The Philadelphia Juvenile Anti-Trafficking Coalition is the first of its kind focusing on and addressing the needs of child victims of human trafficking and vulnerable subpopulations that are overrepresented and underserved. 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. Ryan Keel, 39, was charged with conspiracy to sex traffic a minor. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 During this time, Kendall also allegedly used his cell phone to record one of the minors performing oral sex on him and then sent the video to the minor victim. Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. Finally, what is the paradigm shift that must occur in society to finally obliterate human trafficking? Rich Walls of North Philadelphia learned much from an all-male workshop held at Enon last year. WebPhiladelphia Police are launching a special task force to battle the growing problem of Human Traffickers preying on children in Philadelphia, CBS has learned. Because this is the start of the prime season for human trafficking. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. PCA works in tandem with DHS to connect survivors with the appropriate services. Did you encounter any technical issues? They provide direct care to juvenile victims of trafficking experiencing homelessness. Though local statistics are difficult to come by, the one thing that experts agree on is that girls and young women are its primary victims. We cannot use terms like child prostitution. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE Discovery Company. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 WebPHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that John Adams, 41, Mercedes Hampton-Devero, 28, Malachai Kendall, 20, and Chukuw Ossai, He has no regard for the law -- or even basic human decency -- as evidenced by his willingness to sell the bodies of children for sex to benefit himself. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 An official website of the United States government. Nationalities Service Center All three defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to sex traffic a minor, while Felts and Francis were also each charged with four counts of sex trafficking a minor. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. WebTuesday, August 11, 2020. Those in the community must also engage in self-examination to ascertain if one is playing a role in the proliferation of this crime against humanity. Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. The Indictment alleges that for about seven days at the end of September 2019, Smith knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, maintained a minor for the purposes of forcing that minor to engage in commercial sex acts in Philadelphia. Text the letters "Befree" or the numbers 233733 to reach the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. Media Contact As many are gathering in front of large flat screen televisions during Super Bowl Sunday surrounded by trays of hors doeuvres, party platters and beer, an underground network will also be working hard. Federal agents arrested three Philadelphia men Friday in connection to a child sex trafficking sting operation, and Your Content is first to reveal the identities of the men.. 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, PA, were charged by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Charged With Forcible Sex Trafficking of Multiple Victims Including a Minor, Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Teenage Girls, Fourth and Final Co-Defendant in Brutal West Philly Sex Trafficking Case Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison, Four Members and Associates of Reading Boarding House Sex Trafficking Gang The Sevens Convicted After Six-Week Trial in Allentown. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. At least one of the victims was also a victim of physical violence during the operation of the trafficking ring: according to public filings, Felts pulled her from a vehicle and repeatedly stomped on her. Its a hard statistic, but 1 in 6 children reported missing in the U.S. are likely victims of child sex trafficking, one of So, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun is beginning a series about human trafficking. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. If you, a family member or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking (sex or labor), or you suspect that human trafficking is taking place, resources are available: National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) PHILADELPHIA United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Artavius Horne, a/k/a Lo, 36, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to 45 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert for sex trafficking three children for years. Phone: 215-733-0878 Eight Croatian nationals charged with attempting to traffic children, outside the magistrates court in Ndola, Zambia, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Media Contact Common examples of identified child trafficking cases include: Commercial sex Stripping Pornography Forced begging Magazine crews Au pairs or nannies Restaurant work Hair and nail salons Agricultural work Drug sales and cultivation The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Delaware County District Attorneys Office, the Bensalem Police Department, the Media Borough Police Department, the Tinicum Township Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Metcalf and Brittany Jones. Smith would photograph each female in his home with his camera and, using his laptop computer, would create an Internet advertisement for each on a website known as Backpage.com. Eastern District of Pennsylvania A locked padlock 2. 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. Eastern District of Pennsylvania 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. 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. WebThis program is designed to improve the juvenile justice and dependency systems' response to child abuse, neglect, commercial sexual exploitation, and sex trafficking of minors and related cases. 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. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Lock We get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls have been taken. WebAn FBI operation focused on combatting child sex trafficking around the world resulted in the arrests of 15 suspected pimps and associates in the Philadelphia region, authorities Main Office: At least four of the recovered children were connected to child sex trafficking, the marshals service said on Thursday. Main Office: The church has a ministry that addresses trafficking in the Philadelphia area. This month, let us find inspiration in Americas progress toward justice, opportunity, and prosperity for all and affirm out pledge to continue fighting for human rights around the world, he said. you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: CHILD USA, 3508 MARKET STREET, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. As a city Philadelphia has major conventions and athletic events as well as many entertainment strips. At least 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. The Salvation Armys New Day to Stop Trafficking Program A lock ( 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 During the week-long trial, the government proved that the defendant organized, operated and led a sex trafficking venture based in and around Northeast Philadelphia between 2013 and 2015, and in 2018. Folks in need of WOAR services do not require insurance. Main Office: Blue Campaigns educational awareness objectives consists of two foundational elements, prevention of human trafficking and protection of exploited persons. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Yet without those who purchase the services of modern day slaves, like any market, it would dry up. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Enoch Smith, 36, a/k/a Drees, a/k/a Idris, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today of all charges including sex Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. Working with our federal partners, we will do all that we can to keep criminals who sell the bodies of children for their own profit securely behind bars so they can do no more harm., To advertise underage girls for sex, to willfully pimp them out for profit, is heinous, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. The Philadelphia Police Department learned of the prostitution operation by surveying Backpage advertisements and conducted an undercover sting operation at the premises in June 2011. All Rights Reserved. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The charges against the defendant stem from his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding regionincluding Bucks and Delaware counties. is beginning a series about human trafficking. FOX 29 Philadelphia. They may be lured thinking that someone is helping them find a job. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Official websites use .gov 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. The seal of the F.B.I. He admitted that he had to examine himself as to whether he lusted after young women young enough to be his daughter. 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. The comprehensive programming at Dawns Place supports individuals by addressing their complex needs including trauma services, substance use disorders, legal and educational concerns and more. PCA believes strongly that understanding and responding to the needs of commercially sexually exploited youth in Philadelphia is critical, and we are committed to providing every child victim of sex trafficking with the same comprehensive care and coordinated response as other referrals to our facility. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. He also kept the victims in apartments throughout Philadelphia, known as trap houses, where they were made to engage in commercial sex for the benefit of the defendant. A locked padlock 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The dates would take place at the home that Smith leased and the females gave 100 percent of their cash earnings to Smith. Justice At Work assists with recovering unpaid wages, obtaining lawful immigration status for individuals and their families, and connecting communities with resources that provide services victims of trafficking. Phone: 215-387-9500. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. A lock ( Smith was charged locally and was later charged in a federal indictment. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan. Children cannot sell sex even in places where prostitution is legal. The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. 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