#US; #HSI; #ICE; #SexTraffickingOfMinors; #imprisonment

News Release

Tampa, Florida (US), Jul 8 (Canadian-Media):  A Tampa man was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors and was ordered to forfeit a Glock 19 9mm handgun and cellular phone, both of which were used during the commission of the offenses.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

#ICE; #HSI; #USDeptOfHomelandSecurity; #CityXGuide; #HumanTraficking; #Backpage.com; #SexTrafficking

Dallas (US), Jun 19 (Canadian-Media):  Wilhan Martono, 46, was charged in a 28-count federal indictment June 2 after his website CityXGuide.com, a leading source of online advertisements for prostitution and sex trafficking was seized by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, media reports said.

Announced in March 2020, Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy will invest over the next five years $307 million on a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of the issue, protect victims and intervene early, support survivors and punish the offenders. The strategy reflects valuable input from survivors of human trafficking, Indigenous communities and organizations, law enforcement and frontline service providers.

Approximately two-thirds of police-reported human trafficking violations in Canada occur in Ontario and over 70 percent of these are under the age of 25 and 26 per cent are under 18. The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13 years old.

​“Our goal is to build a more comprehensive network of anti-human trafficking services across Ontario, so more victims have access to the supports they need.” said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Funding will be available to partners and agencies and focus on areas such as:

• Trauma-informed programming developed and delivered by survivor-led organizations,
• Dedicated services for victims under age 18, including residential placements and treatment, peer mentoring, as well as education and employment training programs;
• Culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-designed supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis victims, families and communities;
• Targeted supports for sexually exploited boys, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals, and racialized and newcomer populations;
• Specialized programs for children and youth involved in or transitioning out of child welfare or the youth justice system.

“Human trafficking isn’t just an enforcement issue — it’s a vicious and violent crime that preys on our most vulnerable, robbing them of their health, safety and dignity,” said Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General.  "These programs are vital components of Ontario’s comprehensive plan to combat human trafficking, bring traffickers to justice and end this heinous crime.”
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Acceptance of applications to the Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives  be until 5 p.m. on July 30, 2020.

​#IOM; #HumanTrafficking; #NCCHT; #UNODC; #NRM; #HumanRightsReforms

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Mar 31 (Canadian-Media): This week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) joined the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in launching a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which outlines best practices and pathways for handling cases of trafficking in persons.  

Dr Awad Al-Awaad, President of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission meets with IOM Director General António Vitorino at the Human Rights Commission Premises in Riyadh to discuss the progress of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in combating Trafficking in Persons.  Image credit: IOM

“The project Strengthening Mechanisms to Combat Human Trafficking in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the first IOM project of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, addressing issues of prevention and protection of trafficking in persons,” said Mohamed El Zarkani, IOM Bahrain’s Chief of Mission, covering the implementation of the project in Saudi Arabia.  

“It works in harmony, simultaneously, with a leading UNODC programme focusing on partnership, prosecution, and data management. The collaboration is a welcome and timely step into international collaboration on the subject of trafficking.”   

The mechanism is a collaborative framework that helps government officials to coordinate their efforts to better prevent trafficking in persons and protect victims or potential victims of human trafficking in the Kingdom and coordinates the investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators.  

With an estimated 13 million foreign workers (38.3 per cent of an overall population of 34 million people), this move stands to dramatically improve protection measures for a significant number of people.   

Men and women – primarily from South- and Southeast Asia and Africa – voluntarily migrate to Saudi Arabia to work in a variety of sectors, including construction and domestic service. Some workers can become vulnerable to forced labour and other forms of exploitation. 

The launch of the NRM marks the Government of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to reaching and protecting the most vulnerable segments of society – including men, women, and children. 

“Human trafficking is an affront to the dignity of all humanity,” said Dr. Awwad Alawwad, Chair of the NCCHT.  

“It is our duty to eradicate this heinous practice and I am proud to report that the launch of the National Referral Mechanism is a major step to that end. The Mechanism will be complemented by additional human rights reforms which will further improve the quality of life of all citizens and residents of the Kingdom – barring none.”  

The NCCHT, in collaboration with the UNODC and IOM, has begun to jointly train key members of the national anti-trafficking team in their respective roles, as well as skills in identification, referral and protection of potential victims.   

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government is working closely with all parties to ensure that this valuable training continues through the use of teleconferencing. Key staff, including labour inspectors, health professionals, and civil society representatives will learn a number of new skills depending on the roles mandated to them to help identify early warning signs of human trafficking and develop standard operating procedures to guide response staff.   

“This ambitious training and capacity building programme led by NCCHT for the entire stakeholders nation-wide, and the fact that it continues even during the unfortunate pandemic, reflects only the level of commitment and determination KSA attached to improving national mechanisms and responses to trafficking in persons,” said Dr. Hatem Aly, UNODC Regional Representative for the Gulf countries. 

The unveiling of the Mechanism coincides with the launch of an anonymous digital reporting service, embedded in the NCCHT website, for persons with information on possible human-trafficking violations in the Kingdom. The referral service will be expanded to include a 24/7 hotline and mobile application, both of which are currently under development.  
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IOM’s Mohamed El Zarkani explained: “The launch of the NRM is a key milestone in the fight to combat trafficking in persons in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This move forward, along with a strong programme of training for frontline workers who will implement it, will lead to enhanced protection measures for the most vulnerable, bringing Saudi Arabia amongst the countries leading the fight against this transnational crime.”  

#HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay; #ProtectionOfChildren&Women; #HumanTraffickingStrategy

Toronto, Feb 24 (Canadian-Media): Ontario's Premier Doug Ford, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, and Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues, made the following statement on Feb 22 in recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness Day:

"Today we have a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and continue the fight against human trafficking to protect children and women. This heinous crime robs victims of their dignity and safety, and has a devastating impact on their lives, their families and their communities.

Human traffickers target the most vulnerable in our communities, predominantly young women and girls. Two-thirds of all human trafficking cases in Canada occur in Ontario and the average age of recruitment is 13 years old.

Our government is committed to keeping children and women safe. We are building stronger, safer communities and providing police services with the resources they need to combat this horrible crime. As a result, we are investing $20 million annually to support survivors and to get tough on offenders with anti-human trafficking law enforcement initiatives.

We've heard from survivors, law enforcement, Indigenous communities and frontline service providers. Their insights and perspectives are helping us develop a new province-wide anti-human trafficking strategy that we will launch in the coming weeks.

As parents ourselves, ending human trafficking remains a top priority for our government as we work to keep communities and families safe. We will continue the fight against human trafficking, and work towards a day where everyone can live free from exploitation and violence."

​
​An investigation began into a suspected pimp, on Tuesday April 3, 2018,  believed to be trafficking teenage victims under the age of 18.  

It was believed by the investigators that the accused who was active online on a number of social media sites, may be using his accounts to find his victims.

On April 26, 2018, the accused was charged with several offences related to human trafficking.

After locating two teenage female victims, the investigators have released a photo of the accused and are encouraging any additional victims to come forward.

The accused had been charged with Trafficking in Persons Under the Age of 18, Procuring-Person Under 18; Exercise Control, Direction or Influence Over Person Under 18; Possession of Child Pornography x2; Distribution of Child Pornography x2; Advertise Sexual Services x2; Material Benefit Resulting From Trafficking in Persons Under 18; Material Benefit From Sexual Services Provided by Person Under 18; Assault; Fail to comply with Conditions of Recognizance x2
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#humantraffickinginOntario,  #restrainingorder,  #OntarioCourtofJustice,  #Anti-HumanTraffickingAct

Ottawa, May 5 (Canadian-Media):  Ontario had launched May 4, a new pilot program, a first of its kind in Canada to assist survivors of human trafficking escape exploitation and violence by providing free legal supports, media reports said.

Up to $72 million has been invested by Ontario for this cause to increase awareness, increase initiatives for justice and improve survivors' access to services.

“Human trafficking has a devastating impact on survivors and their families. We are committed to ensuring people in Ontario have the support and legal options they need to protect themselves as they rebuild their lives. Free legal representation is an important step in this journey for survivors to have peace of mind,” said Yasir Naqvi, Attorney General and Ontario Government Attorney Leader.

Yasir Naqvi/Facebook

Harinder Malhi/Facebook,  ​

​Reporting by Asha Bajaj

A post by Nigma Media on the facebook account of Det.-Sgt. Thai Truong reads,
“Det. Sgt. Thai Truong says most men stopped communicating when they heard the ages, but 104 men didn’t stop. He says child sex trafficking is a growing problem in Canada. Truong says the average age of entry into the human trafficking sex trade is about 15 years old. He says police carried out their investigation over four years and focused on men who sought to buy sex from children in an effort to curb demand.”

YRP said that in many cases, women and young girls were victims of crimes as they were either lured or forced by threat or violence into the sex trade.

Truong said that in this police investigation, there were no actual young girls or women as victims of child sex.

Investigating team, in these four years, were able to charge 104 men who responded to online advertisement and then negotiated the purchase of sex with children between the ages of 13-16.  The men charged ranged in ages from 18 to 71 years and were from Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and some came to York Region from other provinces.

in just three days of this investigation in 2017, the HTT investigators arrested 19 men who believed that they were purchasing sex from either a 13-year-old or 14-year-old child, indicating the demand for prostituted children. 

HTT members are making efforts in combating human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and underage girls. Investigators said they were willing to speak with anyone involved in the sex trade who may be looking for a way out, or require assistance to escape from these dangerous circumstances.

"The biggest challenge for us when we're dealing with prostituted children is that enlisting their co-operation is very, very difficult. Getting them to trust me, getting them to tell us what has happened is challenging," Truong said, CBCNews reports said.

Through this project, police were trying to remove the burden from children and go after the men that were driving this industry. The world of human trafficking is an ugly world, said Truong.

Susan Orlando, provincial co-ordinator of the human trafficking prosecution team at Ontario's attorney general ministry, said the project had revealed the demand for sex with children that exists in York Region and the surrounding area.

"These girls experience significant and long lasting trauma from which most never recover. Young lives are irreparably damaged, some completely destroyed and some lost completely," she said.

"Exploiting the most vulnerable segments of our society and our youth for personal gain, whether it's for a John's sexual gratification or a pimp's financial gain, is among the most abhorrent criminal conduct and transgression of our moral code that exists in our society today," CBCNews reports said.

Project Raphael had, in fact, had successfully prevented 104 men in destroying lives of 104 children.

Const. Andy Pattenden, spokesperson for York Regional police, credited investigators for their work as being second to none.
​
In another similar story published last month involving child sex trade also concentrated in York Region Casandra Diamond, the director of BridgeNorth women's mentorship and advocacy services, was a survivor who spent a decade in the sex industry after being lured in at 18.

"The more people know about human trafficking... the better able we're going to be as a community to keep it at bay,” said Diamond, CBCNews reports said.

Diamond said it was crucial for parents to keep their kids safe online.

"We wouldn't leave them alone downtown in York region, we wouldn't leave them alone on a street corner to fend for themselves — but we do that on the Internet," she said, CBCNews reports said.

York Regional Police also asked anyone with further information contact their office at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7817, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or email: humantraffickingteam@yrp.ca 
 
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)