Bonded Labor2009
United States US
Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev, 30, Nodir Yunusov, 22, Rustamjon Shukurov, 21, citizens of Uzbekistan living in Mission; Ilkham Fazilov, 44, Nodirbek Abdoollayev, 27, citizens of Uzbekistan living in Kansas City; Viorel Simon, 27, Alexandru Frumasache , 23, citizens of Moldova living in Kansas City, Kan.; Kristin Dougherty, 49, of Ellisville, Mo.; Andrew Cole, 53, of St. Charles, Mo.; Abdukakhar Azizkhodjaev, 49, a citizen of Uzbekistan living in Panama City, Fla.; and Sandjar Agzamov, 27, and Jakhongir Kakhkharov, 29, citizens of Uzbekistan who recently left the United States
Sex Trafficking2011
United States US
Charles Ford, a Las Vegas man, was found guilty of repeatedly raping and forcing a Canadian tourist to work as a prostitute. Ford was convicted in April 2011 by a Clark County jury. During the trial, the victim testified she had been a prostitute as a teenager, had stopped for many years as an adult and had raised a family. She decided to go on vacation from her home in Alberta, Canada, to the U.S. While she was staying in Los Angeles she decided to earn money for herself as a prostitute. At that point, she met another prostitute along Sunset Boulevard, Annette Dennis. The two women struck up a conversation and the victim agreed to drive Dennis to Las Vegas. Then when they got to Las Vegas, Dennis' boyfriend, who was known as "T," introduced the Canadian woman to his friend, "Charlie Mac," the name used by Defendant Charles Ford. Prosecutors say that through threats and intimidation and with information gathered by Dennis, Ford coerced the Canadian woman into working as a prostitute for him, making about $2,500 for him over two nights. The victim said Ford gathered personal information about her, got access to her driver's license and her laptop computer, isolated her, monitored her phone calls and e-mails and sexually assaulted her from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3. Although the woman initially refused to "break" to Ford as her pimp, he told her he had information on her adult children and they would suffer the consequences if she didn't comply. Al Beas, a Metro vice detective who is an expert in the subculture of prostitution, told the jury about intimidation and psychological techniques pimps use to get a prostitute under their control.He also said it was easier for a pimp to get a woman who had previously been a prostitute under his control than a woman who had never sold sexual favors. He said a former prostitute was "almost like an addict being put back on drugs." The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Michelle Fleck, explained to the jury that those psychological techniques were the same ones used against the Canadian woman — shame, fear, humiliation and isolation.
Sex Trafficking2011
United States US
The victim walked over to a Casino Hotel and saw a man dressed in what she thought was a police uniform and told him what had been happening to her. She said the man was not an officer, but was with the Taxicab Authority. However he took her inside and Metro Police were contacted.