The migrants were found trapped inside a sweltering shipping container that was stopped near a town in Uvalde County, according to officials.
Tag Archives: Human Trafficking
On Italy’s Coast, Empathy Mixes With Frustration After Migrant Tragedy
As bodies continue washing up in a poverty-stricken part of Calabria, some local residents wonder whether a hard-line government understands what drives migration.
Teens can proactively block their nude images from Instagram, OnlyFans
Enlarge (credit: Peter Dazeley | The Image Bank)
Over the past few years, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) saw worrying trends indicating that teen sextortion is on the rise online and, in extreme cases, leads to suicides. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of sextortion cases reported on NCMEC’s online tipline more than doubled. At the start of 2022, nearly 80 percent of those cases involved teens suffering financial sextortion—pressured to send cash or gift cards or else see their sexualized images spread online.
NCMEC already manages a database that works to stop the spread of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), but that tool wouldn’t work for confused teens ashamed of struggling with sextortion, because it gathers information with every report that is not anonymized. Teens escaping sextortion needed a different kind of tool, NCMEC realized, one that removed all shame from the reporting process and worked more proactively, allowing minors to anonymously report sextortion before any of their images are ever circulated online.
Today, NCMEC officially launched that tool—Take It Down. Since its soft launch in December, already more than 200 people have used it to block uploads or remove images of minors shared online, NCMEC’s communications and brand vice president, Gavin Portnoy, told Ars.
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Dozens Drowned as Migrant Boat Breaks Up Near Italian Beach
High waves and strong winds dashed a wooden boat against rocks on the coast of Calabria, in southern Italy, killing at least 59 migrants.
This Charity Fights Sex Trafficking. Bureaucracy Might Doom It.
GEMS is one of the most respected providers of aid to young victims of sexual exploitation. But New York City’s antiquated payment system is putting its future at risk.
Ringleader of Sex Cult at Sarah Lawrence College Gets 60-Year Sentence
Lawrence Ray was convicted of extortion, sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and other charges.
How Britain Turned ‘Modern Slavery’ Law Against Low-Level Drug Dealers
A law written to prevent human trafficking is being wielded against low-level drug dealers. The effects are long-lasting.
Hackathon finds dozens of Ukrainian refugees trafficked online
Earlier this year, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 3 million refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine were “at heightened risk of exploitation.” Human trafficking cases, they warned, involved refugees more likely to leave home suddenly without secure financial resources and “less likely to be identified in the immediate aftermath of mass displacement.” Since February, the European Union announced that the number is even larger, counting more than 5.4 million people who “have arrived in the European Union since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.”
“All relevant stakeholders have recognized that the threat of trafficking in human beings is high and imminent,” EU’s human trafficking plan states. Since women and children represent the majority of refugees fleeing, the plan says they are believed to be most at risk.
To respond, the EU began monitoring online and offline human trafficking risks, and experts called for countries across Europe to start working together to shield refugees during this uncertain time of conflict. This week, the EU’s law enforcement agency focused on cybercrimes, Europol, reported that it had done exactly that by coordinating the first online EU-wide hackathon.
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Human trafficking’s newest abuse: Forcing victims into cyberscamming
Enlarge (credit: Aitor Diago via Getty Images)
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The ads on the Telegram messaging service’s White Shark Channel this summer had the matter-of-fact tone and clipped phrasing you might find on a Craigslist posting. But this Chinese-language forum, which had some 5,700 users, wasn’t selling used Pelotons or cleaning services. It was selling human beings—in particular, human beings in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and other cities in southeast Asia.
“Selling a Chinese man in Sihanoukville just smuggled from China. 22 years old with ID card, typing very slow,” one ad read, listing $10,000 as the price. Another began: “Cambodia, Sihanoukville, six Bangladeshis, can type and speak English.” Like handbills in the days of American slavery, the channel also included offers of bounties for people who had run away. (After an inquiry from ProPublica, Telegram closed the White Shark Channel for “distributing the private information of individuals without consent.” But similar forums still operate freely.)
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Mo Farah Documentary Puts Spotlight on U.K.’s Hard-line Policy
Experts hope the running star’s revelations will humanize migrants’ struggles, but they don’t expect policy changes in a country that is trying to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
R. Kelly, R&B Star Who Long Evaded Justice, Is Sentenced to 30 Years
The prison term marks the culmination of Mr. Kelly’s stunning downfall. In court, the women he victimized gave wrenching accounts. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be whole,” one said.
Maxwell Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison as Epstein Case Nears Its End
Prosecutors said the harm inflicted by Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-abuse scheme was “incalculable.” A victim said she was driven to attempt suicide. Ms. Maxwell did not apologize.
‘Ghost Flights’? The Facts Behind Transporting Migrant Children
Government flights carrying undocumented children from the border to federally licensed shelters around the country are being criticized by conservative politicians in an election year.
Prosecutors Ask That Ghislaine Maxwell Spend at Least 30 Years in Prison
Ms. Maxwell, who was convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein recruit and abuse girls for years, blamed her behavior on him and her deceased father.
QAnon Joins Vigilantes at the Southern Border
Far-right activists are intercepting migrant children and collecting information about their families, based on an unfounded conspiracy theory that they are falling prey to sex-trafficking rings.
U.K. Plans to Send Some Asylum Seekers to Rwanda
Britain says it will fly many refugees thousands of miles to the central African country for processing and resettlement, a significant hardening of migration policy.
U.K. Plans to Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda for Processing
Some people seeking refuge in Britain would be flown thousands of miles to the central African country, a significant hardening of migration policy.
Sarah Lawrence Cult Leader Convicted of Trafficking and Extortion
In 2010, Lawrence V. Ray moved into his daughter’s dormitory, gathered a circle of young followers around himself and began years of domination.
Juror’s Error Did Not Affect Ghislaine Maxwell Verdict, Judge Rules
The juror’s statements to the media had clouded the sex-trafficking conviction of Ms. Maxwell, a longtime companion of Jeffrey Epstein.
Sarah Lawrence Cult Jury Hears From Key Witness: ‘I Became a Prostitute’
Claudia Drury offered an inside account of how, she said, Lawrence V. Ray controlled her and other college students.
An India Family’s Fatal Crossing on the U.S. Border
A family from India froze to death just yards away from crossing into the United States from Canada. Desperate migrants are trying their luck on the northern border.
How Sex-Trafficking Couple Gained Access to Women in Foster Care
A Bronx couple used foster care to exploit vulnerable young women, prosecutors and a woman who had been placed in their home said.
Prince Andrew Has Paid Settlement to Virginia Giuffre, Her Lawyer Says
A request for dismissal, which still requires a judge’s signature, would resolve a lawsuit filed by Ms. Giuffre last year that accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
Accused Leader in Sarah Lawrence Cult Case Is Set to Stand Trial
For about 10 years, Lawrence V. Ray abused and extorted a group of his daughter’s classmates at the college, prosecutors say.
‘Chained Woman’ Spurs Social Media Movement in China
The woman became a symbol of injustice and authorities’ incompetence in fighting human trafficking, posing a credibility challenge to an omnipotent government.
2 Men Sentenced in Sex-Trafficking Ring That Preyed on Teenage Girls
Five members of a family-run operation trafficked girls between Mexico and Queens and pushed them into prostitution.
Married Couple Charged With Sex Trafficking Adult Fost
Prosecutors in Manhattan say Kareem and Sharice Mitchell trafficked eight women, including two whom Ms. Mitchell had taken in as foster children.
Belgium Convicts 18 in People-Smuggling Case Tied to U.K. Truck Deaths
A Belgian court convicted a man said to have been the leader of a human trafficking operation that resulted in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in 2019. More than a dozen others were also found guilty.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Bid for a New Trial Faces a Major Hurdle
The rule that a trial judge cannot ask what happened in the jury room could block an attempt by Ms. Maxwell’s lawyers to overturn the verdict.
Gaetz’s Ex-Girlfriend Testifies Before Federal Grand Jury
The development suggests that the Justice Department may have secured a key witness in its child sex trafficking investigation of Representative Matt Gaetz.
Ghislane Maxwell Prosecutors Seek Inquiry Into Juror’s Selection
A juror who voted to convict Ghislaine Maxwell on sex-trafficking charges told news outlets he disclosed during deliberations that he had been sexually abused.
Woman Suing Prince Andrew for Abuse Settled With Epstein for $500,000
The prince’s lawyers are expected to argue that Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s suit should be dismissed because of the earlier settlement’s terms.
Woman Suing Prince Andrew for Abuse Settled With Jeffrey Epstein for $500,000
The prince’s lawyers are expected to argue that Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s suit should be dismissed because of the earlier settlement’s terms.
Maxwell Prosecutors Won Their Case but Shed Little New Light on Epstein
Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial was expected to be a potential courthouse blockbuster. Those hoping for that were almost surely disappointed.
Indonesia Accepts Stranded Refugee Boat After Vowing to Turn It Away
The boat was being towed ashore with more than 100 Rohingya refugees on board. Indonesia initially said it would turn the vessel away, but relented under pressure from rights groups.
Ghislaine Maxwell Jury’s Hours Extended Over Risks of Virus and Mistrial
Judge Alison Nathan said she was worried that the pandemic could cause a mistrial in the Ghislaine Maxwell case if jurors or participants had to quarantine.
No Verdict Yet, So Ghislaine Maxwell Jury Is Given a Holiday Break
Jurors in Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial have given no indication of their progress toward a verdict. Deliberations are to resume on Monday.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Fate in Hands of Jury as Deliberations Begin
Prosecutors painted Maxwell as deeply complicit in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse in closing arguments, while Ms. Maxwell’s defense challenged the credibility of her accusers.
Defense Rests in Ghislaine Maxwell Trial
Ms. Maxwell chose not to testify, and her lawyers called a handful of witnesses whose testimony sought to poke holes in the accounts of her accusers.
The Photos That Ghislaine Maxwell Didn’t Want the Jury to See
Photos displayed during Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial show her in an apparently happy relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, her notorious former companion.
India’s Supreme Court Mandates Benefits for Sex Workers
Officials must enter them into databases for voting and benefits, the judges said, after they suffered from the effects of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Officer Is Charged With Protecting Prostitution Ring in Exchange for Sex
Prosecutors say Wayne Peiffer, a police officer in Brewster, N.Y., had women from sex-trafficking and prostitution rings brought to him at the police station.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s Unusual Request: Allow Anonymous Defense Witnesses
Three of Ms. Maxwell’s accusers testified anonymously. Now her lawyers are asking that three defense witnesses also be able to conceal their identities.
Will Ghislaine Maxwell Testify at Her Sex-Trafficking Trial?
Veteran defense lawyers, including one who defended Kyle Rittenhouse, said the risk Ms. Maxwell would take by testifying probably outweighs any potential reward.
Four Takeaways From the 8th Day of Ghislaine Maxwell’s Trial
A former pilot and a former assistant at Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach home testified, as prosecutors sought to bolster the accounts of Ms. Maxwell’s accusers.
Third Accuser Says Epstein and Maxwell Preyed on Her as a Troubled Teen
The accuser, who testified under her first name, Carolyn, described being preyed upon as an especially vulnerable child.
A Meeting With Maxwell Led to Years of Sex With Epstein, Accuser Says
A woman identified only as “Kate” told jurors at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial that Ms. Maxwell leveraged their friendship to encourage her to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Trial of Ghislaine Maxwell
After the death of Jeffrey Epstein, what kind of justice is possible without him?
Partners or Partners in Crime? Maxwell-Epstein Bond Is Key to Her Trial
The first week of testimony at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial revealed the key question at the center of the case.
Ghislaine Maxwell Brought Strict Rules to Epstein Home, Ex-Employee Says
Testifying at Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial, a former manager of Jeffrey Epstein’s Florida estate said she instructed: “Never look at his eyes.”