Ohioans selling sex with their own kids

Story originally published on 7/11/2014

Children in Ohio as young as six years old have been sexually trafficked by their own parents in return for drugs, rent and cash. The Ohio Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers has revealed that 51 minors from all over the state were potential trafficking victims over the space of nine months, with five of them below the age of six. “The network had a state contract to screen children referred by law enforcement, children’s services agencies and others, to determine whether they may have been trafficked.” With the exception of those who were below the age of six, the minors reported were between the ages of 13-18, with only one of them being male. The minors came from both urban and rural areas of the state. “I’m most shocked that families are doing this to their own children,” said the director of the advocacy center that originally detected cases involving the youngest children. She cannot be named for the children’s safety and due to the ongoing legal proceedings. “We think it happens to young girls who are runaways. But with these youngest kids, it’s their actual families who are trafficking them” she continued. The suspected victims have been referred for help to law enforcement, children’s services, mental-health providers and other agencies. Officials in Ohio estimate that 1,100 children are forced into the sex trade each year, with 13 being the most common age for victims.

Full account available at

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/10/child-trafficking-study.html

Singaporean woman arrested in Philippines for suspected human trafficking

Story originally published on 7/21/2014

Philippine authorities are holding a woman they suspect of being an illegal recruiter. Singaporean Yvonne Phua was arrested during a raid held on an alleged human trafficking den. Ms. Phua denies the charges against her. She was arrested along with 13 other Filipino nationals for allegedly bringing Filipino maids to Singapore illegally. Michael and Joy Abellar, a Filipino couple arrested with Phua, were the supposed representatives of the PEM Maid Employment Agency, but were not able to present proper documentation that would allow them to operate a recruitment or training facility in the country. Phua admitted that she was a trainer at the PEM Maid Employment Agency, based in Singapore, but claims she was only in the Philippines for vacation. "I come to here actually to tour because my friend is here. I am Singapore trainer but am not working here. The news is very unfair to me. They say I have a partnership here. But I am not, I am a worker, I work in Singapore. I came here to visit my friend," she said. While the PEM Maid Employment Agency is a registered agency in Singapore, in the Philippines it is not. Authorities believe that Phua came to the Philippines to train domestic workers before they were to be deployed to Singapore. Part of the complaint by the rescued women points to Phua as the one who trained them in household duties. Ms. Phua is charged with illegal recruiting and human trafficking, and if found guilty, will face the maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry is aware of the case and has claimed that it is rendering consular assistance to the Ms. Phua and the family.

Full account available at:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/singaporean-woman/1275734.html

15 Things We All Need To Know About America's Appalling Child Sex Trade

Story originally published on 7/21/2014

In the fall of 2012, a 15-year-old girl ran away from her home near Fort Worth in Texas. She met two women who soon gave her the name “Jewel” and posted online advertisements for  “escort services” on her behalf. She then went on dates with men she had never met before, while the two women stayed nearby to collect the payment. In January 2013, Jewel was able to escape. She is one of many victims of child sex trafficking, and stories like hers are not as isolated as one might imagine. The exploitation of minors is a very real and growing concern in the United States. Since the launch of the “Innocence Lost National Initiative”, around 3,600 children have been saved from sexual abuse situations. This number speaks volumes of what more needs to be done to protect children from exploitation. Click on the link below to read on what you should know.

Full account available at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/child-sex-trafficking_n_5571554.html?fb_action_ids=609978769121698&fb_action_types=og.comments