What’s in a word?

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me,” can be traced back to The Christian Recorder, March 1862. It was once used as an “uplifting” avenue to fight back against bullies. A lot can change in 150 plus years. Words are the way in which we, as a society, communicate and define subject matter. Words are used to define who we are.

For instance, if I were to tell you a story about a 12-year-old girl who was a “child prostitute” versus telling you a story about a 12-year-old girl who’d been commercially sexually exploited, your idea about this 12-year-old would change from a “girl gone wrong” to a true victim. Which brings me to my point. Merriam-Webster, the number one trusted source of definition for American English, defines the word pimp as “a man who solicits clients for a prostitute.”

Nothing could be further from the true definition of this word. Let’s begin with the fact that in today’s society a pimp can be male or female. In regard to “soliciting clients for a prostitute,” pimps are people who first solicit girls, women and boys by using manipulation and grooming and then use fear and coercion to force these victims to perform sexual acts on “customers/victimizers”. These are the same tactics that pedophiles use on their chosen victims.

A woman from New Jersey, named Danielle D., is working to change how we understand what a pimp truly is. A victim of human trafficking, Danielle knows full well precisely what a pimp is and is asking that Merriam-Webster update their definition of the word pimp to fall in line with its true meaning. Human Trafficking is a crime that occurs right here in the United States. Despite a good amount of media attention focused upon this heinous crime, many Americans don’t understand the true nature of human trafficking.

In order to better understand our society we must have a true and correct definition for the words that we use to convey information. Danielle has started a petition on Change.org and is asking for a very simple request from Merriam Webster’s. For more information about this particular petition, visit Change.org at “Merriam-Webster: Change the Definition of"pimp" to a realistic definition.”

Catapult Crowdfunding for Global Women’s Empowerment

Similar to the crowdfunding model of Kickstarter.com, Catapult.org launched in September 2012 with the objective of addressing the vast problems that females, around the globe, face. Issues like maternal mortality in Sierra Leone, Haitian women dying from treatable diseases, and an almost 80 percent illiteracy rate for Afghani girls.

Although an organization in its infancy, Catapult has already garnered the backing and partnership of some highly trusted organizations such as UNICEF, GEMS and Water.org, to name a few, as well as the likes of Beyoncé, Melinda Gates and Salma Hayek. Just as with Kickstarter, projects are posted and the funding begins. The concept is simple and an effective avenue to get funds where they are needed. Check out the List section for examples of Catapult projects.

Projects run the gamut of issues from child brides to FGM and human trafficking to reproductive rights. It’s a big world with a lot of gender parity problems to solve. Fortunately getting involved toward working on solutions is rather straightforward. To begin, users can browse by issues of interest under “Find a Project” or search a specific area on the map. Once you find a project of interest, you can see exactly what your donation will go toward and where the project currently stands. For more information about Catapult visit catapult.org.

Protect Your Kids on Social Networking Sites

Talk to your kids about the dangers of being sexually exploited online and offline.

Make sure your kids’ privacy settings are high, but also keep in mind that information can inadvertently be leaked by friends and family…so kids should still be careful about posting certain information about themselves—like street address, phone number, Social Security number, etc.

Be aware of who your kids’ online friends are, and advise them to accept friend requests only from people they know personally.

Know that teens are not always honest about what they are doing online. Some will let their parents “friend” them, for example, but will then establish another space online that is hidden from their parents.

Teens sometimes employ an “Internet language” to use when parents are nearby. For example:

- PAW or PRW: Parents are watching

- PIR: Parents in room

- POS: Parent over shoulder

- LMIRL: Let’s meet in real life

Source: FBI

Virginia Gang Leader Sentenced to 40 Years for Leading Juvenile Sex Trafficking Ring

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Justin Strom, aka “Jae,” “Jae Dee,” or “J-Dirt,” 27, of Lorton, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve 40 years in prison for leading a gang-controlled prostitution business that recruited and trafficked high school girls over a five- to six-year period. One of Strom’s associates, Henock Ghile, 23, of Springfield, Virginia, also was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for serving as a driver in the sex trafficking enterprise. In total, five gang members or associates have been convicted of sex trafficking juveniles in connection with this case.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General of Virginia; Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Strom was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris. Ghile was sentenced separately by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

“Justin Strom was the undisputed leader of a juvenile sex trafficking ring that spanned nearly six years,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “He saw these young girls as commodities and used fraud, flattery, and force to lure them into the depraved world of child prostitution. Today’s sentence is both severe and appropriate. No sentence can undo the trauma endured by these girls, but we hope this sentence will help save others by driving would-be traffickers out of the child sex trafficking business.”

“Justin Strom created a waking nightmare for these girls. He exploited them through the sale of their bodies and robbed them of their childhood,” said Attorney General Cuccinelli. “Though nothing can erase the horror and hurt the girls and their families have suffered, it is our hope that today’s sentencing will help them find a sense of peace as they begin a difficult journey towards healing.”

“Cases such as this one bring to light the disturbing tactics used by gang members to intimidate and coerce young girls into prostitution,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin. “Today’s sentences should send the message to all child predators that we will not rest until you are stopped and justice is served.”

According to court records, Strom was a leader of the Underground Gangster Crips (UGC), a Crips “set” based in Fairfax County, Virginia. From 2006 to March 2012, Strom masterminded a gang-controlled sex trafficking operation that prostituted at least eight girls aged 16 or 17, along with adult females, in northern Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. UGC’s recruitment efforts were multifaceted: UGC enticed juveniles and adults online through social media websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Datehookup; in person at Metro stations and bus stops; and in area high schools and a local juvenile detention center. When encountering potential victims, members of the enterprise told recruits that they looked pretty and could use their good looks to earn money. Once the victims were ensnared by the enterprise, UGC members and associates groomed new recruits into commercial prostitution, beginning with a “demo” or “tryout” in which the victim was persuaded or manipulated into engaging in sex with one or more members of the enterprise. Then, either Strom or an experienced female participant in the scheme (often referred to as the “Head B***h (expletive deleted) in Charge” or “HBIC”) would explain the gang’s rules and procedures, sometimes allowing the recruits to “watch and learn” as the HBIC or another female engaged in sex acts for money.

After the victims were initiated into the scheme, Strom and his associates would purchase condoms at local pharmacies and convenience stores, provide the victims with drugs and alcohol and drive them to neighborhoods in Alexandria, Springfield, and Arlington, Virginia. Once there, the victims were instructed to walk through apartment buildings and townhouse complexes, going door-to-door to solicit customers while accompanied by a male bodyguard from the gang, with Strom and others waiting in a car nearby. As part of the operation, the victims were instructed to find apartments with multiple males inside to minimize walking in the open and to maximize profit. Strom and members of the conspiracy also advertised their victims through online sites such as Craigslist.org and Backpage.com and solicited customers for “in-call” prostitution services that were provided in the basement of Strom’s townhome in Lorton. The going rate for sex with an underage girl typically was $30-$40 for 15 minutes of sex, and each victim often had sex with multiple men in one night—usually about 5-10 customers—and over the course of multiple weekdays or weekends, including as much as seven days a week.

The evidence also showed that methods of force, fraud, and coercion were pervasively used by Strom and his associates to recruit and maintain control over their victims, both in overt and subtle ways. Strom, for example, took the lead role in concocting fake profiles on Facebook.com in female names such as “Rain Smith,” “Mimi Jackson,” and “Aaliyah Marie,” using those profiles to send hundreds of messages recruiting potential victims. Some victims were told that they would only be involved in dancing, stripping, or escorting, rather than sex, and the co-conspirators further enhanced the bait-and-switch by sometimes providing only a fraction of the proceeds initially promised to victims. In addition, members of the enterprise invoked the gang to intimidate or coerce the victims into sexual activity, and they also regularly plied the victims with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, PCP, ecstasy, and marijuana, in order to reward the victims and keep them sedated or compliant. Strom, moreover, personally enforced his will through a mix of manipulation, intimidation, and, where necessary, force—including chokings, beatings, and rape.

In addition to Strom’s sentencing, Henock Ghile was sentenced today for his role in the prostitution enterprise. Ghile was an associate of UGC and served as a driver in the operation, transporting two 17-year-old girls to engage in commercial sex acts between May and September 2011.

As a result of this investigation and prosecution, a total of five UGC members or associates have been convicted of sex trafficking juveniles in connection with this case. Michael Tavon Jefferies, aka “Loc,” was sentenced on July 6, 2012, to 120 months in prison for serving as a bodyguard and driver in the enterprise. Donyel Dove, aka “Bleek,” was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2012, to 276 months in prison for his role in the prostitution enterprise and on other charges. Christopher Sylvia was sentenced on Aug. 17, 2012, to 120 months in prison for his role in the enterprise.

This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which participate in the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum and Assistant U.S. Attorney Inayat Delawala are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—along with nongovernmental organizations—dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. From fiscal year 2011 to the present, 36 defendants have been prosecuted in 20 cases in the Eastern District of Virginia for human trafficking and trafficking-related conduct involving at least 28 victims. Eleven of those defendants were gang members or associates prosecuted for sex trafficking juveniles in northern Virginia, with sentences imposed ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

Source: FBI

Leader of Crips Gang Pleads Guilty in Virginia to Prostituting Eight Juveniles

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Justin Strom, aka “Jae,” “Jae Dee,” or “J-Dirt,” 26, of Lorton, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to recruiting at least eight juvenile girls to engage in commercial sex for his street gang’s prostitution business.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General of Virginia; Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County, Virginia Chief of Police; and Ronald T. Hosko, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris.

“For six years, Justin Strom profited from preying on teenage girls and others he recruited as prostitutes in a commercial sex ring,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Strom is the fifth and final Underground Gangster Crips gang member to plead guilty to sex trafficking a juvenile—a very serious crime that carries a potential life sentence.”

“Justin Strom robbed these girls of their childhoods, their innocence, and their trust, and he did that in the most base, vile, and despicable way possible,” said Attorney General Cuccinelli. “Nothing can ever repair the damages Strom inflicted on his victims, but it’s our hope that today’s guilty plea will help them begin a path towards healing and moving forward.”

“Today, a fifth member of the Underground Gangster Crips pleaded guilty to strong-arming and pimping underage girls in the illegal sex trade—a trade that is taking place here in some of the most affluent neighborhoods in our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Hosko. “These gang members admitted that they beat and intimidated young girls they met on the Internet or in Metro stops in our area. They preyed on some of the most vulnerable in our society, and today Justin Strom admitted to these crimes.”

“This gang-driven prostitution ring was a direct threat to the safety and welfare of young women,” said Chief Rohrer. “With the help of our federal partners, we will continue to work aggressively and consistently to rid Fairfax County of gang violence and criminal operations wherever and whenever we find it.”

Strom pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2012.

According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement and other court records, Strom is a member of the Underground Gangster Crips (UGC) set based in Fairfax County. From 2006 through March 2012, Strom misrepresented his identity online to recruit females—including juveniles—through online social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Datehookup and enticed the girls to use their good looks to earn money through prostitution. He and others posted numerous advertisements on Backpage, Craigslist, and other websites to solicit customers to pay to have sex with juvenile and adult prostitutes.

Strom admitted that he knowingly enticed at least eight juvenile girls to engage in prostitution for his business and that he received proceeds from this illicit conduct for approximately six years.

On March 28, 2012, Strom was among five members and associates of the UGC set based in Fairfax County charged with running a prostitution business that recruited and trafficked high school girls. Four previously pleaded guilty, and Strom’s guilty plea today marks the fifth and final conviction in this case.

Donyel Pier Dove, aka “Bleek,” 27, of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty on May 17, 2012 to sex trafficking of a juvenile. He also pleaded guilty to use of a firearm during a crime of violence in relation to two armed robberies of 7-11 stores in Manassas, Virginia, in March 2012 and to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Fairfax, which also occurred in March 2012. Dove faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of life on the use of a firearm charge and a maximum of 10 years in prison on the possession of a firearm charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2012 by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

On May 14, 2012, Henock Ghile, aka “Knots,” 23, of Springfield, Virginia, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a juvenile. In court, Ghile admitted that he was a UGC gang associate and that from May 2011 through September 2011, he transported two 17-year-old girls to work as prostitutes. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 3, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

On April 14, 2012, two others associated with the UGC prostitution operation—Michael Tavon Jefferies, aka “Loc,” 21, of Woodbridge, Virginia; and Christopher Sylvia, 23, of Springfield, Virginia—pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a juvenile. Jefferies is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Sylvia is scheduled for sentencing on July 20, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force. Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Birnbaum and Assistant U.S. Attorney Inayat Delawala are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies—along with non-governmental organizations—dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes.

Source: FBI

Pennsylvania: Human Trafficking Destination State

For many Pennsylvania residents the thought regarding Human Trafficking is that it doesn’t happen here or that it only happens to foreign nationals that have illegally entered into the United States or that Human Trafficking is a “big city” problem. Referencing the April 5th “prostitution bust” of the White Rose Spa, located at 150 S. Duke Street in York, one can easily access that the aforementioned are huge misconceptions about Human Trafficking.

Pennsylvania 2010 Advocate’s Brief Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation produced by the Polaris Project shares some sobering facts.

In addition to the commercial front businesses such as massage parlors, nail salons, agricultural operations, and hotels or motels that human traffickers utilize, Pennsylvania is also a “pass through” state due to the many interstate highways that connect major trafficking hotspots in Ohio, New Jersey, and New York. Furthermore, the I-95 corridor is utilized to move victims along the Eastern Seaboard from New York to Maryland, Washington, D.C., Georgia and Florida. Many truck stops, especially those along the “Miracle Mile” are known for playing host to sex trafficking.

In 2006 the Pennsylvania legislature made human trafficking a second-degree felony, unless the perpetrator injures the victim or the victim is under 18, in which case it is a first-degree felony. In addition, traffickers will face forfeiture of any assets associated with the crime potentially providing the state with tens of thousands of dollars. However, since enactment, the state has yet to utilize the law. This is likely due to:

• A common misconception that only the federal government can take effective action in cases of Human Trafficking, when in truth, more often it is local and state law enforcement and victim service providers who come into direct contact with it.
• Victims of trafficking are usually kept isolated from society and are often seen as prostitutes who choose to be “in the life” or as “illegals” whom society may disregard.
• Lack of knowledge or training of law enforcement and community members on how to identify and respond to human trafficking cases.
• A lack of coordination between law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers and the public on Human Trafficking cases, training, action plans, and victim resources; and no centralized venue to convey information on responding to the crime of human trafficking.

Logic deems that if Pennsylvania introduced Human Trafficking laws five years ago, Human Trafficking was occurring in our state long before then and although the report states that Pennsylvania has yet to utilize laws it also points to the roadblocks. Fortunately, several citizens in public office have stepped forward to bust the roadblocks. Senators Daylin Leach, Pat Vance, and Stewart Greenleaf, Representatives Brian Ellis and Katie True, have all worked toward implementing actions to overcome the current problems.

A brief description of what’s on the table is:

1. Proposed change to very simple but extremely important language in the current PA Human Trafficking law. As it currently reads, “trafficking for labor or services” and does not spell out “trafficking for commercial sex”.
2. The removal of prostitution convictions from a victim’s record.
3. Mandatory posting of the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888). The NHTRC hotline would be strategically posted in truck stops, bus stations, rest stops, and known sex or labor trafficking venues such as hotels/motels, strip clubs, and agricultural facilities.
4. Creation of the PA State Human Trafficking Task Force / Advisory Committee: This important resolution will establish the Pennsylvania Human Trafficking Advisory Committee, consisting of key personnel, organizations and agencies to develop and implement a plan to end trafficking in Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately none of this is going to happen without our help. Contacting your legislators in person, by phone and by email is the best way to ensure that human trafficking is recognized as a serious crime and that legislators take steps to address it.

1. Determine who your legislators are by going to: www.legis.state.pa.us, and enter your zip code in the far right box.
2. Please call your legislators (you will likely talk to a staff member) and urge them to cosponsor the Anti-Human Trafficking legislation above. Note that there will not be a number for the bill until after it is introduced. Here is an example of what you can say, but please personalize your message: “Hi, my name is [ ], and I am a constituent of [ ]. I am calling to urge [ ] to cosponsor legislation to help end human trafficking in Pennsylvania. The first requires posting of the National Human Trafficking Hotline by certain establishments, and the second is a resolution to establish the Pennsylvania Human Trafficking Advisory Committee. Will the Senator/Representative support and cosponsor this important legislation?”
3. If your legislators would like more information or wish to cosponsor, ask them to contact the sponsors (Hotline Bill: Senator Leach or Vance; Task Force Bill: Senator Greenleaf or Representative True).
4. After you make your call, please follow up with a short email to thank them for their time and restate your message of what you would like them to do.
5. Lastly, please urge everyone you know to make the same call!

Sources: The Polaris Project, wcmontco.org

Human trafficking in the United States

Human trafficking and the sex slave trade have been associated with underdeveloped and overpopulated countries for years. Contrary to a common belief, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked to the United States for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. An unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country primarily for sexual servitude and, to a lesser extent, forced labor. Many Americans would be surprised to discover that modern-day slavery occurs here in the United States. Furthermore modern-day slavery and the sex trade in the United States has become a $28 billion dollar industry, rivaling drug trafficking.

One woman who is stepping forward to call attention to and take action against the human trafficking problem in Houston, Texas is Linda Geffin. Ms. Geffin is chief of the Harris County Attorney’s Special Prosecution Unit. Geffen states, "Houston serves as a destination for victims of trafficking forced into commercial sex, as well as a training ground where women and girls are shipped to other destinations throughout the U.S. and that 30 percent of calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline come from Texas.

Currently all eyes are on Texas because of this week’s Super Bowl which is expected to draw plenty of sex workers. This makes a good platform to bring attention to the reality of modern-day slavery but to be clear, human trafficking and the sex slave trade are far from exclusive to the state of Texas. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some U.S. territories.

Who are the human beings that are kidnapped and forced to work as slaves and where do they come from? This answer may be somewhat surprising. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. Although many of the young women and children (both girls and boys) are brought to the United States from underdeveloped countries, just as many of the girls and boys are U.S. citizens, born and raised on U.S. soil. Many of the U.S. children are runaways. As for the children brought to the United States from other countries, they are promised legitimate jobs and a better life for their families and themselves.

An organization that is fighting modern slavery in the United States is the Polaris Project. Named after the North Star that guided slaves towards freedom along the Underground Railroad. The Polaris Project has been combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery since 2002. The organization serves both U.S. citizens and foreign national victims, including men, women, and children. Anyone can call their hotline free and anonymously to give a tip or to receive help at (888) 373-7888. If you wish to learn about how you can get involved with the Polaris Project, please visit their website by clicking here.