Contrary to what many people believe, human trafficking is not the process of transporting people against their will. It is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person to engage in illicit or illegal activity, such as sex work or forced labor. Examples of forced labor include farming, mining, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and even forced marriage. In the United States, the most common form of coercion is sexual in nature, with domestic servitude being the second most common.
January was National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. According to the U.S. State Department’s website, the goal is to raise awareness and to educate the public about how to identify and prevent this abhorrent criminal activity. This includes raising awareness of human trafficking both domestically and abroad, through U.S. embassies and consulates.
Human trafficking is a global crisis. According to the International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization dedicated to combating human trafficking, millions of men, women, and children are trapped in modern-day slavery around the world. In India, for example, entire families are coerced into forced labor, including in rice mills and garment factories, working up to twenty hours a day. In the Dominican Republic, women and children are lured into sex trafficking with false promises of gifts or a good-paying job. In the Philippines, children as young as two are sexually abused live for anyone in the world to watch through illicit websites.
To combat human trafficking in all its forms will require the cooperation of foreign governments, law enforcement officials, survivor advocates, communities of faith, not-for-profit support groups and private citizens all over the world.
In 2023, according to statistics posted on the IJM website, www.ijm.org, an estimated 49.6 million people are being subjected to slavery, with about one million in the United States. Human trafficking generates about $15 billion a year in profits, with two-thirds of that coming from commercial sexual exploitation.
Here on Long Island, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, dated September 2023, an eleven-count indictment was unsealed in Federal Court in Central Islip, alleging sex trafficking by force of a minor and interstate prostitution. According to the indictment, the defendants coerced victims to engage in prostitution through the threat of violence.
The Messenger recently spoke to Matthew Okerblom, a Long Island-based volunteer with the IJM.
“As a volunteer, I do not work directly with survivors, but I am part of a team that provides awareness, support, and advocacy for the work being done,” said Okerblom. “The IJM has partnerships with local churches and organizations, and we host fundraising events that support governmental advocacy, and other projects that combat human trafficking.”
The production of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) plagues communities worldwide, and the Philippines has been identified as a global epicenter for CSEM production, especially via livestreaming. In March 2021, the IJM launched a project to measure the prevalence of the production of CSEM in the Philippines and evidence suggests that this form of trafficking and exploitation in the Philippines is very high.
Child sex offenders can now abuse children anywhere using the world wide web. As high-speed internet has spread across much of the globe, offenders have adopted it as an additional method through which to exploit children.
“This is one example of how the IJM can support law enforcement, by helping to provide data and evidence,” says Okerblom.
Online crimes against children occur in many forms, including sharing of images, sextortion, and trafficking. However, reliable evidence on these crimes is lacking, making prosecution difficult. Accurate information about the nature and scale of these crimes is critical for interventions by law enforcement.
The Messenger also had an opportunity to discuss human trafficking with Corinne Giordano, Director of Multidisciplinary Team Services for The Safe Center Long Island. The Safe Center LI, https://www.tscli.org/, is an organization that offers free, confidential, and specialized services for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault. Some of the services offered include counselling, advocacy, case management, and legal services.
When discussing victims or potential victims of human trafficking, Giordano pointed out potential victims are typically adolescents who are “vulnerable to false promises of gifts or money, in return for engaging in illicit activity, such as prostitution or labor.” They could be “people of low self-esteem who are susceptible to this kind of influence.”
According to Giordano, parents and caregivers should be mindful of the signs a child could be involved with trafficking, such as a sudden change in behavior, unexplained absences, or acquiring gifts that can’t be accounted for. Safe Center Long Island has a 24-hour hot line, which is (516) 465-9313.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Long Island is in the top twenty jurisdictions in the nation impacted by human trafficking. Also, according to IJM’s website, 71% of human trafficking victims are female, with the average age of sexual exploitation in the U.S. being 12-14 years old.
In 2022, here on Long Island, the Safe Center responded to 6,000 calls from survivors and community members seeking guidance and services. In addition, there were 900 allegations of child abuse through referrals to their Child Advocacy Center. Giordano also highlighted that the Safe Center actively engages in community outreach education, conducting 1,331 training sessions in 2022. They also provide group therapy and legal services, says Giordano.
When discussing human trafficking on Long Island, both Giordano and Okerblom gave as examples strip clubs and massage parlors. While these businesses appear legitimate, there may be illicit activity behind the scenes, where women are coerced into sexual activity, through intimidation or even fear of deportation, should they be undocumented. Victims can be children as well as adults, and include all genders, ethnicity, communities, and backgrounds, states Giordano.
There is evidence that elected officials are strengthening laws to combat and address Human Trafficking. On February 8, 2016, President Obama signed Megan’s Law, requiring, among other things, a “unique identifier” to be placed on the passports of registrants convicted of sex offenses involving a minor. The law also requires some offenders to notify law enforcement twenty-one days before traveling abroad. In addition to Megan’s Law, New York State has also taken action over the past several years. Examples include:
– Anti-Human Trafficking Law (2007) – This law criminalizes sex and labor trafficking in the state, including the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
– Safe Harbor for Exploited Children Act (2008) – The purpose of this law is to remove commercially sexually exploited children from the jurisdiction of the justice system and treat them as victims, providing social services and counselling.
– Vacating Convictions Law (2010) – Sex trafficking victims can seek to vacate a conviction for prostitution or loitering, if underage or can prove involvement was related to sex trafficking.
– Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act (TVPJA) (2015) – Changes the law making sex trafficking a Class B violent felony. Develops protocols to strengthen law enforcement awareness and assistance, including using wiretaps.
When contacted by email, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) released this statement: “Despite common misconceptions, human trafficking is happening every day across the country, including Suffolk County. Children and other particularly vulnerable individuals who struggle with poverty, lack of a support system, mental illness, or addiction are most commonly targeted by traffickers who seek to profit from their vulnerability.”
The press release noted that the DA’s Office has created a specialized unit, which is designed to oversee human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. The goals of the unit include working collaboratively with other law enforcement agencies and victim service agencies on investigations using a victim-centered approach, providing community education and training, and holding traffickers accountable through successful prosecutions.
When discussing human trafficking with Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon (R-Rocky Point), of the Sixth District, Lennon pointed out the connection between the current border crisis and human trafficking.
“The current border situation is the perfect opportunity for traffickers to prey on vulnerable victims,” stated Lennon.
Indeed, according to an article by Hannah Davis of the Heritage Foundation, dated March 2023, human trafficking has increased massively in the last fiscal year, with close to 72% of those trafficked in the U.S. being illegal immigrants. According to a study by the Coalition Against Trafficking, an estimated 60% of unaccompanied alien children, or UACs, are caught by cartels and exploited through child pornography and drug trafficking.
Other websites that offer information and statistics on human trafficking are
Ending Modern Slavery – Free the Slaves and Global Slavery Index | Walk Free.
ECLI Vibes, SERVICES — ECLI-VIBES (eclivibes.org), in Islandia, is dedicated to aiding victims of domestic abuse and trauma.
