Sex Trafficking in Minnesota: A Call to Action

Sex Trafficking in Minnesota: A Call to Action 1 A s s o c i a t i o n o f M i n n e s o t a C o u n t i e s A n n u a l C o n f e r e n c e D e c e m b e r 9, 2 0 1 4 J O H N J. C H O I, R A M S E Y C O U N T Y A T T O R N E Y D A V E P I N T O, A S S I S T A N T R A M S E Y C O U N T Y A T T O R N E Y D I R E C T O R, S A F E H A R B O R T R A I N I N G & P R O T O C O L D E V E L O P M E N T

2 Not My Life (2013), Worldwide Documentaries.

What people think: prostitution 3 Voluntary Glamorous

What people think: sex trafficking 4 Immediate violence Immediate fear Kidnapping / abduction Crossing borders and movement

Sexual exploitation & trafficking: the reality Psychological as much as physical control Coercive, damaging Pervasive: likely hundreds of thousands of children across the U.S. More than half of people enter prostitution as children, at an average age of 13 5

Sex trafficking in America 6

Sexual exploitation & trafficking Sexual exploitation sexually exploited youth prostitution exchange of sex for money, food, shelter, drugs, or something else of value sexual assault (or other sex crime) stripping or pornography Sex trafficking = prostitution involving a third person third person may recruit, control, obtain, transport, profit, etc. can be accomplished by any means violence, force, fraud, coercion need not be present (though usually are) 7

Sex trafficking as a system 8 Traffickers Sex Buyers Victims

Revenues Traffickers money and control Five sex acts per night, $100 each Seven nights per week, $15,000 per month Expenses One-time fees: $50 for prepaid phone & minutes, $5 per prepaid card $7 per online ad No money to the girl (little to no food, shelter, or clothing) Compare to selling drugs Lower expenses Less risk of being caught Re-sell the product over and over Easily replace the product if taken 9

Sex trafficking as a system 10 Traffickers $$$ Sex Buyers Highly motivated Victims

1. Targeting 2. Tricking 3. Turning 4. Traumatizing Obtaining and using victims 11 Stefania Agliano & Bryan Hall, I AM Empowerment Group

1. Targeting who? Young people with disabilities or mental illness Physically or sexually abused Addicted to drugs Homeless or runaway Pregnant In the foster system Lacking relationships, support, or engagement with school or work 12

Young people of color Native youth 1. Targeting who? 75% of Mpls child trafficking investigations involve Native victims vs. less than 2% of the city s population LGBT Usually girls, but also boys and transgender youth 13

14 Every child feels insecure at some point. Any child is vulnerable.

Personal interactions 1. Targeting where? Public places: mall, library, bus stop, school, churches Within friends and families Internet Social media Relationship and chat websites Anyone is reachable from anywhere 15

2. Tricking Be charming and flattering Meet her basic needs (food, shelter) Treat her to nice things Become her boyfriend 16

3. Turning Begin to blend affection and control Once she s committed to the relationship, present her with a financial problem Rely on the loyalty and emotional control that has been built Arrange a date for her with a close friend Once she turns her first trick, her self-esteem has been broken 17

You ll start to dress her, think for her, own her. If you and your victim are sexually active, slow it down. After sex, take her shopping for one item. Hair and/or nails is fine. She ll develop a feeling of accomplishment. The shopping after a month will be replaced with cash. The love making turns into raw sex. She ll start to crave the intimacy and be willing to get back into your good graces. After you have broken her spirit, she has no sense of self-value. Now pimp, put a price tag on the item you have manufactured. -The Pimp Game 18 Dr. Jeffrey Barrows, Executive Director, Graceland

4. Traumatizing Keep her dependent for affection, finances, safety Isolate her from friends and family Limit her access to food, clothing, money Trauma bond through threats and violence Don t allow her to come back without meeting her quota Make her compete with others for approval Convince her to recruit others 19

Text messages from trafficker to girlfriend 20 March 30, 2:12 PM March 30, 2:27 PM March 30, 2:42 PM Juz do as I say and stop worrying about these stupid dumb bitchs I may fuck wit time to time for money! Like I said how ever safe we can get money we will an any means foe rite now look out for us and get sum body I can get a little extra change from! Juz get in cool wit a girl and find out lil things about them and also tell them a lil about me. Find out they like girls, or if they're in a unhappy relationship or even if they're in a relationship! U know how u females talk! But we it comes down to it its all about tryna get something out them bitchs

Mapping the Market for Sex with Minor Trafficked Girls: Structures, Functions and Processes. Martin and Pierce (2014). Othayonih Research & UMN s Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC). Support provided by the Women s Foundation of Minnesota. 21

Sex trafficking as a system 22 Traffickers Highly motivated $$$ Sex Buyers Sophisticated methods of manipulation Highly vulnerable Victims

Copyright Breaking Free, Inc. 2014 23

Laura Coulter, Portraits of Exploitation, Prism Magazine. Copyright Breaking Free, Inc. 2014 24

Victims what trafficking does to them Extremely dangerous high fatality rate Trauma Drug addiction, mental illness Effects of repeated sexual violence Low self-esteem and self-worth Economic instability and poverty Cut off from family, friends, positive community engagement 27

Victims how they respond 28 Negative experiences Survival mechanisms Response Home, school, community Lack of response from social services or criminal justice system Self-reliance Participation in other crimes Guarded demeanor Nondisclosure Noncooperation Hostility to system Loyalty to trafficker

Sex trafficking as a system 29 Traffickers Highly motivated Marketing $$$ Sex Buyers Sophisticated methods of manipulation and abuse Highly vulnerable Victims

Victims where they are sold On the streets In hotels and apartment complexes On public transportation Truck stops Massage parlors Casinos Wherever major gatherings take place Sporting events Hunting Online Formerly Craigslist.com Backpage.com, MyProvider, Escort Contact, etc. 30

What do these men have in common? 32 Police chief Legislator Hospital CEO

Busted for paying for sex in Minnesota 33

Buyers who are they? 34 Men Old/young Single/married Employed Ten Buyers Arrested in Prostitution Sting

Sex trafficking as a system 35 Traffickers Highly motivated Marketing $$$ Sex Buyers Highly resourced Sophisticated methods of manipulation and abuse Commercial sexual abuse Highly vulnerable Victims Highly vulnerable

Buyers excerpts from online reviews 36

Sex trafficking as a system 37 Traffickers Highly motivated Marketing $$$ Sex Buyers Highly resourced Sophisticated methods of manipulation and abuse Commercial sexual abuse

Victim-centered approach What it is and why it is important Trauma-informed and spectrum of victimization Re-definition and focus on criminal targets Better victim participation and prosecution practices and outcomes 38 Improved partnerships between law enforcement and victim organizations Maturation of public policy and protocols

Victim-centered approach Minnesota Safe Harbor Law of 2011 2013 Minnesota state legislative appropriation of $2.8 million 2014 Minnesota state legislature INCREASES appropriation to $5 million (FY 2015) Increased funding for the Minnesota Department of Human Services to award as grants for shelter and housing: $500,000 in FY14, $1 million in FY15 and $2 million in FY16/17. Funding for the Minnesota Department of Health to award as grants for comprehensive services for at-risk individuals or victims of trafficking: $1 million in FY15, $2 million in FY16/17. Now known nationally as the Minnesota model 39

Statewide prosecution outcomes 41

Safe Harbor Changes in child protection and criminal laws System of regional navigators connecting victims with services Protocols for identification and response Training for law enforcement and other systems professionals 42

Child protection and criminal laws Juveniles may no longer be arrested for or charged with prostitution They are now treated as victims and directed to the child protection system 43 Involvement in prostitution is a mandatory report, regardless of whether the perpetrator is in a position of authority Buying sex from juvenile is now a felony Increased penalties for traffickers

No Wrong Door system No Wrong Door system centered in MN Department of Health 44 Lauren Ryan, Statewide Director Eight regional navigators Connect victims with services and housing Help to build a regional response Day One hotline: 24 hours, immediate services (866) 223-1111

45 Safe Harbor Regions

No Wrong Door system No Wrong Door system centered in MN Department of Health 46 Lauren Ryan, Statewide Director Eight regional navigators Connect victims with services and housing Help to build a regional response Day One hotline: 24 hours, immediate services (866) 223-1111 Grants for housing and supportive services Training and protocol development

Training and protocol development Legislative direction to Ramsey County Attorney s Office: 47 Develop a statewide model protocol for systems professionals on identifying and intervening with exploited (and at-risk) youth Disseminate best practices to systems professionals Develop and deliver training to law enforcement and prosecutors

Training and protocol development Protocols customized for and designed by individual communities Statewide model led by MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault Resource for communities to use to develop their own protocol Input Multidisciplinary workgroups child protection, juvenile corrections, medical, judges, law enforcement, etc. Feedback from survivors, youth, judges, & cultural populations Output: Model tools, checklists, and other resources Not a fill-in-the-blanks template Parallel processes, reinforcing one another 48

Statewide training Prosecutors and child protection attorneys Awareness videos (early 2015) MN County Attorneys Association conference (fall 2015) Law enforcement 49

Law enforcement training Agency champions BCA Sex Trafficking Conferences for Investigators (2014 & 2015) Core team One-day live trainings throughout the state (2015) Every officer in the state Roll call videos (early 2015) Awareness cards 50

Statewide training Other systems professionals Statewide Safe Harbor Kickoff Conference (April 2014) Training for human services staff by The Link (2015) Awareness videos (early 2015) 51 Regional one-day multidisciplinary conferences, cosponsored by MN Department of Health (2015) Northeast: January 23 Southwest: March 12 West Central: May Southeast: September Others

Improving Lives & Saving Money 52 Government dollars only $34 dollars saved for every $1 invested www.miwrc.org/system/uploaded_fi les/0000/0147/benefit-cost- Study_Full_Report_9-4-2012.pdf

Swimming Upstream 53

My Hope 54

Questions? 55 John J. Choi Ramsey County Attorney Dave Pinto Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Director, Safe Harbor Training & Protocol Development (651) 266-2739 david.pinto@co.ramsey.mn.us