PCA works in tandem with DHS to connect survivors with the appropriate services. 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. 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. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of lifetime imprisonment. Its even more difficult to ascertain who are being forced or coerced into the trade. Phone: 215-951-5411 or 888-829-1249 As part of the scheme, the defendant recruited, enticed and maintained three minor children, one of whom was as young as 13 years old, to engage in commercial sexual encounters. Though local statistics are difficult to come by, the one thing that experts agree on is that girls and young women are its primary victims. Eastern District of Pennsylvania We ask anyone with knowledge of child or adult sex trafficking to let us know about it, so we can help. On December 8, 2021, Jeremiah Eli Lowery pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute An official website of the United States government. 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 The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Philadelphia Children's Alliance. Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. 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. 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. 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 We will continue to work collectively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these destructive crimes against vulnerable children.. Healthy Minds Philly is an initiative of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, City of Philadelphia, 24-HOUR NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE |, National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), The Salvation Armys New Day to Stop Trafficking Program, Blue Campaign, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 2. Its a hard statistic, but 1 in 6 children reported missing in the U.S. are likely victims of child sex trafficking, one of The church has a ministry that addresses trafficking in the Philadelphia area. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Email 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250 To view information on the trainings our Coalition offers, please see the Training Catalogue. Text the letters "Befree" or the numbers 233733 to reach the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. WebCSEC or Child Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking affects children, too. Hebrew International Aid Society Official websites use .gov 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. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Telephone:(215) 861-8200 Address: Nationalities Service Center 1216 Arch Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 They are not just the drug user, the wayward runaway teen, or the troubled foster child. 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. Media Contact It may cause some to realize what some in their own circle have been hiding from them, often suffering in silence or shame. 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. They pay their airfare, hotel room and everything else. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Phone: 215-387-9500. Official websites use .gov 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. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. 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. 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. Smith was charged locally and was later charged in a federal indictment. Prior to joining the FBI, I was employed as an Immigration human trafficking, violent crimes against children, and other federal violations. In September 2019, Horne was convicted at trial of three counts of sex trafficking minors by force, fraud or coercion. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Fax Line:(215) 861-8618. A lock ( Discovery Company. Smith also had sexual relations with the females who worked for him. 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. Justice At Work assists with recovering unpaid wages, obtaining lawful immigration status for individuals and their families, and connecting communities with resources that provide services victims of trafficking. The New Day Hotline is also available for 24/7 support to survivors and technical assistance to other professionals. Every action we take at home, form the clothing we wear to the food we eat, is connected to what happens around the world, Obama said. A Northeast Philadelphia hotel owner was ordered to pay $24 million to eight sex trafficking victims. PCA also conducts comprehensive assessments for children who are at risk or prevent red flags of being commercially sexually exploited. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement, Philadelphia Man Convicted Of Sex Trafficking A Child, Eastern District of Pennsylvanias U.S. Attorneys Office Hosts Presentation on Autism-Based Discrimination in Schools, Camps, and Childcare Facilities, One Leader of a Violent Sex Trafficking Gang Sentenced to Life and a Consecutive Ten Years Imprisonment, and a Gang Associate Sentenced to 37 years Imprisonment, Chester County Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Operating Pill Mill Out of Main Line Pain Clinic. Phone: 215-893-8400 As a city Philadelphia has major conventions and athletic events as well as many entertainment strips. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 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. 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. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth and you never know Smith gave each of his recruits a cellular telephone, which he paid for, and then included that phone number in the Backpage advertisement. WebHuman Trafficking Task Forces are a coalition of victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, community members, courts and other parties working to combat human The Salvation Armys New Day to Stop Trafficking Program An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL The Philadelphia Police Department learned of the prostitution operation by surveying Backpage advertisements and conducted an undercover sting operation at the premises in June 2011. 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. WebThe 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. The FBIs Philadelphia Field Division is investigating the case and received significant assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department. A lock ( Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Official websites use .gov Participating agencies of the Coalition discuss actionable steps towards improving city-wide efforts and collaboration to ensure that youth are able to access the multitude of services across systems throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA An official website of the United States government. 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. 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. In addition, PCA works closely with DHS to provide comprehensive assessments of children referred to DHS who are screened for concerns of being exploited. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. A Warner Bros. Media Contact Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Address: 990 Spring Garden Street, Suite 300,Philadelphia, PA 19123 Covenant House Justice At Work specializes in providing free legal representation to victims of labor trafficking as well as other communities of workers. Address: 600 Chestnut St., Suite 500B Philadelphia, PA 19106 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. Felts was detained pending trial this afternoon, joining his co-defendants, who are also in federal custody. Philadelphia, PA 19106, JENNIFER CRANDALL The indictment alleges that Felts ran a prostitution ring that recruited and enticed young females, including minors, 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. An official website of the United States government. The minor was rescued from Ossais vehicle after he was pulled over in Tinicum Township. Three Philadelphia men were charged, by a federal grand jury, in an indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of Why? The Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova University partners with organizations united against sex trafficking and CSE. Eastern District of Pennsylvania The dates would take place at the home that Smith leased and the females gave 100 percent of their cash earnings to Smith. 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