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. Please contact WOAR via the 24-hour Philadelphia Sexual Violence hotline:215-985-3333. Covenant House is a youth shelter in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. President Obama said there is a need to do more to fight against the exploitation of human beings for profit. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melanie Babb Wilmoth. An official website of the United States government. Three Philadelphia men were charged, by a federal grand jury, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. Phone: 215-733-0878 Because this is the start of the prime season for human trafficking. This is about helping raise awareness to eradicate human trafficking, Waller said. When DHS or police identify a child that exhibits red flags, they send that child to PCA for a full assessment. Main Office: Address: 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia PA 19144. WebTrafficking PCA believes strongly that understanding and responding to the needs of commercially sexually exploited youth in Philadelphia is critical, and we are committed to 2023 Cable News Network. Its even more difficult to ascertain who are being forced or coerced into the trade. An official website of the United States government. A locked padlock For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Blue Campaigns educational awareness objectives consists of two foundational elements, prevention of human trafficking and protection of exploited persons. Justice At Work specializes in providing free legal representation to victims of labor trafficking as well as other communities of workers. Those in the community must also engage in self-examination to ascertain if one is playing a role in the proliferation of this crime against humanity. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. 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. UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE The seal of the F.B.I. Nationalities Service Center The dates would take place at the home that Smith leased and the females gave 100 percent of their cash earnings to Smith. Many are kidnapped from corners waiting for yellow school buses, enticed through social media to what they think is a fun night on the town, or taken to secluded spots with the promise of a way to supplement their meager wages. A lock ( 215-861-8300. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 It will also educate parents and family members to notice the warning signs of children and adolescents who may be involved in the life, as many call it. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Enoch Smith, 36, a/k/a Drees, a/k/a Idris, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today of all charges including sex 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 WOAR, Philadelphias only rape crisis center, provides free counseling and trauma therapy services to child, teen, and adult survivors of sexual violence, including survivors of sex trafficking. PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. Yet without those who purchase the services of modern day slaves, like any market, it would dry up. A lock ( Kevin Smith allegedly did just that to three young women and a child. If you have not done so already, follow @USAO_EDPA and @USAttyWilliams on Twitter to get the most up-to-date information about big cases and community news. Kelly Sagastume, Program Manager, Project PROTECT, ksagastume@sccalaw.org, Dana Bernhaut, Child Policy Associate, dbernhaut@sccalaw.org. For more information please call the New Day Hotline at 267-838-5866. We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. An official website of the United States government. WebVictims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female. Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. 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. Official websites use .gov Its not just that women have lowered their standards, but that men are the one who see women as lower, too.. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL PHILADELPHIA 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, PA, were charged by Indictment for their roles in a sex trafficking operation that exploited numerous minor children from 2016 through 2017. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 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. Address: 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth and you never know 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 UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE The toll-free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year in more than 200 languages. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS As a city Philadelphia has major conventions and athletic events as well as many entertainment strips. To view information on the trainings our Coalition offers, please see the Training Catalogue. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Know that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working every day to put traffickers like Horne behind bars and ensure some justice for their victims. 300 E. Hunting Park Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124, 2023 All rights reserved. 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. 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. WebHuman Trafficking | Philadelphia | Battle4Children Charities You're not a victim for sharing your story. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Metcalf and Brittany Jones. Discovery Company. Yet it is clear that this and other types of trafficking are not just limited to certain times of the year. During the week-long trial, the government proved that the defendant organized, operated and led a sex trafficking venture based in and around Northeast Philadelphia between 2013 and 2015, and in 2018. you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: CHILD USA, 3508 MARKET STREET, Philadelphia, PA, 19104. A Philadelphia man is accused of trafficking four victims, one of whom was a minor, in Bucks County and surrounding areas, according to federal authorities. 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 Dawns Place We, as a society, have to begin facing up to it. A Warner Bros. WebPhiladelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child. 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. Media Contact Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. One person who is well aware of this is Ellyn Jo Waller, the first lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, with campuses in Mount Airy and Germantown. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Trained Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocates and supervisory staff provide assistance to victims in crisis through safety planning, emotional support and/or immediate connections to emergency services through our network of trained service provider and law enforcement partners. We know of 22 locations in the state where this is taking place. The Project PROTECT (Philadelphia Response & Outreach To End Child Trafficking) will support the continued advancement of Philadelphias juvenile human trafficking court, Working to Restore Adolescent Power (WRAP Court), and related programs serving child victims of human trafficking. Main Office: Apr 1, 2016 Local He also reiterated that the United States, including cities like Philadelphia, must continue this as part of the fight for human rights. 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. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The actual statistics for human trafficking victims from neighborhoods like North, West or South Philadelphia or Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods like Germantown and Mount Airy is difficult to track. All Rights Reserved. Enoch Smith, 36, a/k/a Drees, a/k/a Idris, of Philadelphia, PA, was convicted today of all charges including sex trafficking of a minor and production of child pornography. 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. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA Lock Enons A Day In The Life Conference Uses The Victims Voice To Talk About Human Trafficking, Enon Tabernacle holds human trafficking walk/run Oct. 3, Biden declares Kyiv stands in surprise visit to Ukraine, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness, Former Philadelphia Eagle, CBS anchor Irv Cross had brain disease CTE, Queen Latifah will host the 2023 NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25 in Pasadena CA. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 Media Contact To view a comprehensive listing of agencies across the Greater Philadelphia region servicing trafficking youth, please see the Social Services Directory. FOX 29 Philadelphia. If you, a family member or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking (sex or labor), or you suspect that human trafficking is taking place, resources are available: National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) Three Philadelphia men were charged, by a federal grand jury, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for their roles in a sex trafficking operation that exploited numerous minors from 2016 through 2017. Address: 990 Spring Garden Street, Suite 300,Philadelphia, PA 19123 Finally, what is the paradigm shift that must occur in society to finally obliterate human trafficking? PHILADELPHIA United States Attorney William M. 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. The Indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young girls, including one who was only fifteen years old, to engage in commercial sex acts; harbored the victims at various residences for that purpose; transported and provided the victims to males who purchased the commercial sex acts; and collected a portion of the proceeds. It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. Dawns Place offers a year-long residential program to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 The FBIs Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and received significant assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department. He admitted that he had to examine himself as to whether he lusted after young women young enough to be his daughter. They 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 street. At least one of the victims was also a victim of physical violence during the operation of the trafficking ring: according to public filings, Felts pulled her from a vehicle and repeatedly stomped on her. Why? The crimes alleged in these Indictments will have a devastating and long-lasting impact on these minor victims, said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. CHERRY HILL, N.J. - Officials announced Tuesday th arrest of three people for allegedly trafficking a missing child for prostitution. 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