Priest faces three felonies for allegedly seeking sex with teenaged girls

Fr. James Patrick Grady

ST. LOUIS (St. Louis Public Radio) – A former priest at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in south St. Louis has been charged with three felonies for allegedly seeking sex with an underage girl.

James Patrick Grady was one of three men picked up in an FBI sting in late July. He allegedly responded to an advertisement set up by the FBI offering girls for sexual activity, and set up a meeting with a 16-year-old. He was arrested when he showed up to the meeting location.

The indictment issued Thursday also says law enforcement found child pornography on Grady’s computer.

Grady was suspended from his post after his arrest. He could face life in prison and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted of the sex trafficking, possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement charges.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis would not comment on pending litigation.

source:http://tinyurl.com/yzd4kxs

Cry freedom at Selsdon

Croydon Community Against Trafficking (CCAT) is presenting a theatre double bill at Selsden Hall this November to raise awareness about sex trafficking in the borough.

The group was formed four years ago with the aim of eliminating human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Croydon and the two shows are designed to examine the issues. The first performance of the night is in a Thousand Pieces, by the Paper Bird Company. In 2008, it won both the Fringe First Award and the Fringe Review Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was also shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.

CCAT’s Anna Arthur says: “It follows the story of a young Eastern European woman who comes to the UK and is put to work in a brothel. “A cast of three play the part of the girl, sometimes all at the same time. “It is a very physical, choreographed piece and uses projection and music.

“I first saw it when it was on at the Soho Theatre and I am definitely a fan. “Working for CCAT, you can become a bit desensitised but, watching that piece, I went straight back to the way I felt when I heard about trafficking for the first time. “It reminded me how powerful art is and how it can touch you.”

The second half of the evening, Off the Menu, has been devised by a group of students from The BRIT School’s theatre department.

Arthur says: “We played them a recording of a member of CCAT calling a so-called spa that we knew was a brothel. “The woman who answered the phone sounded so normal, offering him girls of different nationalities. It was like ordering pizza. The students were very shocked. “I think the evening will be very moving for people, so we will have lots of members of CCAT there to talk to people afterwards and to answer questions.”

In a Thousand Pieces (the Paper Birds Theatre Company) and Off the Menu (the BRIT School), Selsdon Hall, Addington Road, November 7, 7.30pm, £12. Call 07733 221949 or 07535 693931 or visit theccat.com

source: http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/leisure/4724492.Cry_freedom_at_Selsdon/

Trafficking Rapist Imprisoned

A Hungarian human trafficker who raped and beat his girlfriend and forced her to work as a prostitute has been sentenced to 16 years for sex trafficking offences.

The jury at Blackfriars Crown Court heard how Bertalan Lakatos, 27, had been in a relationship with the 35-year-old mother-of-one for a year when the pair fell in to financial difficulties.

In 2006, Lakatos travelled with his girlfriend to Austria and the Netherlands where he put her to work as a prostitute.

Between November 2006 until April 2008 he regularly beat and raped her and took all of her earnings.

Lakatos eventually brought his girlfriend to the UK where he forced her to work as a prostitute on the streets of London.

He was arrested in April last year after she made an allegation of assault against her boyfriend to the police.

The Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) Human Trafficking Team later charged Lakatos with two counts of rape and two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Detective Inspector Steve Wilkinson, head of the MPS’s Human Trafficking Team, said he hoped the judicial outcome of this case would encourage other victims to come forward.

“It is only by the bravery and courage of those who have experienced such a horrendous crime coming forward that we are able to secure results like today’s.”

Lakatos was found guilty by the jury of five of the seven counts against him.

He was sentenced to five years for two counts of trafficking into the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation and received two and a half years for two counts of controlling prostitution.

Lakatos was also handed down a 12 month sentence for actual bodily harm.

source: http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=102274

At The End Of Slavery: Documentary Exposes Modern Day Slavery

Slavery isn’t over; the reality is, nearly 150 years after the abolition of slavery in the United States, human trafficking remains a booming industry around the world.

This November, International Justice Mission (IJM), in partnership with Humanity United, is releasing a documentary entitled At the End of Slavery: The Battle for Justice in our Time. The film exposes the violent and lucrative business of modern-day slavery from inside the brothels and forced labor operations of Asia, and documents the struggle of modern day abolitionists struggling to end the oppressive industry of human trade.

At the End of Slavery is filmed on location in India, Cambodia, and the Philippines with undercover footage from the front-lines of rescue efforts and first-person testimony of those freed from illegal slavery. The filmmakers hope to expose the atrocious issues of modern-slavery by making the compelling argument that with their success in finding and rescuing victims, and prosecuting those responsible, there can be a viable end to slave trade.

In the fight to end trans-Atlantic slavery nearly two centuries ago, British abolitionists exposed the inhumane conditions of slave-trade by releasing an image of the slave ship Brookes. It worked – their efforts created a defining moment in the movement towards slavery abolition and eventually brought the trans-Atlantic slave commerce to an end. In the same way, IJM and its partners hope that At the End of Slavery will not only expose the issue, but bring people together to join the fight against the crime of human trafficking.

You can be a modern-day abolitionist. November 14th and 15th is the Weekend to End Slavery – two days of united effort across the United States to educate communities about slavery and mobilize the movement against the practice.

November 14 – Host a screening of At the End of Slavery in your community. Invite your friends over, have them invite their friends over. Watch the film. Talk about it and join the live Webcast with IJM President, Gary Haugen.

November 15 – If you’re a person of faith, get your church involved. Churches across the country will share a message of justice and engage people of faith in the struggle to seek justice and an end to oppression.

Wait…there’s more. If you’re in college and there isn’t an IJM chapter on your campus, start one. IJM is a human rights agency that works to secure justice not only for victims of slavery, but also those victimized by sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure successful rescue operations and aftercare, to bring those responsible to justice, and to promote functioning public justice systems. You can be part of the cause by raising your voice, raising funds and raising awareness on your college campus.

While this film focuses specifically on the slave industry in Asia, human trafficking is happening all around the world – even in the U.S. Also, sex tourism is on the rise; in a recent case, three U.S. citizens were arrested after traveling to Asia to have sex with child prostitutes.

source: http://www.causecast.org/news_items/9026-at-the-end-of-slavery-documentary-exposes-modern-day-slavery

Human trafficking is subject of new ad campaign

Passers-by in St. Paul may notice a new ad campaign, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” an effort by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to draw the public’s attention to human trafficking in the United States.

There are 12 posters at bus shelters throughout St. Paul.

An estimated 800,000 people are forced into commercial sex trade or other forced-labor situations each year, according to ICE.

In May 2007, ICE and local law enforcement arrested 25 people in the Twin Cities for their roles in a prostitution ring. Of those arrested, 23 have been convicted.

Three of the operation’s ringleaders admitted they brought women from other states and countries to work as prostitutes.

Some victims may be lured by the false promise of prosperity but are instead forced to work as sex slaves, sweat-shop employees, domestic servants or fruit pickers, according to ICE.

“Because this heinous crime is extremely well-hidden, we need to help educate members of the public about human trafficking,” John Morton, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for ICE, said in a news release.

The campaign seeks to encourage community members to report human trafficking if they observe it.

Because victims are often unable to speak the language of the country where they are taken, and traffickers usually conceal victims’ travel and identity documents, victim identification is especially difficult, according to ICE.

Traffickers may also threaten to harm the victims and their families if they attempt to escape.

Posters, billboards and transit signs bearing the message are on display in several major cities, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and San Antonio.
Alex Holmquist can be reached at 563-343-2967.

source: http://www.twincities.com/ci_13716781

Conference hears benefits to criminalising purchase of sex

A major conference on sex trafficking being held in Dublin today has heard that the only way to end the exploitation of women is to criminalise the buyers of sex.

International approaches to policing sex trafficking are being discussed at today’s event, which is being held by the Dignity Project.

Sweden, Iceland and Norway have all introduced legislation criminalising the purchase of sex and the Irish Government is being urged to do the same.

“We have a policeman from Stockholm police where, in Sweden, they have introduced legislation 10 years ago where they have criminalised those who purchase sex,” said Grainne Healy, project co-ordinator of the Dignity Project.

“They’ve had great success with this; they’ve seen a drop in the demand for sexual services and more importantly they have seen a fall in trafficking of women for sexual exploitation into Sweden.”

source: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/conference-hears-benefits-to-criminalising-purchase-of-sex-433043.html#ixzz0VzMQ5vQ6

Japan’s economy was established upon human trafficking

Have you ever wonder why Japanese women appear to accept the sexism rampant in their own society? Have ever wonder why Japanese men are never blamed for enjokyosai or pedophilia in Japan? It is because sex trafficking is nothing but a mundane part of their own cultural identities, which they came to accept it as fact of life. What is more outrageous is that such culture of sex trafficking in Japan was originated and is persistently encouraged by the Japanese government today.

Meet Karayuki san: the first domestic sex trafficking victims of Japanese government in the 19th century

In the early 19th century, Japanese government began to sell young teenage girls abroad for sexual services. This was executed in promotion of their expansion policies. Karayuki san is a Japanese female entertainer who were sent to or even sold to China, Southeast Asia, Russia and America to work as prostitutes between 1880s and 1920s.[1] Just like many sex trafficking victims in the modern day of Japan, Karayuki san were often young teenagers who were sold by their parents or “unwittingly signed themselves over to procurers, who in turn sold them to overseas brothels.”[2] What is worse is that these young women were not only loyal to their own parents but also to the government. As a result, their profits for prostitution tremendously benefited the Japanese military and communities oversea[3]

Comfort women: the first victims of international human trafficking in Asia

When the Japanese government began to attack on Shanghai in 1932, the government supplied comfort women to the military personals. It was assumed that “soldiers would be endowed with good luck and combat prowess if they had sex before battle. [4]

Sex trafficking persisted through 1950s

Sex trafficking in Japan persisted after the economic growth in the 1950s. Japayukisan who come from Southeast Asia to Japan are often tricked into prostitution [5] Some of them were brought by middlemen to become brides to for Japanese farmers in remote rural areas. [6]

The global implication behind such history of shame in Japan

Many evidences in Japanese society shows that Japan is not willing to change such cultural component of the perpetuating evil. When the former prime minister refuses to send a deep apology to the victims of comfort women, politicians, regardless of their political party, are willing to defend the entertainment industry, the major source behind the sex trafficking in Japan. The problem for us is that as globalization brings the nations intertwined amongst each other, such culture of tolerance in Japan has been, is, and will continue to become obstacles to eradicate sex slavery around the world.

[4] Hicks, Goerge, The Comfort Women: Japan’s rutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War ( New York: W.W.Norton, 1994) PP. 32-33.

source: http://www.examiner.com/x-24740-Norfolk-Human-Rights-Examiner~y2009m11d4-Japans-economy-was-established-upon-human-trafficking

Conference to help sex-trafficking victims in region

My Sunday column was about sex trafficking of minors, which occurs in many countries, including the United States, and in many U.S. cities, including Portland and Vancouver. Readers should be aware that an opportunity to help is happening this week.

Shared Hope International, located in Vancouver, is having a training session on Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (full-day attendance is required and lunch is provided). The training is meant for law enforcers, community leaders, youth group leaders, school counselors and any other community members who are in a position to help identify girls victimized by sex traffickers.

As the promotional materials for the event say, “By attending this event, you will get angry. You will be disturbed. Most importantly, you will become an expert on minor sex trafficking and will obtain the necessary tools to rescue girls in crisis.”

We need a lot more rescuing and an abundance of new superheroes around town. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Bickford directs the Oregon Human Trafficking Task Force and says that several hundred young girls are involved in prostitution in the Portland metropolitan region. Oregon law enforcers can point to handfuls of trouble spots where pimps are recruiting more minors so they can profit by selling girls’ bodies to strangers.

“Wherever you find large concentrations of kids, that’s where they go,” Bickford said, citing the Internet, shopping malls and middle schools in town.

Attend the Shared Hope training clinic Nov. 5 by e-mailing Shannon at Shared Hope (shannon@sharedhope.org). Or get better informed about our region’s sex trafficking problem and find other ways to help by visiting www.sharedhope.org or Oregonians Against Human Trafficking at www.oregonoath.org.

source: http://www.oregonlive.com/hovde/index.ssf/2009/11/conference_to_help_sex-traffic_1.html

Rhode Island Legislation Protects Women, Girls from Sex Traffickers

Rhode Island lawmakers recently approved three bills that will protect women and children by closing a loophole that allowed “indoor prostitution” in the state — essentially a “welcome mat” for sex traffickers. The legislation also extends rights to women and girls who are victims.

“It gives the police the tools to intercede and interview victims, and be able to put them in (touch with) social services,” said Rep. Joanne Giannini, D-Providence.

Donna Hughes, co-founder of Rhode Island-based Citizens Against Trafficking, said victims are often arrested, imprisoned and then coerced back into the sex trade.

“We added a provision that says no victim of trafficking can be convicted of a prostitution offense,” she said.

The legislation, which the governor is expected to sign, also prohibits minors from working in strip clubs.

source: http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000011381.cfm

Prostitution sting that netted 10 had different goal

POLICE: They say they were looking for people involved with child prostitutes.

WASILLA — Authorities say a recent Internet prostitution sting called the biggest to date in the Mat-Su revealed a previously hidden world of men seeking cyber sex.

To some the sting also represented an invasion of privacy and waste of federal dollars meant to catch child sex traffickers.

The late October bust resulted in the arrests of 10 men, plus the seizure of more than $2,100 in cash and 10 cell phones, police say. The sting, conducted by Palmer and Wasilla police with help from the FBI and Anchorage’s vice squad, was associated with a larger federal strategy called Operation Cross Country that targets child prostitutes and people who sell children into slavery.

The Mat-Su operation turned up neither, said Palmer police Detective Sgt. Kelly Turney. Instead, Turney said, the arrests represented the beginning of “us being able to work the issue”– arresting low-level johns to find pimps for adult prostitutes who may also be trafficking young girls.

Police knew prostitution happened here, but they didn’t know to what extent. The sting was one way to figure that out.

Police placed ads on Craigslist and other places. Turney wouldn’t describe the ad, but did say it made no reference to child prostitution.

The phone rang off the hook, police said. The 10 men arrested met an undercover female officer at a motel and paid a pre-arranged sum.

The men range in age from 18 to 58; most live in Palmer and Wasilla, though three drove up from Anchorage or Eagle River. Their cases are still pending, Turney said. All were arrested for solicitation of prostitution, a misdemeanor, received court summons and were released.

In Alaska, like cities around the country, online prostitution is becoming more prevalent than street walking. Authorities say Internet hookers in Anchorage can make $1,000 a day, according to prior reports. Sometimes they keep all their earnings. Sometimes they send part to pimps in Alaska or the Lower 48.

They also say the Internet can provide a level of anonymity that makes it more difficult to find underage girls or evidence of trafficking.

It’s hard to say exactly how many women “are working” the Valley, Turney said.

They operate from various places: cars, motels, homes.

This week, a scan of the Anchorage/Mat-Su adult services category on Craigslist revealed a couple of Valley-specific listings, both with Wasilla locations.

A caller to “April in Wasilla” — a well-endowed brunette, judging by a picture posted with the ad — reached a woman who said she was a friend of April’s.

“She forwards her phone to me. … I don’t know what her business is. Thank you,” she said, before hanging up.

But a woman behind another ad, offering “a relaxing revitalizing appointment with a fun and friendly tall Blondie,” was more than happy to talk.

“Blondie” — who described herself as over 21 and from the Wasilla area — said she provides “complete energy manipulation” that includes reiki massage techniques, guided meditation and “ancient hot stone body work.”

There’s some nudity involved, she said, but you “can’t do complete body work” without it. She sees clients wherever she can take her massage table.

The woman called the police sting a waste of federal funding earmarked to fight the legitimate crimes of underage prostitution and sex slavery. She suggested police crack down on massage parlors to find traffickers, rather than placing an ad targeting johns who think they’re meeting up with an adult.

“If you advertise in the paper for whatever service and you’ve got grownups coming to see you, you think they’ve got child abductees in their car?” she said. “Ask the taxpayers — was it worth it?”

News of the bust elicited a lot of negative reaction, police said.

Several hundred comments were posted on newspaper Web sites last week after stories about the sting appeared.

Many criticized the effort as a waste of money and time that could have been spent arresting people involved in more serious crimes.

“It’s a little disheartening when you actually try to do something good and the majority of people think you’re wasting money, wasting time, why aren’t you out doing something bigger?” said Palmer police Commander Tom Remaley.

“It’s almost like you can’t win.

source: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/matsu/story/998469.html