Have a question about Government Services? The seal of the F.B.I. Dawns Place offers a year-long residential program to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. Dawns Place PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. 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. Official websites use .gov 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. 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. 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 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.. appreciated. 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. These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tinicum Township Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, and are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica Kivitz. Official websites use .gov Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Rich Walls of North Philadelphia learned much from an all-male workshop held at Enon last year. Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. Lock Nationalities Service Center provides intensive case management services to support with basic needs, safety planning, acquiring public benefits, and other referrals for physical and mental health providers. 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 A lock ( 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 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. A locked padlock Our resolve remains steadfast in finding other children in peril.. Prior to joining the FBI, I was employed as an Immigration human trafficking, violent crimes against children, and other federal violations. 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. 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. This means the demand for this is modern-day enslavement continues. After a few days they are trafficking them. 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. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 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. 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. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. 3. Our hope is for a better future for the 16 children we recovered, said Eric Gartner, the US marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. A locked padlock We get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls have been taken. 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. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. Fax: 215-733-0876. It is going take the men taking control to reverse this. Apr 1, 2016 Local We cannot use terms like child prostitution. A locked padlock Eastern District of Pennsylvania 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. 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. hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters in Washington. 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. 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. 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. To view a comprehensive listing of agencies across the Greater Philadelphia region servicing trafficking youth, please see the Social Services Directory. Kendall was also charged with both production and distribution of child pornography, and Adams was also charged with tampering with evidence in a federal investigation. According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Smith operated a prostitution business in Philadelphia between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. 215-861-8300. WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. 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. We, as a society, have to begin facing up to it. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Its not just that women have lowered their standards, but that men are the one who see women as lower, too.. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 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. Phone: 1-888-373-7888 Call the hotline if you are a victim or want to help someone you think is a victim: 1-888-373-7888. 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 Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts AACP Philadelphia Branch Update NAACP Philadelphia Branch Tweet Share Pin Email ABOVE PHOTO: President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Tweet Share Pin Email By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO WASHINGTON (AP) Conservative justices holding theSupreme Tweet Share Pin Email By DAN GELSTON PHILADELPHIA (AP) Irv Cross was a man of faith Tweet Share Pin Email Tweet Share Pin Email Related Posts Whats Cookin? EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA We ask anyone with knowledge of child or adult sex trafficking to let us know about it, so we can help. In September 2019, Horne was convicted at trial of three counts of sex trafficking minors by force, fraud or coercion. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Media Contact you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: CHILD USA, 3508 MARKET STREET, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. WebCSEC or Child Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking affects children, too. Eastern District of Pennsylvania The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Metcalf and Brittany Jones. 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. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. An official website of the United States government. Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. On December 8, 2021, Jeremiah Eli Lowery pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 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. The FBIs Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and received significant assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department. A Warner Bros. Kelly Sagastume, Program Manager, Project PROTECT, ksagastume@sccalaw.org, Dana Bernhaut, Child Policy Associate, dbernhaut@sccalaw.org. 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. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Managing Editor Teresa A. Emerson - [emailprotected] We know of 22 locations in the state where this is taking place. When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. Consequently, in order to rescue human trafficking victims, one must know how to identify them, the warning signs, and how to help them. 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. New Day is a multi-faceted program designed to serve survivors of commercial sexual exploitation as well as sex and labor trafficking. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 31, 2013. Working alongside the international community, we have seen significant increases in trafficking prosecution and conviction, and we have made great strides in supporting victims.. All Rights Reserved. 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 Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. He even transported them to other cities and states, determined to keep the money coming in at their expense. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. They are not just the drug user, the wayward runaway teen, or the troubled foster child. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. Many who engage in the paid sex during Super Bowl season are not the typical prostitute street walker. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. A lock ( Main Office: Secure .gov websites use HTTPS ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. He recruited young women, including a minor (Minor 1), to work as prostitutes. Yet many are not aware of it despite the fact more and more are becoming victims of human trafficking. Sixteen children considered critically missing were rescued during a four-week operation that concluded this week, according to the US Marshals Service office in Philadelphia. PCA works in tandem with DHS to connect survivors with the appropriate services. Tipsters can remain anonymous, if they like.. 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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. It also alleges that Smith operated a sex trafficking enterprise at various times over a period of two years from July 2015 to July 2017, during which he used physical threats to force three different young adult victims to have sex for money. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. Have a question about Government Services? 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and received significant assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department cities and,! Agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years this is modern-day enslavement continues get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls been! Information only on official, secure websites sentence of life in prison male or female serve survivors of sexual. 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