700 arrests across country as FBI rescues children from sex trade

[maddezmom]

Source: The Guardian

The FBI says it rescued 52 children, one just 10 years old, from prostitution rings during nationwide raids that led to nearly 700 arrests. There were arrests in 36 cities after a surveillance operation of children sold for sex on the internet, on streets, in casinos and at truck stops.

Among those detained were 60 pimps, who face lengthy prison sentences for child trafficking. About 1,600 officers were involved in the three day operation.

"It is repugnant that children in these times could be subjected to the great pain, suffering and indignity of being forced into sexual slavery for someone else's profit," said the assistant attorney general, Lanny Breuer. "The scourge of child prostitution still exists on the streets of our cities."

Most of the children rescued during the operation – known as Cross Country IV – were teenage girls.

The investigation is part of the "innocence lost" national initiative launched six years ago to combat child sex trafficking.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/27/fbi-rescues-children-from-sextrade

[krispos42]

1. Yay!

Toss the pigs in prison, get the kids in counseling!

:woohoo:

[proteus_lives]

2. Go FBI!

I hope this good work continues.

[Skittles]

3. KUDOS TO THE FBI

:thumbsup:

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. It's amazing what good things can happen

when the FBI does what it is supposed to be doing, instead of surveilling peace marches and anti-war groups.

[Igel]

18. There have been a couple large-scale busts like this.

You have to wonder.

This one was an investigation that went on for something like 6 years. The previous one--involving Mexican drug cartels--had gone on for 4 years.

I don't know if it's Holder et al. simply saying, "Okay, that's long enough, we've gotten everybody we're going to" or if they're saying, "Look, we need to make the front page, what've we got that makes us look good we need to do now--I don't care if we get the big guys or not."

It was specifically pointed out for the drug cartel busts that they only got a few middlemen and the rest were low-level guys, whether here or in Mexico.

There's a third option, too. "We want to use these resources elsewhere--for different purposes or to hire different people--and while you're doing these investigations the resources are tied up. Change of priorities, but we can't just drop them with nothing to show."

[forum slut]

4. It's hard to believe that this shit is happening in America. WTF is wrong with these people? nt

[shadowknows69]

5. Props to the Bureau!

Why isn't this front page US news yet?

[livetohike]

6. Imagining all of the families who have an answer to what

happened to their child....way to go F.B.I. :-)

[Lerkfish]

7. over 20 years ago, I was taking a cab late at night

and the cabbie says, if you're lonely, I know a 11 year old that could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.

I''m ashamed to admit I was so shocked (of course I said no, thanks) I failed to think properly (of course, I'd been drinking, this was before I quit drinking), that I didn't really consider the gravity of what he was suggesting until he had driven away in the night, and I had no way to id the cab. Ever since then, I've been saddened to think that this was something so easy to access.
Every once in a while I think about this poor girl and others like her, and it saddens me for the human race.

[katkat]

9. logs

I think cabs are supposed to keep logs of their trips and file them with the cab company. Maybe not.

[Lerkfish]

10. well, this was over twenty years ago and I didn't know about logs back then

of course, now, with CSI and Law and Order and similar I would have thought of that immediately. back then I just thought, damn, I didn't get the cab number.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. It's as appalling to me that he'd advertise to you so openly...

...assuming you'd be interested. How many people gave him money? That poor child...

[joshcryer]

37. Hey, it could've been a ruse. "Cool, how much?" "$50, I'll take you to her." "OK here." "Perv!...

...I'll keep your money now!"

[madmax]

42. We were all naive about that sort of thing

20 years ago. Except for my Mom. She was always watching and asking me questions. As I got older I thought she was a bit paranoid and well, you know what kids think of their parents when they're kids. The older I got, the smarter she got. I miss the her.

[newspeak]

45. it was over twenty years ago

when I watched the Phil Donahue show and he had an ex-con child porn guy on there who was now working for the police. I'll never forget what he said, since I had small children at the time. He said that in the child sex trade a person could get any child from anywhere around the world. That people you think you can trust or are influential could be pedophiles. He said that he knew judges, law enforcement, clergy who were pedophiles. It scared the crap out of me at that time thinking about it. At that time not everyone was talking about the child sex trade as they are today--I believe Phil Donahue offered a great service discussing and exposing social problems at the time, that others refused to discuss.

[Vidar]

8. Good to see the FBI do something worthwhile for a change.

[ThomCat]

40. Yup. Instead of spying on vegetarians and peace activists,

or harassing people on reservations, or wasting vast amounts of time and money on the endless war on marijuana, it is nice to see them actually doing some real law enforcement work for a change against real criminals who are really harming people.

How much better could this country be if the FBI spent more of their time doing real law enforcement work like this?

[Le Taz Hot]

11. As despicable as the pimps are, there wouldn't be a trade

if there wasn't a market. THAT is what turns my stomach.

[tonysam]

46. That's why the johns and the pimps need to be arrested, locked up,

and have their names made public.

Sweden, I believe, attacks prostitution from the demand side instead of the supply side. Because johns and pimps are the targets, the rate of prostitution has gone way down.

People who exploit others need to pay dearly for violating their rights; in this case robbing prostitutes of their dignity by using them as sperm receptacles.

[PassingFair]

12. These teen-age sex workers were just emowering themselves!

What a bunch of Puritans!

:sarcasm:

[Scout]

16. yup, they CHOSE to be fuckholes 'cuz the money is good :sarcasm: n/t

[joshcryer]

17. How is this possible? Not *one case* of forced sex slavery was found in the UK!

Clearly the FBI is corrupt!

edit: :sarcasm: (and I think this is actually a case of the FBI getting it right)

[AlphaCentauri]

21. Since someone else mention that adult prostitution is legal in the UK

I guess in Nevada there are not many sex slavery cases to uncover

[tonysam]

23. Las Vegas is one of the top areas in the world for sex trafficking

Prostitutes in the legal brothels live in virtually slave-like conditions.

Thanks to the likes of Phil Donahue in the 1970s, who glamorized pimps like tax evader Joe Conforte, people believe the horseshit prostitution is a "victimless" crime, part of "alternate lifestyles."

The vast majority of the women want to get out of these legal brothels, but they have so few options.

[AlphaCentauri]

25. I don't know why they have so few options

there are women who prefer to wash dishes in a restaurant rather than prostitute them selves. Is it hard for a Nevada prostitute to wash dishes?

[joshcryer]

29. Dude, we're talking about kids. "11 year old Sally, take off your clothes..."

vs "21 year old woman who has been (hopefully) educated, had life experiences, and hopefully little indoctrination, who choses under their own free will to have a mutually beneficial sexual relationship with another person."

Kids can't do shit in a situation where a parent or guardian is telling them to get naked and do sick shit under whatever psycho explanation that they give them. To them such behavior is "normal" even though under any definition of the word it is outright slavery.

[AlphaCentauri]

44. There is people who doesn't understand the difference

between child prostitution and adult prostitution even if they see it frequently in their favor porn movies.

[joshcryer]

30. "legal brothels" = "slave like conditions"? I may be as anti-capitalist as they come but I...

...wouldn't go that far. I mean I think *all* forms of compulsory labor are akin to slavery, but we won't go there in this thread about children undoubtedly being coerced and forced to commit sex acts for profit.

[ThomCat]

41. That was an actual description from articles about the legal

sex trade that interviewed the women. They live in barracks that they are not allowed to leave, work in horrible conditions. They have legally mandated "panic buttons" to protect them from violent clients, but often they aren't even hooked up so they will never work.

If some of the women describe it as slave like conditions, and the descriptions they gave I'm not going to argue with them. :shrug:

[joshcryer]

31. dupe

dupe

[joshcryer]

28. Easy enough to find 'em. My main problem is *child* sex slavery, not prostitution (do what you want)

Here's one link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341534,00.html

Report itself: http://www.sharedhope.org/dmst/las_vegas.asp

Shared Hope Int. is run by a Republican, so you might dismiss it, but I see nothing wrong with their methodology.

[tonysam]

32. I have this book about legal prostitution in Nevada

Prostitution and Trafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections

The conditions she describes in the legal brothels is accurate. I knew of at least one person who "worked" in those places. It is absolutely horrible.

There is no excuse for prostitution, legal or illegal, regardless of the age of the prostitute. It is NOT "choice" to be nothing but a garbage can for semen.

[joshcryer]

33. I am well aware of Melissa Farley's work, however, comparing adult legal brothels to child sex trade

...is really diminishing the problem of child sex slavery. I actually agree with Melissa Farley in principle but from an anti-wage slavery point of view.

[tonysam]

34. Not really. It's all part of a continuum.

In the end it's all about exploitation of people.

[joshcryer]

36. I'd say that about *any* monetarily oriented market forced social mechanism.

;)

[mrbarber]

13. Throw the fuckers in prison..

and let them rot.

[retired af major]

14. what about political events? any comment?

... "Pimp-controlled commercial sexual exploitation of children is linked to escort and massage services, private dancing, drinking and photographic clubs, major sporting and recreational events, major cultural events, conventions, and tourist destinations," the department says." ...

Wonders if one of the cities was D.C.

[tonysam]

19. But, but, but

prostitution is a "victimless" crime; it's a "career" choice.

The FBI should leave these independent contractors alone.

:sarcasm:

[AlphaCentauri]

20. Here we go the puritans will start to compare pedophilia with adult consented prostitution

GREAT JOB FBI!!!!! hope to see more of this raids

[tonysam]

22. It has nothing to do with being puritan.

Prostitution is a human rights violation, regardless of age. Period.

[AlphaCentauri]

24. So Eliot Spitzer was violating the rights of Madam Butterfly and Ashley Dupre? n/t

[boppers]

39. "Prostitution is a human rights violation, regardless of age. Period."

Should giving, or receiving, engagement rings, or paying for dinner, be enough evidence for a conviction?

For "Prostitution" to be a human rights violation, it should probably be well defined.

Where I grew up, having a condom was evidence of prostitution. It's best to think about these things carefully.

[boppers]

26. Nearly 700 arrests, 52 children, 60 pimps...

700 - 112 = 588 "sex workers"?

If this went down in three days, and there are already convictions, I'm pretty sure I know which three days it was. Some of the local "dance clubs" (in Portland, that means all nude, with booze, and dancer->patron touching, but no "sexual touching", or patron->dancer touching) were shut down immediately, and only re-opened after complete background checks on the dancers were run, staff was trained up, etc.

Turns out that a few of the girls were underage, and/or suspected of "side work", and a bunch of different clubs got in trouble.

edit:Punctuation

[joshcryer]

35. It's unclear, they "rescued" 52 children, but if they're street kids, the others may have vanished.

Bust goes down, kids scatter. We may well have a whole crapload of these children still on the street.

[boppers]

38. I guarantee it.

In PDX, where the erotic trades range from seasoned professionals to the grossly exploited, some of those 700 arrested nationwide now no longer exist as "people", other than arrest fingerprint records and falsified data. They'll pop up again, with new names, new identity records.

[Odin2005]

43. YAY!!!

[No Elephants]

47. Great news but 700 arrests freed only 52 kids? Better than 0 or 51, but seems disproportionate.