An official website of the United States government. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. 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. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL A locked padlock 2. 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. The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Metcalf and Brittany Jones. Official websites use .gov A Philadelphia man is accused of trafficking four victims, one of whom was a minor, in Bucks County and surrounding areas, according to federal authorities. A Warner Bros. Lock A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Deputy US marshals assigned to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force led the operation along with personnel from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, Bucks County Children Youth Services, the Philadelphia Police Departments Human Trafficking Unit, and the FBI. Apple Tea Whats Cookin? Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. Now that there is more transparency, we have to be more honest, Walls said. According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Smith operated a prostitution business in Philadelphia between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 Consequently, in order to rescue human trafficking victims, one must know how to identify them, the warning signs, and how to help them. Phone: 215-893-8400 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. Andre Michael Felts, aka Dre and Plug, 32, and Kevin Michael Francis, aka Kev, 60, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to sex traffic a minor and four counts of sex trafficking a minor. Thats why there has to be an entire paradigm shift.The average girls who enters this is about 13.. Covenant House is a youth shelter in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: CHILD USA, 3508 MARKET STREET, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. Finally, what is the paradigm shift that must occur in society to finally obliterate human trafficking? Justice At Work After the workshop he, like the other men present, needed to change how they looked at girls and women as sex objects first and as their spiritual sister secondarily. To view a comprehensive listing of agencies across the Greater Philadelphia region servicing trafficking youth, please see the Social Services Directory. LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness are also at ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. FOX 29 Philadelphia. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. They 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 street. Main Office: 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. WebPhiladelphia Police are launching a special task force to battle the growing problem of Human Traffickers preying on children in Philadelphia, CBS has learned. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Phone: 215-387-9500. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA The crimes alleged in these Indictments will have a devastating and long-lasting impact on these minor victims, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Hebrew International Aid Society When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. They may be lured thinking that someone is helping them find a job. WebYoung women and girls are the most at-risk of trafficking, although boys are also trafficked and are less likely to ask for help. A lock ( WebHuman Trafficking Task Forces are a coalition of victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, community members, courts and other parties working to combat human Have a question about Government Services? appreciated. This is about helping raise awareness to eradicate human trafficking, Waller said. WOARs Sex Trafficking Advocacy and Response Team also assists with crisis support, sex trafficking assessment, prevention/education, and advocacy. Lock Blue Campaigns educational awareness objectives consists of two foundational elements, prevention of human trafficking and protection of exploited persons. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 215-861-8300. For more information please call the New Day Hotline at 267-838-5866. Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Sex Trafficking Children in Northeast Philadelphia. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. When you hear the testimony of those who have been victimized, men have to be honest. UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, EASTERN DISTRICTof PENNSYLVANIA Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 PATTY HARTMAN, Media Contact, 215-861-8525, Eastern District of Pennsylvania Email 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. It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov. 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124, 2023 All rights reserved. WebTrafficking PCA believes strongly that understanding and responding to the needs of commercially sexually exploited youth in Philadelphia is critical, and we are committed to Make no mistake, the Philadelphia Child Exploitation Task Force is working each and every day to lock up sex traffickers and other predators preying on innocent children., This investigation is 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. WebUnited 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 3. He also reiterated that the United States, including cities like Philadelphia, must continue this as part of the fight for human rights. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Philadelphia Children's Alliance. New Day is a multi-faceted program designed to serve survivors of commercial sexual exploitation as well as sex and labor trafficking. WebAdding a category of perpetrator to include: an individual 18 years of age or older who engages a child in severe forms of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking, as those terms are defined under section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. In 2017, Horne was convicted of similar offenses in Bucks County, PA. Horne committed these heinous acts while on parole for doing the exact same thing, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. Lock 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. Yet many are not aware of it despite the fact more and more are becoming victims of human trafficking. The dates would take place at the home that Smith leased and the females gave 100 percent of their cash earnings to Smith. New Day consists of community case managers in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, the New Day Drop In Center on Kensington Ave., a Police Assisted Diversion Program, and New Day New Home, our transitional home for female identifying survivors ages 18+ located at a confidential address in Montgomery County. Enons A Day In The Life Conference Uses The Victims Voice To Talk About Human Trafficking, Enon Tabernacle holds human trafficking walk/run Oct. 3, Biden declares Kyiv stands in surprise visit to Ukraine, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Former Philadelphia Eagle, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE, Queen Latifah will host the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25 in Pasadena CA. The Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova University partners with organizations united against sex trafficking and CSE. WebThe 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 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. The church has a ministry that addresses trafficking in the Philadelphia area. A locked padlock Address: 990 Spring Garden Street, Suite 300,Philadelphia, PA 19123 The Indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young girls, including one who was only fifteen years old, to engage in commercial sex acts; harbored the victims at various residences for that purpose; transported and provided the victims to males who purchased the commercial sex acts; and collected a portion of the proceeds. We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. As part of the scheme, the defendant recruited, enticed and maintained three minor children, one of whom was as young as 13 years old, to engage in commercial sexual encounters. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. A lock ( Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. While PCA does not conduct every forensic interview of these child victims, we work closely with police and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to make sure that every child still has access to the full constellation of services including medical and mental health treatment. Children cannot sell sex even in places where prostitution is legal. NSC also assists individuals with obtaining long term immigration status, supporting survivors when working with law enforcement and assessing for other legal needs. Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] PCA conducts forensic interviews of the younger victims, and our partners in the Human Trafficking Task Force conduct the interviews for older teens. A subsequent forensic examination of Smiths laptop computer revealed two sexually explicit images of Minor 1, both of which were taken prior to her 18th birthday. Kelly Sagastume, Program Manager, Project PROTECT, [email protected], Dana Bernhaut, Child Policy Associate, [email protected]. The indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young females, including minors, to engage in commercial sex acts; harbored the victims at various residences for that purpose; transported and provided the victims to males who purchased the commercial sex acts; and collected a portion of the proceeds. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. After a few days they are trafficking them. Official websites use .gov Media Contact Dubbed Operation Safeguard, the initiative began on February 15 when a US Marshals Service task force took over 26 missing children cases at the request of other law enforcement agencies. Healthy Minds Philly is an initiative of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, City of Philadelphia, 24-HOUR NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE |, National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), The Salvation Armys New Day to Stop Trafficking Program, Blue Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL Dawns Place 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. Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street He admitted that he had to examine himself as to whether he lusted after young women young enough to be his daughter. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Its a hard statistic, but 1 in 6 children reported missing in the U.S. are likely victims of child sex trafficking, one of Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Main Office: WebThe Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Lock WebHuman Trafficking | Philadelphia | Battle4Children Charities You're not a victim for sharing your story. 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 WebPhiladelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child. Working alongside the international community, we have seen significant increases in trafficking prosecution and conviction, and we have made great strides in supporting victims.. 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. WOAR, Philadelphias only rape crisis center, provides free counseling and trauma therapy services to child, teen, and adult survivors of sexual violence, including survivors of sex trafficking. Nationalities Service Center Call the hotline if you are a victim or want to help someone you think is a victim: 1-888-373-7888. Commercial Sexual Exploitation Institute Yet without those who purchase the services of modern day slaves, like any market, it would dry up. This ongoing series will address this and more. The crimes Smith is accused of committing are some of the most devastating to victims that our office prosecutes, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. The allegations against these three men are vile and disturbing. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara Solow and Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Department of Justice Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). 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. Official, secure websites assessing for other legal needs the.gov website.: CHILD USA, MARKET! 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