A lock ( The Philadelphia Sunday SUN - P.O. 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 To view information on the trainings our Coalition offers, please see the Training Catalogue. Phone: 215-832-0900. 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. Further, Keel and Felts allegedly had explicit discussions via Facebook Messenger about the commercial sex acts occurring at the residences. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Many girls and women, boys and men are forced or coerced into this lifestyle. Please contact WOAR via the 24-hour Philadelphia Sexual Violence hotline:215-985-3333. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. In addition, they also have other housing programs available to youth who complete their shelter program. Now that there is more transparency, we have to be more honest, Walls said. Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 is beginning a series about human trafficking. Updated 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. WebThe Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Lock Blue Campaign works closely with DHS Components to create general awarenesstrainingand materials for law enforcement and others to increase detection of human trafficking, and to identify victims. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. We get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls have been taken. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. WebTuesday, August 11, 2020. appreciated. Phone: 1-888-373-7888 Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Main Office: 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 This is about helping raise awareness to eradicate human trafficking, Waller said. During the week-long trial, the government proved that the defendant organized, operated and led a sex trafficking venture based in and around Northeast Philadelphia between 2013 and 2015, and in 2018. The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. At least four of the recovered children were connected to child sex trafficking, the marshals service said on Thursday. Justice At Work specializes in providing free legal representation to victims of labor trafficking as well as other communities of workers. 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, 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. 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. At least A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE 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. 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, 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. Many who engage in the paid sex during Super Bowl season are not the typical prostitute street walker. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. Hebrew International Aid Society We cannot use terms like child prostitution. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. 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. Those in the community must also engage in self-examination to ascertain if one is playing a role in the proliferation of this crime against humanity. Smith lived with several of the females who were working for him. Have a question about Government Services? Eight Croatian nationals charged with attempting to traffic children, outside the magistrates court in Ndola, Zambia, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. 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. PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. President Obama said there is a need to do more to fight against the exploitation of human beings for profit. For more information please call the New Day Hotline at 267-838-5866. As many are gathering in front of large flat screen televisions during Super Bowl Sunday surrounded by trays of hors doeuvres, party platters and beer, an underground network will also be working hard. Though local statistics are difficult to come by, the one thing that experts agree on is that girls and young women are its primary victims. 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. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE Free counseling and trauma therapy services offered include individual and group sessions. He recruited young women, including a minor (Minor 1), to work as prostitutes. 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, ksagastume@sccalaw.org, Dana Bernhaut, Child Policy Associate, dbernhaut@sccalaw.org. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS WebCHILD SEX ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING CHILD USA works to create a safer world for children by reforming the statutes of limitation for child sex abuse, working to end child marriage, and the abuse and neglect of athletes. 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. Dawns Place offers a year-long residential program to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Metcalf and Brittany Jones. PCA conducts forensic interviews of the younger victims, and our partners in the Human Trafficking Task Force conduct the interviews for older teens. RALEIGH, N.C. A Maxton man was sentenced today to 252 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for moving kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin from Mexico to Robeson County, North Carolina. An indictment is an accusation. Lock Enslavement of African Americans is rising in the City of Brotherly Love and Sister Affection. WebPhiladelphia Division. Phone: 215-387-9500. CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Officials announced Tuesday th arrest of three people for allegedly trafficking a missing child for prostitution. Have a question about Government Services? The Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova University partners with organizations united against sex trafficking and CSE. Eastern District of Pennsylvania Leah Fletcher, Account Executive. 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. NSC also assists individuals with obtaining long term immigration status, supporting survivors when working with law enforcement and assessing for other legal needs. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 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. A lock ( Folks in need of WOAR services do not require insurance. Dawns Place They pay their airfare, hotel room and everything else. 6:45 PM EDT, Sat March 20, 2021. Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 Eastern District of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Call the hotline if you are a victim or want to help someone you think is a victim: 1-888-373-7888. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. 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. Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child, Eastern District of Pennsylvanias U.S. Attorneys Office Hosts Presentation on Autism-Based Discrimination in Schools, Camps, and Childcare Facilities, One Leader of a Violent Sex Trafficking Gang Sentenced to Life and a Consecutive Ten Years Imprisonment, and a Gang Associate Sentenced to 37 years Imprisonment, Chester County Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Operating Pill Mill Out of Main Line Pain Clinic. Address: 600 Chestnut St., Suite 500B Philadelphia, PA 19106 Earlier this month outgoing President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Anyone who is a victim of child sex trafficking or has A locked padlock Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Sex Trafficking Children in Northeast Philadelphia. Readers will enter into an uncomfortable world that will challenge their sensibilities, sense of safety, and stereotypical notions about the topic. Nationalities Service Center Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov. So, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun is beginning a series about human trafficking. 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. An official website of the United States government. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Rich Walls of North Philadelphia learned much from an all-male workshop held at Enon last year. 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 defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Address: 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia PA 19144. you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: CHILD USA, 3508 MARKET STREET, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL Why? One person who is well aware of this is Ellyn Jo Waller, the first lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, with campuses in Mount Airy and Germantown. Main Office: 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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan. The 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. 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. 215-861-8300. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Discovery Company. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE 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 More are involved than we realize.. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Babb Wilmoth. I am gratified that the defendants are all now off the streets and in custody pending trial on these charges, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The defendants allegedly used their cell phones to post advertisements of the victims on a website which is known to be used for advertising sexual services for a fee, directed the minors to participate in commercial sex acts, and took a portion of the proceeds on each occasion. Justice At Work 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) We, as a society, have to begin facing up to it. WebHuman Trafficking | Philadelphia | Battle4Children Charities You're not a victim for sharing your story. Address: 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Smith operated a prostitution business in Philadelphia between April 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. In a separate Indictment, Ossai is charged with the sex trafficking of a minor in late January 2020. 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 Trained Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocates and supervisory staff provide assistance to victims in crisis through safety planning, emotional support and/or immediate connections to emergency services through our network of trained service provider and law enforcement partners. 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. In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Smith was charged locally and was later charged in a federal indictment. 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