articles and post them here, that would be great.

The following is some of the research I’ve done on trafficking on the eastern side of Canada. Many thanks to reverdy who continues to post media articles on forums across the country.
 
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escapefromstress

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Recent Media Articles (Sept/2016 – Jan/2017)

Prince George https://ca.news.yahoo.com/prince-george-b-c-couple-225248034.html

Calgary http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/toronto-m...-in-human-trafficking-investigation-1.3104466

Fort McMurray http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/20...aches-out-to-escorts-working-in-fort-mcmurray

Winnipeg http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/human-trafficking-charge-1.3901804

Saskatoon http://thestarphoenix.com/news/crime/key-witnesses-no-show-at-human-trafficking-trial

London http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/london-ontario-sex-trafficking-1.3945026

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/01/19/l...-trafficking-show-increase-in-victims-charges

Cape Breton http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/...-how-to-recognize-human-trafficking-sign.html

Vaughan http://www.cp24.com/news/man-teen-c...ing-after-woman-allegedly-assaulted-1.3240469

Guelph http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-s...on-in-guelph-offers-help-to-five-sex-workers/

http://www.guelphnow.ca/npps/story.cfm?nppage=2359

Toronto http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-s...fficking-of-two-teens-in-toronto-mississauga/

http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/36695

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/three-tor...-of-forcing-woman-18-into-sex-trade-1.3199873

http://tvo.org/article/current-affa...t-ontarios-new-antihuman-trafficking-director

http://www.cp24.com/news/quebec-men...-forcing-woman-to-work-in-sex-trade-1.3162160

http://www.680news.com/2016/10/06/1476299/

Montreal http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...k-prostitution-s-culture-of-silence-1.3891208

Halifax http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...rie-shaw-pleads-guilty-to-5-charges-1.3850070

https://www.localxpress.ca/local-ne...rison-for-pimping-girls-ages-14-and-15-433872

http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifa...rafficking-charges-with-16-year-old-girl.html

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/...a-gibson-skeir-threat-halifax-court-1.3907219

Ottawa https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ottawa-man-accused-trafficking-2-212641775.html

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...charged-with-running-ottawa-prostitution-ring

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...-human-trafficking-and-child-luring-1.3802000

Fredericton http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/hotel-brothels-guilty-fredericton-moncton-1.3808459

Stratford http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/human-trafficking-probe-leads-to-4-arrests-in-stratford-1.3120207

Windsor http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/winds...to-be-involved-in-windsor-sex-trade-1.3810304

Niagara http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2016/09/28/action-needed-to-help-victims-of-human-trafficking
 
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escapefromstress

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HELPLINES

Canadian Crime Stoppers Association 1-800-222-8477 You can submit an anonymous tip by phone, web contact form or text.

BC Crime Stoppers Society has a list of all local chapters of Crime Stoppers by city.

Crime Stoppers Edmonton and Northern Alberta

Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers has a list of all local chapters of Crime Stoppers by city.

Niagara Sexual Assault Centre 24-Hour Confidential Crisis Support Line 905-682-4584

Halifax Police Report Human Trafficking 902-490-5020

Winnipeg Counter Exploitation Unit (CEU) 204-986-3464

Ottawa Police Human Trafficking Unit 613-236-1222, ext. 5005

Toronto Police Service Sex Crimes Report Human Trafficking 416-808-7474

Fort McMurray Police Service Report Human Trafficking 780-788-4000

Manitoba Sex Trafficking Hotline 1-844-333-2211

Guelph Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit 519-824-1212 ext 7203

In the USA National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s anonymous hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Crime Stoppers USA Submit a Tip

USA National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888

USA Polaris Project

Maggie's in Toronto 416-964-0150

Power in Ottawa

Stella in Montreal 1-514-285-8889

Stepping Stone in Halifax 902-420-0103

Pace in Vancouver 604-872-7651

Shift in Calgary 403-237-8171

SWOP-USA Community Support Line: 877-776-2004

(Even if SWO's can't do a rescue, they can probably connect you to someone who can help and be able to support you through the process.)
 

escapefromstress

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How To Identify A Human Trafficking Victim

As a client or SP, you may have an opportunity to identify and assist a victim of human trafficking. These are some red flags:

  • Seems anxious, fearful or paranoid. Avoids eye contact.
  • Tearfulness or signs of depression.
  • Unexplained bruises or cuts or other signs of physical abuse.
  • Appears to be in a relationship with someone who is dominating.
  • Never is alone and/or always has someone translating or answering questions on their behalf.
  • Not in control of their own finances.
  • Presents with secrecy or unable to answer questions about where they live.
  • Inconsistent details when telling their story.
  • Has no identification such as a license, passport or other ID documents.
  • Inability to leave their job or residence. Says they cannot schedule appointments.
  • Being a recent arrival to Canada and does not speak English.
  • Is under 18 and providing commercial sex acts. Or at any age unwillingly providing commercial sex acts.
  • Is afraid of law enforcement or receiving help from an outside entity.

If you can find an opportunity to get he/she alone, ask him/her the following screening questions:

  • Can you leave your job or house when you want?
  • Where did you get those bruises or is anyone hurting you?
  • Do you get paid for your employment? Is it fair? How many hours do you work?
  • (If foreign national) How did you get to Canada and is it what you expected? Are you being forced to do anything you don't want to do?
  • Are you or your family being threatened?
  • Do you live with or near your employer? Does your employer provide you housing? Are there locks on doors or windows from outside?
  • Do you owe debt to anyone?

If you suspect they are a victim of human trafficking,take the following actions:

  • Ask the person if you can help them find a safe place to go immediately.
  • If they need time, create an action plan with them to get to a safe place when they are ready.
  • Call and make a report to a human trafficking hotline or police service

http://www.usccb.org/about/anti-trafficking-program/identifying-trafficking-victims.cfm
 

escapefromstress

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Recognizing the Signs

Are you or someone you know being trafficked?

Is human trafficking happening in your community?

Is the situation you may have encountered human trafficking?


The following is a list of potential red flags and indicators of human trafficking to help you recognize the signs. If you see any of these red flags, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (USA) for specialized victim services referrals or to report the situation. Click here to learn more about reporting potential human trafficking situations.

The presence of these red flags is an indication that further assessment may be necessary to identify a potential human trafficking situation. This list is not exhaustive and represents only a selection of possible indicators. Also, the red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases and are not cumulative. Indicators reference conditions a potential victim might exhibit.

Common Work and Living Conditions:

  • Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
  • Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
  • Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
  • Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
  • Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
  • Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
  • Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
  • High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior:

  • Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
  • Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
  • Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health:

  • Lacks medical care and/or is denied medical services by employer
  • Appears malnourished or shows signs of repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
  • Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control:

  • Has few or no personal possessions
  • Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
  • Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
  • Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other:

  • Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
  • Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or of what city he/she is in
  • Loss of sense of time
  • Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story


Note: According to federal law, any minor under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking, regardless of the presence of force, fraud, or coercion.

If you believe you are a victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.

https://humantraffickinghotline.org/...ognizing-signs
 

escapefromstress

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Sex Trafficking

Victims of sex trafficking are often found in the streets or working in establishments that offer commercial sex acts, e.g., brothels, strip clubs, pornography production houses. Such establishments may operate under the guise of:

  • Massage parlors
  • Escort services
  • Adult bookstores
  • Modeling studios
  • Bars/strip clubs
  • Very young prostitutes

Visible Indicators of Human Trafficking may Include:

  • Heavy security at the commercial establishment including barred windows, locked doors, isolated location, electronic surveillance. Women are never seen leaving the premises unless escorted.
  • Victims live at the same premises as the brothel or work site or are driven between quarters and “work” by a guard. For labor trafficking, victims are often prohibited from leaving the work site, which may look like a guarded compound from the outside.
  • Victims are kept under surveillance when taken to a doctor, hospital or clinic for treatment; trafficker may act as a translator.
  • High foot traffic especially for brothels where there may be trafficked women indicated often by a stream of men arriving and leaving the premises.
  • Trafficking victims are kept in bondage through a combination of fear, intimidation, abuse, and psychological controls. While each victim will have a different experience, they share common threads that may signify a life of indentured servitude.
  • Trafficking victims live a life marked by abuse, betrayal of their basic human rights, and control under their trafficker. The following indicators in and of themselves may not be enough to meet the legal standard for trafficking, but they indicate that a victim is controlled by someone else and, accordingly, the situation should be further investigated.

http://humantraffickingmovie.com/how...afficking.html
 

escapefromstress

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7 ways to spot that someone is being trafficked when traveling

Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, and traffickers often use air travel to move their victims. Sometimes, victims are flown into another country on the promise of a legitimate job, other times traffickers move their victims within a country, to keep them powerless or to avoid detection.

But you can help. By being aware of the telltale signs that someone is being trafficked, you may be able to keep them from a life of modern slavery.

We asked four organizations involved in anti-trafficking initiatives to share some of the signs that could indicate that a passenger is being trafficked through an airport.

What you should do

It's important to remember that even if you spot a number of these signs, it doesn't necessarily mean someone is being trafficked. But if you do suspect someone is being trafficked, do not confront suspected traffickers or attempt to rescue suspected victims -- instead, call emergency services or alert the airport authorities.

Warning signs:

1 -- A traveler is not dressed appropriately for their route of travel.
You might notice right away that a traveler has few or no personal items. Victims may be less well dressed than their companions. They may be wearing clothes that are the wrong size, or are not appropriate for the weather on their route of travel.

2 -- They have a tattoo with a bar code, the word "Daddy."
Many people have tattoos, so a tattoo in itself is obviously not an indicator, but traffickers or pimps feel they own their victims and a barcode tattoo, or a tattoo with "Daddy" or even a man's name could be a red flag that the person is a victim.

3 -- They can't provide details of their departure location, destination, or flight information.
Traffickers employ a number of tools to avoid raising suspicion about their crime and to keep victims enslaved. Some traffickers won't tell their victims where they are located, being taken, or even what job they will have.
Because victims don't have the means to get home or pay for things like food, they must rely on traffickers in order to get by, forcing them to stay in their situation.

4 -- Their communication seems scripted, or there are inconsistencies with their story
Sometimes traffickers will coach their victims to say certain things in public to avoid suspicion. A traveler whose story seems inconsistent or too scripted might be trying to hide the real reason for their travel and merely reciting what a trafficker has told them to say.

5 - They can't move freely in an airport or on a plane, or they are being controlled, closely watched or followed.
People being trafficked into slavery are sometimes guarded in transit. A trafficker will try to ensure that the victim does not escape, or reach out to authorities for help.

6 - They are afraid to discuss themselves around others, deferring any attempts at conversation to someone who appears to be controlling them.
Fear and intimidation are two of the tools that traffickers use to control people in slavery. Traffickers often prevent victims from interacting with the public because the victim might say something that raises suspicions about their safety and freedom.

7 - Child trafficking
A child being trafficked for sexual exploitation may be dressed in a sexualized manner, or seem to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
A child may appear to be malnourished and/or shows signs of physical or sexual abuse, such as bruises, scars, or cigarette burns.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/30/tr...g-at-airports/
 

escapefromstress

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'Anyone can be a victim': Canadian high school girls being lured into sex trade

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada...cid=spartandhp

Most stories about human trafficking that make it into the headlines in Canada involve women from other countries being brought here and forced into sex work, but those who work with trafficking victims in this country say the majority are, in fact, Canadian-born teenage girls.

Vanessa, 17, is one of them. She was a typical high school student in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, until two years ago, when she fell in with a new boy who enrolled at her school. "Right from the beginning, he knew ... I was the one that was, I guess, vulnerable," said Vanessa, who is using a pseudonym to protect her identity. "I'm very kind of submissive to people. He always kinda told me what to do, and I would do it."

One day, a car showed up with two men in it whom she didn't know. Her friend asked her to get in, and she did. "I was still in my school uniform," she said.

As they drove to a motel on a strip of Dundas Street East in Mississauga, one of the men told her she could make a lot of money doing sex work. Vanessa said she was unsure and scared but felt pressured to go along with it because the two men were friends of the boy she knew.

"At that time, I didn't try to understand what was going on," she said. "My friend promised me all these things that I felt that I needed — a stable place, money in my hands. It was kind of part of me wanting to do it and see if I could get something better, and then a bigger part was that I was already there and I can't really say no anymore."

Most trafficking victims are 'domestic'

Peel Regional Police say 60 per cent of all reported human trafficking cases in Canada occur in the densely populated Greater Toronto Area.

Most frequently, girls are recruited at school by young males and taken to local motels or condominiums, where they engage in sex work. Most continue to live at home.

According to police, human trafficking doesn't have to involve the crossing of a border. Any forced recruitment, confinement or transportation of a person for the purposes of exploitation falls under the Criminal Code definition of trafficking. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is just one form of the crime. Others include forced labour and domestic servitude.

More than 90 per cent of the victims of sex trafficking within Canada come from Canada, according to government statistics, Vanessa's story is typical, says Jennifer Keeler, a nurse practitioner at Chantel's Place, a Toronto-area sexual assault support centre. "Human trafficking targets young adolescents trying to fit in," Keeler says. "They are vulnerable to someone giving them attention."

Traffickers know exactly what to say to manipulate girls, says Katarina MacLeod, a former prostitute and trafficking victim from the same area as Vanessa. They're even targeting girls not usually considered high risk. "You have these guys making regular girls feel special, buying them things and taking them shopping," MacLeod said. "And the girls fall for it hook, line and sinker … [The men] know exactly how to build dependence."

MacLeod said traffickers are targeting young and younger girls these days. "Girls as young as 13 are getting recruited in," she said.

'He didn't smell nice'

The men who took Vanessa to the motel first took photos of her to use in ads for her services. They gave her a cellphone and told her to use it to negotiate with her first client as they watched. She settled on $40 for five minutes of unspecified sexual activity. "He was older, probably in his late 40s … He wasn't dressed well. He didn't smell nice or anything," she said. "I just kinda dealt with him because I thought five minutes wasn't anything. But now, I realized how stupid that was."

One of the men ordered Vanessa to turn over the money she made. "He was like, 'I paid for the room so you have to give me everything,' so I just gave him all I made," she said.

Unlike sex workers who have chosen the trade, trafficking victims rarely get to keep the money they bring in. And they have little say over what sex acts they perform.

Peel Regional Police estimate a trafficked girl working daily can bring in up to $280,000 per year. For pimps who have multiple girls, the earnings are often divided among a team of traffickers, minus expenses for motels and the ads they take out to market the girls.

For months, Vanessa would get picked up from school almost every day and be taken to hotels on the Dundas East strip to have sex with clients arranged by her pimp. She was still living at home and under the age of consent. "My parents still somehow didn't know what I was doing," she said.

Vanessa met a network of pimps, recruiters and other high school girls like her. "Most people have no idea something like this is happening in Mississauga," she said.

'Complex and hidden crime'

In 2015, Peel police made 39 arrests and laid 244 charges related to sex trafficking. In the first half of 2016, according to their most recent statistics, they made 25 arrests and laid 149 charges. As recently as last week, Toronto police arrested two young men in connection with the trafficking of two teenage girls at Mississauga motels.

And that's just a fraction of the problem, says Ontario's recently appointed anti-trafficking director, Jennifer Richardson. "The number of how many people are actually being trafficked in Canada I don't think anyone could ever give you because it is such a complex and hidden crime," she said.

Based on data she helped gather in Manitoba, she estimates the number of trafficking victims in Ontario alone to be in the thousands. A former trafficking victim herself, Richardson says victims don't come forward for a variety of reasons, including fear or a dependent relationship with their pimp.

Peel police established a Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee last year and have been working with local organizations toraise awareness and provide support to victims like Vanessa.

"The traffickers control the lives of the victims emotionally, psychologically and financially. Anyone can be a victim," said Const. Joy Brown, who heads up the committee.

A few of the red-flag behaviours to watch out for in young girls, she said include: extended periods when whereabouts are unknown; sudden changes in routine; having more than one cellphone; receiving expensive gifts; extreme tiredness and unexplained absences from school.

One of Vanessa's teachers recognized changes in her behaviour and connected her with a support program, which is how CBC News found her. Now, Vanessa is looking to get out. "I hate doing what I do," she said. "I've been getting sick, my body is tired, my knees are hurting."

She says she won't come forward or testify against her pimp, who's now letting her keep some of the money she earns. "I would feel like such a victim if I came out with no money. I want to have money to live comfortably. And then I plan to get out of it."
 

escapefromstress

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escapefromstress

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Incident at Windsor hotel leads to sex trafficking charges

http://windsorstar.com/news/local-ne...icking-charges

A man from Quebec is facing sex trafficking charges after Windsor police investigated an incident involving an 18-year-old female at a local hotel — and uncovered a relationship described as controlling and manipulative.

Police were called around 6:15 a.m. Monday about a disturbance at a downtown hotel. Officers arrived to find a teenage female with visible injuries. Hotel staff told police that the young woman had been assaulted by the man she was staying with at the hotel.

The officers went to the room and arrested a 27-year-old man from Laval, Que.

As police investigated, the 18-year-old victim confessed that she was being manipulated in her relationship with the man.

Police learned that the two had met last June, and the relationship had developed into the man controlling many aspects of the victim’s life. The girl told police it was the man who ultimately directed her into the sex industry — dictating her finances, clientele, and movements throughout Ontario and Quebec.

Police subsequently charged the man.

Yves Castor, 27, faces one count of human trafficking, one count of material benefit resulting from trafficking in persons, two counts of assault with a weapon, and one count of common assault.

The 18-year-old female has since been connected with community organizations that will assist in her recovery.

Windsor police emphasized they are committed to fighting human trafficking through the gathering of information, enforcement efforts, and working with other agencies.

“Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, or harbouring of persons for the purpose of exploitation — typically in the sex industry, or for forced labour,” said Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Steve Betteridge.

“Exploitation — that’s the key element of the offence.”

Betteridge declined to provide further details about the victim, citing the need to protect her identity.

Last October, Windsor Police Service took part in a nationwide initiative to help the victims of human trafficking. Operation Northern Spotlight came to the assistance of 18 women in Windsor believed to be involved in the sex trade.

Earlier in 2016, Tracy MacCharles, Ontario’s minister responsible for women’s issues, described Windsor as “a hub for this activity.”

Two weeks ago, Essex County OPP Detachment Commander Glenn Miller announced provincial police are implementing a new strategy to combat human trafficking and support those trapped by the crime. “Why am I speaking about this? Because the reality is that it’s occurring right here in Essex County,” Miller wrote. “We reside along the busiest border point in North America.”

Asked how prevalent sex trafficking is in Windsor, Betteridge said the crime is “borderless,” difficult to measure, and often underreported. “It’s something that is cultivated over time,” he said. “(The victims) may not even notice or understand because it’s happening daily and throughout their lives … The message we want to push out there to them is that help is available.”

Betteridge said Windsor police have laid the charge of human trafficking about a dozen times since 2013.

Anyone who is a victim or knows of a victim of these crimes is encouraged to call investigators at 519-255-6700 ext. 4343.

Anonymous tips can be made via Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477.

(They list a "catchcrooks" reporting website in the article but I get a malware notification when I click on it.)
 
W

Warl0ck

Other potential signs of trafficking:

- STW who do not have cell phones. They're not permitted to have cell phones so they cannot reach out to family or friends for help. This isn't a rule written in stone because some workers may have drug addictions & either sell the phone or lose it

- Women moving city to city on a circuit for short periods of time. They could be street walkers or advertising in BP. The constant movement eliminates the possibility that a pooner will become attached to them (and thereby try to help them escape).

- Photos where a woman's tattoos are airbrushed over or hidden. Tattoos are a sure fire way to identify someone. There are lots of blondes that are 5' 4", but not very many with a specific tattoo in a certain location. Photos can be altered but family members can often ID someone with a tattoo.

- Anyone who is advertised at 18. The only thing "teen" I'd pay for is the burger from A&W.

- BP, LL or CL ads with no direct contact information (you use their messaging system). This makes digital forensics much more difficult as there is no phone number or email to trace.
 

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Human trafficking law starts from scratch, without tougher sentencing provisions

Conservatives accuse government of giving perpetrators of 'unspeakable crimes' a break

By Kathleen Harris, CBC News Posted: Feb 09, 2017 5:48 PM ET Last Updated: Feb 09, 2017 5:50 PM ET

The Liberal government has retabled legislation to clamp down on human trafficking — nearly two years after a previous bill passed in Parliament but was never brought into force.

But the new bill, which will start from scratch in the legislative process, will exclude the tougher sentencing provisions in the original legislation.

According to background material provided by the government, the consecutive sentencing requirement was removed because it could result in "disproportionately lengthy sentences" when combined with other penalties for human trafficking offences.

"There is a significant risk that this could amount to cruel and unusual punishment contrary to Section 12 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," the government briefing reads.

The sentencing provision in the former bill, which required judges to impose consecutive sentences for other offences related to the trafficking events, will be considered as part of a broader review of the criminal justice system, including mandatory minimum sentences, by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Law never brought into force

Bill C-452 was a private member's bill from former MP Maria Mourani and received royal assent in June 2015, but was never brought into force before Parliament was dissolved in 2015 for the election, or after.

The bill contained a provision that it would be in force by an order in council, or decision by cabinet, rather than on a specific date.

The new legislation tabled today, Bill C-38, aims to reduce the likelihood that victims of trafficking would have to testify in court, puts the onus on a convicted offender to prove their property is not proceeds of crime, and makes it easier for the state to seize the proceeds of crime.

"What we sought to do was to support the reintroduction of this piece of legislation, ensuring that it is charter compliant, and in doing so, providing additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to make it more easy to be able to prosecute in this area," Wilson-Raybould told CBC News in an interview.

'This is unbelievable'

But Conservative justice critic Rob Nicholson accused the government of giving a "break" to human traffickers who commit multiple crimes.

"This is unbelievable," he said during question period in the House of Commons. "This bill says people convicted of human trafficking will not have to serve consecutive sentences when they commit additional unspeakable crimes against victims. Why is it that the Liberals are always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why don't they start sticking up for the victims for a change?"

Human trafficking can include forced labour, forced prostitution and other sex-related work.

According to the government background material, the bill will:

  • Help prosecutors prove one of the elements of the trafficking offence, that the accused exercised control, direction or influence over the movements of a victim, by establishing that the accused lived with or was habitually in the company of an exploited person.
  • Put the onus on offenders convicted of human trafficking offences to prove that their property is not proceeds of crime in certain circumstances.
  • Correct a technical discrepancy between the English and French definitions of the term exploitation for the purposes of the human trafficking offences.

Former Conservative MP Joy Smith, who pushed two laws on human trafficking in Parliament, said removing the consecutive sentencing provisions reflects a "philosophical change" by the Liberal government that puts offender rights ahead of the victims. She said the bill was already scrutinized for constitutionality and approved by MPs from all political camps.

"To gut it and start over again, they will wind up with a piece of paper, not an effective bill in any way, shape or form," she told CBC News.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/human-trafficking-law-liberal-1.3974776
 

escapefromstress

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No Super Bowl Sex-Trafficking Hordes in Houston

Where were all the Super Bowl 2017 sex-traffickers? Living only in activist and law-enforcement imaginations, it seems.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown|Feb. 7, 2017 8:30 am

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, the usual cabal of activists, government officials, and click-hungry hacks in the media began their annual process of entirely fabricating an epidemic of Super Bowl-related sexual violence. Once upon a time, the (wholly unsubstantiated) rumor was that domestic violence spiked during big sporting events like the Super Bowl, but for the past decade or so the hysteria has coalesced around sex trafficking. To hear the hysterics tell it, thousands—perhaps tens of thousands—of sex-selling women will flock like cockroaches to cities where sports-fans gather, and only some will be there willingly; the rest, including many children, are trucked in by opportunistic pimps and traffickers.

As ample people have pointed out—see these pieces from author and sex worker Maggie McNeill, theology scholar Benjamin L. Corey, sports writer Jon Wertheim, and journalist Anna Merlan, for starters, or check out this 2011 report from the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women—there's not a shred of evidence to support this rumor about sports-related spikes in sex trafficking. Any examinations of actual arrest data in Super Bowl cities shows no corresponding spike in sex trafficking, compelling prostitution, or any other similar charge—despite the verifiable spike in law-enforcement and media attention to the issue. Sometimes we see spikes in the number of women arrested for prostitution, but this could be attributed as much to an uptick in vice stings around Super Bowl as an increase in local prostitution levels (and is, regardless, not the same thing as a spike in sex trafficking).

Super Bowl 2017 was held in Houston, which sits in Harris County, Texas. Each day, the county posts its previous 24-hours worth of arrests on the Harris County Sherrif's Office (HCSO) website. The arrest report for February 6, 2017, contains more than 11 pages of arrests, including 12 for prostitution, a lot of DUI and driving-on-a-suspended-license charges, some marijuana possession, several assaults, theft, forgery, driving without a seatbelt, one "parent contributing to truancy," and a few for racing on the highway. The February 7 HSCO arrest log shows three arrests for prostitution. But neither reveals a single arrest for sex trafficking, soliciting a minor, pimping, promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, or any other charges that might suggest forced or voluntary sex trade.

The Houston Police Department (HPD) does not post arrest logs online, and I unable to obtain any numbers from them directly. I spoke with HPD's public affairs office Monday morning and was told someone would get back to me once the vice department had tallied the numbers, but I have yet to get a response. But the public affairs officer also pointed me to the Harris County District Clerk's Office, which contains case information for people arrested by all in-county police departments, including HPD. Between the Saturday before the Super Bowl and the Tuesday morning after, no criminal complaints were filed against anyone for sex trafficking, soliciting a minor, pimping, promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, etc.

Searching police statements and Houston media likewise turns up no post-Super Bowl mention of sex trafficking, though the subject made plenty of news just before the big game. "As Houston starts to party, there are extra eyes on the crowds," KHOU news reported Thursday after talking to HPD Chief Art Acevado. "Undercover officers are looking for everything from prostitution to human trafficking." At that point, however, they had only made prostitution arrests, booking 22 people on prostitution charges on February 2. KHOU also reported that police "helped get three woman off the streets, one a 19-year-old."

In the days leading up to and following the Super Bowl, Houston Police shared crime info from the department's social media accounts, and Houston news outlets reported on multiple Super Bowl–adjacent shootings, robberies, and other incidents of crime and violence. Neither law enforcement nor the local press mentioned any incidents, investigations, or arrests related to sex trafficking.

In the end, the Super Bowl may have "brought attention to human trafficking," but attention in the absence of a problem isn't anything to celebrate. It's what people today like to refer to as "fake news," and the people who propagate it year after year—police departments looking to justify vice stings and asset forfeiture, missionary groups looking to fundraise or justify federal anti-trafficking grants, sensationalist media, and state and national politicians with human-trafficking measures to promote—are not brave human-rights pioneers and "abolitionists" but propagandists, plain and simple.

http://reason.com/blog/2017/02/07/su...icking-arrests
 

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I Am Jane Doe - opened in select US cities on Feb. 10/17


ABOUT THE FILM


I Am Jane Doe chronicles the epic battle that several American mothers are waging on behalf of their middle-school daughters, victims of sex-trafficking on Backpage.com, the adult classifieds section that for years was part of the Village Voice. Reminiscent of Erin Brockovich and Karen Silkwood, these mothers have stood up on behalf of thousands of other mothers, fighting back and refusing to take no for an answer.

I Am Jane Doe is a gut-wrenching human story and fresh look at a social and legal issue that affects every community in America.

Advance praise: “a gripping legal thriller” (Esquire); “a powerful call to action” (The Los Angeles Times); “a viscerally emotional case” (The Washington Post); “a powerful piece of work” (Elle), “striking, powerful” (The Film Journal).

50% of all profits from this project will be donated to organizations which serve Jane Doe children.

Film trailer here: http://www.iamjanedoefilm.com/
 

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How One Woman Survived Sex Trafficking
KATHRYN LINDSAY
JANUARY 10, 2017, 6:00 PM



For most of Jessa Dillow Crisp's life, she faced sexual abuse. Her family was a part of a group who sexually abused her as a child, and after growing up in the world of child pornography, she was forced into sex trafficking. Crisp was taken to different cities and countries and sold to friends and pimps, and this is just the beginning of her story. She recently opened up about all of it in an essay and accompanying video for the "Real Women, Real Stories" project for Global Citizen.

The "Real Women, Real Stories" project seeks to promote awareness of women who fight their battles and have overcome significant hardship. "Significant hardship" sounds like an understatement for Crisp, who managed to escape the sex trafficking of her youth, only to be tricked back into it during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

While Crisp had entered a safe house in Vancouver after being rescued abroad, it shut down due to lack of funds, and she was once again on her own.

"A woman approached me, and the first thing out of her mouth was, 'Oh, I think you've been abused,'" Crisp remembers in a touching video (above). Crisp followed the woman back home where she found she had once again been pulled into human trafficking.

"The individuals who held me against my will were defining what was happening, and although I was the one experiencing the pain, they owned my body," she writes in her blog post.

Crisp didn't believe that her life could be anything more than the abuse she had already experienced, but after finding herself at a safe house in the US after her second trafficking experience, she heard the words she needed to hear: "If you can read, you can learn anything." Crisp wrote that on her arm in Sharpie every day for over a year.

Last May, Crisp was giving a speech as the valedictorian of her graduating class. She graduated with a BA in Clinical Counseling and went on to get married. She's currently pursuing a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a step towards her goal of obtaining a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology that focuses on trauma recovery.

"My past no longer has the power to hold me captive," Crisp concludes in the post. "I am a leader, I am an agent of change, and I am a confident woman who longs to make a difference in society."

http://www.refinery29.com/2017/01/13...a-dillow-crisp
 

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Ashton Kutcher Claims He Helped Cops Save Way More Sex-Trafficking Victims Than Authorities Say They've Found

How can Kutcher's group have helped in dramatically more sex-trafficking investigations than were actually opened across America?

Elizabeth Nolan Brown|Feb. 15, 2017 2:30 pm

http://reason.com/blog/2017/02/15/ashton-kutcher-plays-sex-worker-savior

On Wednesday, actor Ashton Kutcher testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on behalf of Thorn, an anti-sexual exploitation organization he co-founded with Demi Moore. Thorn's main project is Spotlight, a cloud-based data-collection and analysis tool that purportedly helps police find sex traffickers. According to Kutcher's testimony before Sen. John McCain and other U.S. lawmakers, the app—funded by the McCain Foundation—has helped save more than 6,000 U.S. sex-trafficking victims, including 2,000 minors, in the past 12 months.

But there's something fishy about these and other stats put forth about Spotlight. According to Cloudera, the company behind Spotlight's technology, the app was used in 8,305 criminal investigations into sex trafficking between September 2015 and September 2016, identifying 4,624 adult victims and 2,025 minor sex-trafficking victims (defined in the U.S. as anyone under age 18 engaging in prostitution).

These numbers wildly outpace the average number of new criminal investigations into sex trafficking opened in the U.S. each year or average number of victims identified by U.S. law enforcement. For instance, between late 2009 and late 2015, FBI agents working with state and local police across America identified an average of just 175 minor victims per year, according to the Attorney General's 2015 Annual Report to Congress and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The report also notes that in goverment fiscal-year 2015, the FBI identified around 672 adult and child victims of sex or labor trafficking. The FBI opened 802 human-trafficking investigations (resulting in 453 convictions) that year, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) opened 1,034 sex- or labor-trafficking investigations (and got 51 sex-trafficking convictions). In addition, Uniform Crime Reporting data from the states indicates that 744 investigations into state-level sex-trafficking offenses were opened in 2015.

There's almost certainly overlap between the FBI and state investigations. But even if we count all cases separately, we're looking at a toal of 2,580 investigations into sex or labor trafficking—5,725 less cases than Thorn allegedly helped identify in a one-year period.

While final state and federal data from 2016 has not yet been released, the Justice Department did put out a January 2017 report summing up the previous year's efforts to combat human trafficking. It mentions neither a significant increase in the number of victims identified or investigations opened in 2016. The FBI and its human-trafficking task force partners among state and local law-enforcement opened around 1,800 investigations into sex- or labor-trafficking last year.

How can Kutcher's group have helped in dramatically more sex-trafficking investigations than were actually opened across America? I can see two explanations. But first, it's important to note how Spotlight works. While no one involved will divulge specifics—Kutcher told Congress he "can't disclose exactly how it works," and my multiple attempts to communicate with Thorn have gone unanswered—what we do know about the app is that it collects and analyzes adult ads posted to Backpage and similar sites. Using proprietary techniques, Spotlight pinpoints ads allegedly likely to feature sex trafficking.

It's impossible to know how accurate their method is without more details. But the majority of adult ads on Backpage are posted by sex workers themselves, and the people arrested in cops' "human trafficking" stings based on these ads are predominantly sex workers and/or men looking to pay other adults for sex. Police might be looking for trafficking victims when they contact ads featuring young-looking women or certain supposed code words, but when their hunches don't pan out (and this is most of the time), they arrest the target for prostitution.

Considering the data we do have on state and federal human trafficking cases, the only way the numbers from Kutcher's group could make sense is if a) they're counting every red-flag ad Spotlight identifies, regardless of whether these tips are ultimately deemed worthwhile enough to prompt a criminal investigation, or b) they're counting cases of consensual prostitution between adults and lumping all adult sex workers identified into the "adult trafficking victim" numbers.
 

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Girl, 17, found in Thunder Bay hotel was put to work as prostitute: police - with audio

Social media was used to prostitute girl from southern Ontario, say Thunder Bay police

CBC News Posted: Jan 19, 2017 7:30 AM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunde...laid-1.3941542

An investigator with the Thunder Bay Police Service says distance is one possible reason two males allegedly brought a 17-year-old girl to the city from southern Ontario earlier this month to be put to work as a prostitute.

On Jan. 9, a 20-year-old Toronto-area man was charged with human trafficking after a teen from southern Ontario was found in a Thunder Bay hotel.

A second male, charged as a young offender, faces charges of human trafficking, living on the avails of prostitution of a person under 18 years, and distribution of child pornography. He was arrested Jan. 16 by Peel Regional police.

Staff Sgt.Ryan Hughes, of the Thunder Bay force's Criminal Investigations Branch, said he believes these are the first human trafficking charges ever laid in Thunder Bay.

He added that the city is also seeing a general increase in criminal traffic from southern Ontario.

"We are seeing out of town people come up here...and we have discussed and the chief has mentioned before, the drug activity and the gangs, " he said. "Thunder Bay is a lucrative market, so as far as prostitution, it's been around forever and there is always people willing to pay for services."

Hughes said the 17 year-old had been in the city for about a week.

"They were prostituting her," he continued, adding that human traffickers will often try to get their victims away from family.

"So it's not an escort service," he said. "I believe through social media there was ads for her. But it was not an escort service per-se."

Hughes said getting to the perpetrators of human trafficking is difficult because the victims are often afraid to speak for fear their families will be put in danger.

Hughes said the teen is back home with her family.

A multi-jurisdictional investigation is ongoing, he added.
 

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16-year-old found working in Guelph sex trade

Published Tuesday, January 31, 2017 9:41AM EST

http://guelph.ctvnews.ca/16-year-old...rade-1.3264538

Two people from outside the area are facing charges after a 16-year-old girl was found working in the sex trade in Guelph.

Guelph police conducted a nighttime operation, last week, focused on identifying vulnerable people involved in the local sex trade.

Four females, between 16 and 38 years of age were identified as working in the sex trade.

All of them were given contact information and links to community resources and outreach programs available to them.

One adult and one young person, not residents of Guelph, have been charged with Advertising Sexual Services, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Material Benefit from Sexual Services Provided by Person Under Eighteen Years.
 

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TORONTO

Suspect charged after woman, 21, allegedly assaulted, forced to work in sex trade

Rachael D'Amore, CTV News Toronto
Published Thursday, February 2, 2017 5:13PM
EST

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/suspect-ch...rade-1.3268703

A man is facing more than a dozen charges after he allegedly forced a 21-year-old woman to work for him in the sex trade.

The woman told police that she met the suspect through mutual friends in the summer of 2016 and later, the two decided to live together.

Shortly after moving in, police said the suspect asked the victim about working as an escort so she could make more money – a suggestion she initially refused.

By October, police believe the man had pressured the victim into working the sex trade.

According to police, the man took photos of the woman in various stages of undress and posted the images as advertisements for sexual services on a website.

The woman told police that she did not want to work in the sex industry, however the suspect assaulted, threatened and forced her to provide sexual services at various hotels in the GTA.

In December of 2016, the woman was able to escape and contacted police.

Following the issuing of an arrest warrant, a suspect was located in Montreal on Jan. 27 and arrested.

On Feb. 1, police charged a suspected identified as 23-year-old Matthew Eric Desir with numerous offences including trafficking a person over 18 years old by recruiting, material benefit from sexual services, sexual assault, forcible confinement and extortion.

He was expected to make an appearance in court today.

Investigators are concerned there may be more victims and urge anyone with information to contact them.
 
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