Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation News
Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Sunday, January 22, 2023 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - International
The Department of Defense is hosting a conference on January 11, 2023, :30-11:00 a.m. EST at the Pentagon Auditorium.
The Department of Defense “Combating Trafficking in Persons” vision as of January 2023:
The Department of Defense (DoD) sustains an effective program to combat trafficking in persons in both its domestic and international environments.
Mission
To institutionalize Department of Defense Combating Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) policy and programs and set conditions for effective prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnering activities in concert with, and supportive of, national efforts.
Guiding Principles
Reduce the risk and incidence of trafficking in persons within DoD's garrison and deployed operations
Identify victims and help alleviate suffering
Improve monitoring and reporting
Identify criminal activity
Educate stakeholders on DoD's stance on trafficking in persons
Train all DoD personnel on combating trafficking in persons
Inform contractors of DoD CTIP policies and best practices
Prosecutors Dispute Former N.H. Guard Commander’s Sex-Trafficking Appeal
Thursday, December 31, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - New Hampshire
Army Lt. Col. Ray Valas, former New Hampshire National Guard Commander, filed an appeal for his guilty verdict of soliciting sex from an underage prostitute. Federal prosecutors dismissed his central appeal claim as a legal misinterpretation.
‘My Body Was Not Mine, but the U.S. Military’s’: Inside the disturbing sex industry thriving around America’s bases.
Sunday, November 1, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - International
David Vine, article author, is an American University associate professor of anthropology. His article is adapted from his latest book, Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World. Mr. Vine examines how "women's sex work has long been used to help keep male troops happy—or at least happy enough to keep working for the military." He notes how even today, "commercial sex zones thrive in tandem with many U.S. bases around the world, from Baumholder in Germany to Fort Bragg in North Carolina." In South Korea, the sex trade in “camptowns” surrounding U.S. bases is deeply entrenched in South Korea's economy, politics, and culture.
SCANDAL: Almost Half A National Guard Unit Investigated For Soliciting Prostitution In Africa
Friday, October 30, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - Tennessee
Nine Tennessee National Guardsmen, nearly half of a team deployed on a humanitarian mission in an area of Africa known for prolific human trafficking, have been investigated for reportedly having sex with prostitutes. Other disturbing details emerged including bringing women to rooms with classified information and weapons, ring leaders coaching the activities, cavalier bragging about the sex, and comments that some of the prostitutes were younger than a Guardsman's daughter.
The Military Needs To Stop Being A Part Of The Human Trafficking Problem
Friday, January 30, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - International
It's time to address the uncomfortable subject of the U.S. military's involvement with worldwide human trafficking. He states: "This is the problem. The Pentagon seemingly recognizes that military indulgence in human trafficking is an issue, but when we get down to the unit level, commanders and their surrogates just don’t care. During my 12 years in the Navy, it was very clear that many of the sailors aboard ship created a demand for the services rendered through human trafficking. What was also clear was that no one would be charged or prosecuted for these crimes." He notes that it is a slap in the face to the American people when the military turns a blind eye and challenges the Department of Defense (DoD) to "make 2015 the year that the DoD comes off the map as a consumer of human trafficking."
How Big Data Battles Human Trafficking
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - International
The Polaris Project is an anti-human trafficking organization based in the District of Columbia, operating a national hotline for victims to call when they're in desperate need of help. They needed a more "real time" computer system. Polaris met Palantir Technologies at the 2012 Google Ideas Conference. Palantir later created software streamlining Polaris resources into a single dashboard for call specialists to use. Palantir assists organizations and entities like the CIA, Department of defense, and large banks.
Jurors in S.A. Convict Visiting Lieutenant Colonel of Child Sex Trafficking
Friday, November 21, 2014 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - New Hampshire
Army Lt. Col. Raymond Valas, New Hampshire National Guard, was found guilty of sex trafficking a 15 year old minor in San Antonio. Valas stated he met the girl, but "said it was only to interview her for research he was conducting at Syracuse University he contacted other prostitutes." He also admitted to contacting other prostitutes while away from home station. Questions were raised during the trial whether service members "are getting the message that sexual misconduct in the military is unacceptable." The New Hampshire National Guard Sexual Assault Response Coordinator was admonished by Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery because of his evasive answers to questions.
DoD IG Reviews Federal Program to Combat Human Trafficking
Tuesday, June 24, 2014 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - National
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) released its multi-year review report of DoD’s Combating Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) program. The IG found some improvements, but also identified a number of areas that need more work in order to fight the human trafficking global crisis.
War Workers: Vulnerable Foreign Laborers Swindled & Exploited to Toil on U.S. Bases in Afghanistan
Monday, March 10, 2014 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - International
Human trafficking brings many thousands of foreign laborers to work on U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. Democracy Now's "America’s War Workers" interviews laborers who are systematically deceived and indebted to local recruiters charging thousands of dollars and offering false promises of high-paying jobs. These laborers are easy prey for labor traffickers profiting from military contracts.
Oscar Winner Kickstarts Documentary to Expose U.S. Military’s Role in International Sex Trafficking
Tuesday, August 6, 2013 | Category: Human Trafficking/Sexual Exploitation - National
Sex traffickers in the Phillipines guised as legitimate entertainment recruiters contract women, paying for their singing lessons, E-6 passports, uniforms and flights to South Korea. In Korea, they are forced into prostitution through debt bondage. Producer David Goodman stated the only reason these women are there are to service military personnel and contractors in Korea. The documentary went under cover to expose the crime, the entrapment, the shame, the military culture, and the long term effects of the U.S., South Korean and Philippine governments complicitly turning blind eyes to this crime against humanity for over a century. He considers his upcoming documentary, "Singers" in the Band, a "companion piece" to "The Invisible War" documentary, released in 2012, about sexual assault in the U.S. military.