By Scott Daugherty of The Virginian-Pilot NORFOLK, Va – A Norfolk man was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison on human trafficking charges. Devon Caldwell – who ordered prostitutes to call him “dad” – pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court. According to court documents, he worked with at least three people between September 2015 and August 2016 …
AG Herring and AG Jackley to launch national “Campaign for Child Rescue”
~ On Tuesday at NAAG meeting in Washington DC, the two attorneys general will showcase advanced technology and encourage colleagues around the country to join the fight against child exploitation ~ RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Mark R. Herring and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley today announced the launch of the national “Campaign for Child Rescue”, an ambitious new …
Ashton Kutcher gives powerful Senate testimony on human trafficking
by Kaitlyn Schallhorn Feb 15, 2017 2:44 pm Ashton Kutcher is sticking to his day job — and no, that’s not acting. As the chairman and co-founder of Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children — a technology company that works to eradicate child exploitation — Kutcher passionately testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Wednesday in an effort to help …
TraffickCam App: Your hotel room photos could help catch sex traffickers
By Katy Scott, CNN; Updated 11:43 AM ET, Thu February 9, 2017 (CNN)A young girl poses provocatively in a dark hotel room. For a set fee, any willing customer can pay to have sex with her. For investigators attempting to track down sex traffickers and their victims, these online advertisements can contain critical clues. The smallest of details in a …
522 ‘johns’, 30 pimps arrested in Super Bowl sex trafficking sting
By NBC4 Staff Published: February 9, 2017, 2:43 pm COOK COUNTY, IL (WCMH) — A national sex trafficking sting ended in the arrests of 552 would-be sex buyers or sex traffickers. The National Johns Suppression Initiative began three weeks ago, ending on Super Bowl Sunday. Twenty-three law enforcement agencies in 14 states took part in the crackdown. “Sex trafficking continues …
An eavesdropping Uber driver saved his 16-year-old passenger from her pimps, police say
Uber driver Keith Avila picked up a passenger Monday night, a girl in a short skirt who looked to be about 12 years old. That was the first sign that something was off, he would say later. Two women got into his car with the girl outside a house in Sacramento. Halfway to their destination — a Holiday Inn in …
Human trafficking victims will soon have shelter in Virginia
HENRICO, Va. — Advocates and victims will soon have access to a local human trafficking shelter. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in every state. Sex trafficking is what most frequently occurs in Virginia, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which reported 825 cases in the state since 2007, along with 3,594 calls for help. …
Human trafficking added to school curriculum
ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Human trafficking is now being taught in the nation’s schools. The curriculum was rolled out in more than 500 primary and secondary institutions at the start of the new academic year in September, following the success of the pilot introduced in 49 schools across the island in September 2015. It was developed by the Ministry …
Operation Cross Country X Recovering Underage Victims of Sex Trafficking and Prostitution
Operation Cross Country, the FBI’s annual law enforcement action focused on recovering underage victims of prostitution and drawing the public’s attention to the problem of sex trafficking at home and abroad, has concluded with the recovery of 82 sexually exploited juveniles and the arrests of 239 pimps and other individuals. Now in its 10th iteration, Operation Cross Country has expanded …
Santa Clara County: Motel sting targets human trafficking and sex exploitation as part of broader sweep
SANTA CLARA — At the end of the night, after a series of encounters that ended with a few citations issued and some stern talks given out, the detective found herself having a heart-to-heart with a young woman fumbling to explain how she ended up in a motel room filled with police. “He doesn’t force me,” the woman said of …