Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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. 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. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth and you never know A lock ( President Obama said there is a need to do more to fight against the exploitation of human beings for profit. WebYoung women and girls are the most at-risk of trafficking, although boys are also trafficked and are less likely to ask for help. For more information please call the New Day Hotline at 267-838-5866. Smith gave each of his recruits a cellular telephone, which he paid for, and then included that phone number in the Backpage advertisement. Discovery Company. Email 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. 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. An official website of the United States government. Covenant House is a youth shelter in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. 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. Their legal aide also includes guidance for survivors interacting with law enforcement, assistance with obtaining legal status, and other referrals to immigrant social services. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. 215-861-8300. Media Contact Lock 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. Covenant House The seal of the F.B.I. The allegations against these three men are vile and disturbing. appreciated. Main Office: Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. is beginning a series about human trafficking. 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. This means the demand for this is modern-day enslavement continues. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Dawns Place The crimes Smith is accused of committing are some of the most devastating to victims that our office prosecutes, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. 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. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. He also kept the victims in apartments throughout Philadelphia, known as trap houses, where they were made to engage in commercial sex for the benefit of the defendant. 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, WebIn January 2020, we convened the Philadelphia Juvenile Anti-Trafficking Coalition, gathering 50+ public and private agencies to collaborate on identifying gaps in services for trafficked 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 WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. It is going take the men taking control to reverse this. 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.. 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. We get calls from as far away as Pittsburgh where girls have been taken. Main Office: Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. Eastern District of Pennsylvania 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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle L. Morgan. Lock 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 Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 The fraud is they are selling love, said Hugh Organ, associate director of the Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalition. A lock ( Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street 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. Consequently, in order to rescue human trafficking victims, one must know how to identify them, the warning signs, and how to help them. Our resolve remains steadfast in finding other children in peril.. 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 He deserves every minute of the 45 years that he received today., Artavius Horne made his living by sexually exploiting children, advertising underage girls for sex with strangers, said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. After a few days they are trafficking them. On December 8, 2021, Jeremiah Eli Lowery pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute Anyone who is a victim of child sex trafficking or has 3. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Eight Croatian nationals charged with attempting to traffic children, outside the magistrates court in Ndola, Zambia, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Philadelphia Police Department Vice Unit, with assistance from the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office and the Bucks County District Attorneys Office. Online Tip Reporting. 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. 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. 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. To view tips on identifying sex and labor trafficking red flags, please see the Red Flags Infographic. Tipsters can remain anonymous, if they like.. 215-861-8300. He also reiterated that the United States, including cities like Philadelphia, must continue this as part of the fight for human rights. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A lock ( PHILADELPHIA Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that John Adams, 41, Mercedes Hampton-Devero, 28, Malachai Kendall, 20, and Chukuw Ossai, 31, all of Philadelphia, PA, were arrested and charged in two separate Indictments with sex trafficking of minors. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Allegedly, this defendant forced four young people, one a minor child, to sell their bodies for his financial gain. 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. Ryan Keel, 39, was charged with conspiracy to sex traffic a minor. 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 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 that are overrepresented and underserved. Have a question about Government Services? Rich Walls of North Philadelphia learned much from an all-male workshop held at Enon last year. PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. 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. 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 They pay their airfare, hotel room and everything else. New Day consists of community case managers in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, the New Day Drop In Center on Kensington Ave., a Police Assisted Diversion Program, and New Day New Home, our transitional home for female identifying survivors ages 18+ located at a confidential address in Montgomery County. Main Office: An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 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. Its not just that women have lowered their standards, but that men are the one who see women as lower, too.. 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. At least The children involved are considered some of the most at-risk and challenging cases in the Philadelphia area, the marshals service said, based on high-risk factors including child sex trafficking and exploitation, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and medical or mental health conditions. 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. Philadelphia Children's Alliance. 33 missing children found in anti-human trafficking operation in Southern California. Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Working alongside the international community, we have seen significant increases in trafficking prosecution and conviction, and we have made great strides in supporting victims.. Main Office: An official website of the United States government. Official websites use .gov U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, The defendants allegedly advertised the minors online and harbored them in area hotels and properties, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Four Philadelphians Charged With Sex Trafficking of Minors, 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. Pittsburgh where girls have been taken for help Keel, 39, was charged with conspiracy to sex a. 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