child trafficking philadelphia

300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124, 2023 All rights reserved. In a separate Indictment, Ossai is charged with the sex trafficking of a minor in late January 2020. 215-861-8300. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. Official websites use .gov A lock ( WebPhiladelphia Men Charged with Child Sex Trafficking. Eastern District of Pennsylvania Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. The children involved are considered some of the most at-risk and challenging cases in the Philadelphia area, the marshals service said, based on high-risk factors including child sex trafficking and exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. WebPhiladelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child. PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. 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. WebPhiladelphia Division. We know of 22 locations in the state where this is taking place. Smith was charged locally and was later charged in a federal indictment. This ongoing series will address this and more. Many are kidnapped from corners waiting for yellow school buses, enticed through social media to what they think is a fun night on the town, or taken to secluded spots with the promise of a way to supplement their meager wages. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. Yet without those who purchase the services of modern day slaves, like any market, it would dry up. Blue Campaign is a national public awareness campaign, designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other industry partners to recognize theindicatorsof human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. It has hosted many programs to raise local awareness, like the A Day in the Life hosted by Shes My Sister ministry and provides safe havens for some of those rescued from local enslavement. Now that there is more transparency, we have to be more honest, Walls said. Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. We will continue to work collectively to investigate these destructive crimes against the most vulnerable victims., Using physical threats to control another human being, to force them into sexual exploitation, is unconscionable, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division. Covenant House According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Smith operated a prostitution business in Philadelphia between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. 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 Its even more difficult to ascertain who are being forced or coerced into the trade. Children cannot sell sex even in places where prostitution is legal. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE Our resolve remains steadfast in finding other children in peril.. When the minors were rescued and Adams learned he was under investigation by the FBI, he allegedly wiped his cell phone clean of all incriminating evidence. A Warner Bros. Official websites use .gov Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 33 missing children found in anti-human trafficking operation in Southern California. The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a nationalanti-trafficking hotline and resource center serving victims and survivors of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community in the United States. 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. Lock A Northeast Philadelphia hotel owner was ordered to pay $24 million to eight sex trafficking victims. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Address: 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 Lock Furthermore, travelers who frequent turnpike rest stops, ride public transportation or stay in hotels can quickly recognize when a human trafficking victim may be approaching them for assistance. 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. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE Official websites use .gov 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. He recruited young women, including a minor (Minor 1), to work as prostitutes. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Media Contact ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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 Many girls and women, boys and men are forced or coerced into this lifestyle. 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Folks in need of WOAR services do not require insurance. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Official websites use .gov Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Have a question about Government Services? UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 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. Eastern District of Pennsylvania Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Solow of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. 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. 215-861-8300. According to publicly filed court documents, Adams, whose self-professed nickname was Captain Save-A-Hoe, along with co-defendants Hampton-Devero and Kendall, trafficked two minors during approximately three weeks in January of 2020 from multiple locations in Philadelphia. The charges against the defendant stem from his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding regionincluding Bucks and Delaware counties. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. WebCSEC or Child Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking affects children, too. Horne created Internet advertisements for each of the victims on the website Backpage.com, and he transported them across state lines to New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., and Maryland for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. A lock ( It will also educate parents and family members to notice the warning signs of children and adolescents who may be involved in the life, as many call it. President Obama said there is a need to do more to fight against the exploitation of human beings for profit. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. 3. The FBI will never stop working to find and help trafficked victims, to protect them from further abuse and keep their traffickers from hurting anyone else.. Phone: 215-733-0878 A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 31, 2013. Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 WebPHILADELPHIA United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that three men, Andre Michael Felts, 32, Kevin Michael Francis, 60, and Ryan Keel, 39, all of Philadelphia, 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. He deserves every minute of the 45 years that he received today., Artavius Horne made his living by sexually exploiting children, advertising underage girls for sex with strangers, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division. 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. WebHuman Trafficking Task Forces are a coalition of victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, community members, courts and other parties working to combat human Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment on Count One, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment on Count Two, a $500,000 fine, a lifetime period of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Three Philadelphia Men Detained on Charges of Child Sex Trafficking, 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, Three Philadelphia Men Detained On Charges of Child Sex Trafficking. Kevin Smith allegedly did just that to three young women and a child. 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) Consequently, in order to rescue human trafficking victims, one must know how to identify them, the warning signs, and how to help them. Media Contact A lock ( UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE He admitted that he had to examine himself as to whether he lusted after young women young enough to be his daughter. Phone: 1-888-373-7888 All Rights Reserved. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan. Call the hotline if you are a victim or want to help someone you think is a victim: 1-888-373-7888. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Updated WebThey will be trafficking women and young girls on major highways and airports, arranging for sexual rendezvous in Center City hotel rooms or unmarked vans on a tree-lined residential We cannot use terms like child prostitution. WebThe 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. An official website of the United States government. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Main Office: Have a question about Government Services? WebTuesday, August 11, 2020. Three Philadelphia men were charged, by a federal grand jury, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of 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. We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] Phone: 215-832-0900. Dry up will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of,. U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female scheduled for October 31, 2013, secure.. Often suffering in silence or shame the United States for children who are at or. Cnn Sans & 2016 Cable News Network an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities sense! 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