Human Trafficking

TALLAHASSEE -- Modern-day slavery is alive and well in Florida, the head of a human rights center said yesterday as it released a report on people forced to work as prostitutes, farmworkers, and maids across the state. Human traffickers bring thousands of people into the United States each year, and Florida is believed to be one of the top three destinations, along with New York and Texas, according to the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights at Florida State University. Although there have been several prosecutions of human trafficking in Florida, no one knows how many people in Florida...

A senior U.N. official says that as many as 2.4 million people may be victims of human trafficking worldwide at any given time. Yury Fedotov calls human trafficking "a shameful crime of modern-day slavery. " Fedotov is the head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. He was speaking Monday at an international conference focused on preventing the exploitation of illegal migrants and other crimes linked to human trafficking. Corruption is another concern of the meeting.

A senior U.N. official says that as many as 2.4 million people may be victims of human trafficking worldwide at any given time. Yury Fedotov calls human trafficking "a shameful crime of modern-day slavery. " Fedotov is the head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. He was speaking Monday at an international conference focused on preventing the exploitation of illegal migrants and other crimes linked to human trafficking. Corruption is another concern of the meeting.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole is scheduled to speak at a symposium on fighting human trafficking. Cole will give opening remarks Thursday at the two-day talk at Yale Law School. Yale Law School, the U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI are sponsoring "Trade of Innocents: A Global Perspective on Human Trafficking. " The symposium will feature panels about the work of law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations to detect, investigate and prosecute domestic and international human trafficking and feature a panel discussion about the making of a film, "Trade of...

U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole is scheduled to speak at a symposium on fighting human trafficking. Cole will give opening remarks Thursday at the two-day talk at Yale Law School. Yale Law School, the U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI are sponsoring "Trade of Innocents: A Global Perspective on Human Trafficking. " The symposium will feature panels about the work of law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations to detect, investigate and prosecute domestic and international human trafficking and feature a panel discussion about the making of a film, "Trade of...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - About 1,000 American-born children are forced into the sex trade in Ohio every year and about 800 immigrants are sexually exploited and pushed into sweatshop-type jobs, a new report on human trafficking in the state said yesterday. Ohio’s weak laws on human trafficking, its growing demand for cheap labor, and its proximity to the Canadian border are key contributors to the illegal activity, according to a report by the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission.

A human trafficking survivor will be the featured speaker at a conference on the topic in Auburn. Minh Dang will tell her personal story at Friday's conference, which is titled "Not Here. " The conference will include areas of interest for Maine law enforcement, health care professionals, social service agencies, faith-based organizations and community members. Maine is among the majority of states that outlaw human trafficking, the forced transfer of people for prostitution, factory work and other forms of forced labor.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration nearly doubled the number of countries that may face US sanctions for not doing enough to combat human trafficking yesterday, calling on those and other nations to take tough steps to eradicate the lucrative illicit practice. In its annual Trafficking in Persons report, the State Department identified 23 nations as failing to meet minimum international standards to curb trafficking, which claims mainly women and children as victims. That is up from 13 nations in 2010.

The arrest of a Dorchester man last month on charges that he kidnapped a 15-year-old girl and forced her into prostitution highlights a problem that has been addressed more aggressively in all but a handful of other states: human trafficking. Yesterday, the Massachusetts House unanimously approved a bill that would have the state join 46 others in banning human trafficking. The bill calls for treating some minors who are arrested for prostitution as victims instead of criminals.

SENATE PRESIDENT Therese Murray stood before grieving parents of missing children gathered at the State House last month and issued a heartfelt vow: “God, we will pass that human trafficking bill.’’ It was an emotional moment, and with good reason. After years of being among a dwindling number of states with no separate criminal penalties for coerced sex or labor, Massachusetts is on the cusp of enacting a tough new law to stop the effective enslavement of thousands of vulnerable individuals, including far too many children.

Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Friday the arrest of four individuals in East Boston and Chelsea accused of running a "sophisticated human trafficking operation. " The arrests are the first under the state's new human trafficking law. The alleged leaders of the ring, Rafael Henriquez, 39, and his wife, Ramona Carpio Hernandez, 50, were arrested Friday morning in East Boston. Authorities also arrested Milton Lopez-Martinez, 26, in East Boston, and Diego Suarez, 34 in Chelsea.

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Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery in this country. A century and a half later, people are still bought and sold — here in Boston. Attorney General Martha Coakley warns that human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in Massachusetts. The term "trafficking" evokes images of people smuggled across borders; but FBI, UN, and Congressional definitions describe any children, women, or men coerced into physical violence, mental abuse, and even death. Take a look (or don't)

The skeletal remains of a 14-year-old Ohio runaway who went missing in 1999 have been found after the home where she was last seen was demolished, according to police. The Lima News reports (http://bit.ly/wcPcgl) that Lima police on Saturday said the remains of Nicholle Coppler were found in a crawl space as the home's foundation was being dug out. Allen County Coroner Gary Beasley said they were identified through dental records. The home was owned by Glen Fryer, who had been suspected in Coppler's death.

As far as Audrey Porter is concerned, men who patronize prostitutes have been getting a free ride for far too long, and she won't have an ounce of sympathy when they begin to get what they deserve. You'd probably feel the same way if you, like Porter, had been lured into "the life" as an impressionable teenager, if your resume included turning tricks and stripping in the old Combat Zone and if you had spent most of the last decade counseling women trying to find a way out. So when she picked up a local newspaper yesterday - not the one you are currently reading - and saw a report saying some...

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent A prayer vigil will be held at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in Brighton on Sunday afternoon to raise awareness and pray for an end to human trafficking. Local Catholic Sisters from a variety of congregations in the Boston area will host the gathering, free and open to all interested participants, for the third year at the campus at 637 Cambridge St. "Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery," event organizers said in an announcement.

A New York man has been sentenced to serve a year in jail for his role in the first case prosecuted under Rhode Island's human trafficking law. The Providence Journal ( http://bit.ly/rqScb0) reports Yonkers resident Joseph Defeis pleaded no contest on Wednesday in Providence Superior Court to two counts of human trafficking and one count of simple assault as part of a plea agreement. He was accused of luring four women from New York to Rhode Island and forcing them into prostitution in 2008 and 2009.

Verizon backed away yesterday from plans to charge customers a $2 fee to pay their bills online or over the phone after receiving thousands of complaints, the latest victory in a wave of consumer activism that has roiled some of the nation's largest companies. The announcement came a day after the fee was made public. Consumer advocacy groups derided the charge as "pay to pay. " The fee also caught the eye of Verizon's regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, which had said it would look into the issue.

BEIJING - Chinese police arrested 608 suspects and rescued 178 children in busts of two child trafficking networks, authorities said yesterday. The Ministry of Public Security said prosecutors were preparing cases against the suspects. Its statement posted online said 5,000 police in 10 provinces cooperated for six months on the investigation and moved in to arrest the suspects last week. Child trafficking is big problem in China, where preference for male heirs and a strict one-child policy have driven a thriving market in baby boys, who fetch a considerably...