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. WebHuman Trafficking | Philadelphia | Battle4Children Charities You're not a victim for sharing your story. So, the Philadelphia Sunday Sun is beginning a series about human trafficking. 2023 Cable News Network. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA WebThey 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 PCA conducts forensic interviews of the younger victims, and our partners in the Human Trafficking Task Force conduct the interviews for older teens. Kelly Sagastume, Program Manager, Project PROTECT, ksagastume@sccalaw.org, Dana Bernhaut, Child Policy Associate, dbernhaut@sccalaw.org. Lock They are not just the drug user, the wayward runaway teen, or the troubled foster child. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL Know that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working every day to put traffickers like Horne behind bars and ensure some justice for their victims. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Discovery Company. New Day is a multi-faceted program designed to serve survivors of commercial sexual exploitation as well as sex and labor trafficking. 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. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Many girls and women, boys and men are forced or coerced into this lifestyle. It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. Anyone who is a victim of child sex trafficking or has Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or go online to tips.fbi.gov. A locked padlock 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. Main Office: Ryan Keel, 39, was charged with conspiracy to sex traffic a minor. 33 missing children found in anti-human trafficking operation in Southern California. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. They educate and provide technical assistance to legislators, policy decision makers, and other stakeholders in order to improve legal responses to 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 Smith was charged locally and was later charged in a federal indictment. Kevin Smith allegedly did just that to three young women and a child. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. The charges against the defendant stem from his operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding regionincluding Bucks and Delaware counties. Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Sex Trafficking Children in Northeast Philadelphia. Have a question about Government Services? 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. Online Tip Reporting. Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 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. LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness are also at WebPhiladelphia Division. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth and you never know To view a comprehensive listing of agencies across the Greater Philadelphia region servicing trafficking youth, please see the Social Services Directory. 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. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE WebPHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kevin Smith, 27, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with sex trafficking by Also according to court documents, Adams and Kendall each coerced the minors into having sex with them on multiple occasions, and Hampton-Devero instructed one of the minor victims to record commercial sex acts on her cell phone for Devero to post online to attract more sex buyers. Box 18869, Philadelphia, PA 19119 - Phone (215) 848-7864 - Fax (215) 848-7893 The Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Working to Restore Adolescent Power (WRAP Court), and related programs serving child victims of human trafficking. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. We ask anyone with knowledge of child or adult sex trafficking to let us know about it, so we can help. Those who so victimize vulnerable kids do untold physical and emotional harm. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 You can also TEXT HELP to BeFree (233733). WebSixteen children considered critically missing were rescued during a four-week operation that concluded this week, according to the US Marshals Service office in Philadelphia. All Rights Reserved. PCA works in tandem with DHS to connect survivors with the appropriate services. An official website of the United States government. The actual statistics for human trafficking victims from neighborhoods like North, West or South Philadelphia or Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods like Germantown and Mount Airy is difficult to track. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. Apple Tea Whats Cookin? An official website of the United States government. 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. Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. A locked padlock Earlier this month outgoing President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Thats why there has to be an entire paradigm shift.The average girls who enters this is about 13.. Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. PHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kevin Smith, 27, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with sex trafficking by force and sex trafficking a minor. WebYoung women and girls are the most at-risk of trafficking, although boys are also trafficked and are less likely to ask for help. 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. CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Officials announced Tuesday th arrest of three people for allegedly trafficking a missing child for prostitution. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Call the hotline if you are a victim or want to help someone you think is a victim: 1-888-373-7888. 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. A lock ( Rich Walls of North Philadelphia learned much from an all-male workshop held at Enon last year. When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. At least four of the recovered children were connected to child sex trafficking, the marshals service said on Thursday. Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Address: 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 Official websites use .gov Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 In addition, they also have other housing programs available to youth who complete their shelter program. 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 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. WebCSEC or Child Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking affects children, too. At least Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Eight Croatian nationals charged with attempting to traffic children, outside the magistrates court in Ndola, Zambia, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Enslavement of African Americans is rising in the City of Brotherly Love and Sister Affection. For more information please call the New Day Hotline at 267-838-5866. He has no regard for the law -- or even basic human decency -- as evidenced by his willingness to sell the bodies of children for sex to benefit himself. 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. A lock ( This investigation was 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. To view information on the trainings our Coalition offers, please see the Training Catalogue. WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. Further, Keel and Felts allegedly had explicit discussions via Facebook Messenger about the commercial sex acts occurring at the residences. 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. 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. Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street According to public filings, Ossai trafficked one minor, took her to a lingerie store where he picked out lingerie for her, posted an advertisement of her on a website used to advertise sexual services for a fee, and harbored her in a hotel room in Lester, PA. As charged, Ossai drove the minor victim to a housing project in Philadelphia for her to engage in a commercial sex act, and he attempted to have sex with her himself. 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