Sex Trafficking2023
United States
A married couple ran a scheme bringing Thai nationals to work at their Portland-area restaurants under fraudulent visas, then compelled their labor under the resulting debt. Accused: Tanya Jumroon and Paul Jumroon of Beaverton, Oregon.
CSEC2009
United States US
"For decades Portsmouth’s secret was an evolving red light district on the waterfront. Famous worldwide, locals talked about it in whispers. But in 1912 a 14-year old girl briefly told reporters about her abduction to a local brothel by an older woman. Although Portsmouth, NH had a thriving “combat zone”at the turn of the 20th century, it remained a hush-hush topic in the local media. Brothels on Water Street (now Marcy) in what is now the city’s gentrified waterfront were simply referred to in print as "houses." Female prostitutes, often underage, were called "inmates" according to one news report, or simply "women." The most explicit phrase of the era used in newspapers was "house of ill repute." Despite attempts to clean up the corrupt area in the Victorian era, local police conspired with bordello* and illegal bar owners to keep the red light district open and profitable. Police who attempted to clean up the area sometimes met a violent response. In 1912 a series of murders drew public attention to the situation in the South End and led to the closing of most houses of ill repute. During that summer a rare interview with a 14-year old girl appeared on the front page of a Portsmouth newspaper. Ethel Duffy was kidnapped while staying with friends in Dover, apparently drugged and brought to a Portsmouth bordello. Constance Perry, 25, her abductor, was held on $5,000 bail for what reporters called "white slavery.” Unable to place Duffy in a local bordello, Perry chose to solicit men on the Portsmouth streets who "assaulted" the girl as she stayed with Perry in a room on Deer Street. Police arrested two men who had reportedly paid Perry for access to the girl who was in "a pitiful condition" when she was brought to the police station. Ethel Duffy herself was held on a $500 bond to keep her available as a witness against Perry. Duffy’s published account, apparently in her own words, offers a rare glimpse inside the city’s flesh trade." From the Human Trafficking in New Hampshire Report issued by the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
CSEC2009
United States US
In August 2007, Marianne, a former victim advocate for a domestic violence crisis center located on the Seacoast, received a call from the National Human Trafficking Hotline in New York City. They called to report that a victim of human trafficking in her local area had contacted them asking for assistance. The victim was a 17-year-old woman who had been kidnapped from her native country 5 years before at the age of 12. She had been working for those 5 years as a sex slave in a house in New Hampshire with 5 other young women of similar age. She was seeking refuge and fortunately, in the 45-minute time window she had to get free, she had been able to reach the Trafficking Hotline and the Hotline had been able to reach Marianne. Marianne was told by the Hotline worker that the young woman had not eaten for 2-3 days and that she should be very cautious in feeding her -- only giving her moderate amounts of food and beverage while her system recovered from being starved. The Hotline worker also advised Marianne that the victim had been cut by her captors in the abdomen and might need emergency medical help. 15 After picking up the victim, Marianne connected with the Hotline to inform them of her success. The Hotline then contacted the American Council of Bishops in Washington, DC. There were two people on the line whom Marianne put on speaker phone in the shelter. They wanted to hear from the victim herself. Unfortunately, about two minutes into the call the speakers mentioned that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be contacted in the process of getting the victim help. Once the victim heard that, she started to pace the office and told Marianne that she wanted to leave. She ended up leaving the shelter and she never saw her again. Marianne stated that she knew at that moment that the mention of the word “immigration”had probably fulfilled a threat her captors had made to her. She concluded, The police didn’t find her. I never saw her again. I don’t know where she went or what happened to her. All I could think of was that she might have been forced to return to her captors in order to “feel safe” from what could happen to her in the “outside world.” I will never forget her. I pray for her and for her mother….and for the rest of the young women who were kidnapped and held against their will in that house in New Hampshire. As difficult as it is to believe that New Hampshire houses victims of human trafficking, I had evidence of such activity right before my eyes. She pointed out that she wasn’t able to protect her or to get her help, so the Commission’s work is very important for providing strong victim advocacy and protection in the future. The Demand for Trafficking in New Hampshire The crime of human sex trafficking can be characterized by a supply and demand relationship. The supply side of sex trafficking involves the men, women and children who are raped, beaten, and psychologically abused, only to then be sexually exploited and “sold” to others who often repeat this same violent cycle. The demand side of sex trafficking, on the other hand, is the 16 people (mostly men) who buy these services. Often referred to as “johns,” these men represent the demand that fuels this worldwide sex industry.