Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Juan Balderas-Orosco and Maria Camacho Teran are being charged for transportation for prostitution, importation of illegal aliens and conspiracy to smuggle, transport and harbor illegal aliens. The two were part of prostitution ring from November 2002 to June 2006. They sneaked hundreds of women mainly from Latin America in the U.S. to rotate them among brothels in Austin. Most of the women were illegal immigrants. Survivors claim that all of their earnings were kept.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
The 21-month investigation used confidential informants, court approved wiretaps, and GPS tracking to identify those involved with the sex trafficking ring. Information about the criminal activity first surfaced in April 2004 when the Eastside Narcotics Task Force raided the Apple Spa in Bellevue after determining it was a front for prostitution. Both KANG, JIANG, and ZHU had been involved in the operation of the Apple Spa. ZHU was deported to China as an illegal alien, but quickly returned illegally to the United States. KANG and JIANG failed to show up for deportation hearings. In December 2004, FBI agents in Portland learned KANG had resurfaced there and was operating a brothel. In the midst of the investigation in May 2005, KANG returned to Seattle and opened a brothel. In various conversations with confidential sources or on wiretapped telephone calls, conspirators discussed how the Asian women had been smuggled into the United States. KANG told one confidential informant that women were being smuggled into the U.S. in shipping containers, paying fees to smugglers of as much as $50,000. The investigation determined that some of the women were smuggled into the U.S. by illegally crossing the border from Canada. The women had to pay off their debts to the smugglers by working in brothels in cities across the country. One of the conspirators was recorded in a phone conversation saying she had lost a lot of money when smuggled women fled without working off their debt. Law enforcement was able to track tens of thousands of dollars going from the U.S. to possible smuggling “agents” in China who arrange for the women to be smuggled into the country. The investigation determined women working in the brothels were citizens of China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Laos. The investigation is continuing into the brothel network in other U.S. cities.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
The 21-month investigation used confidential informants, court approved wiretaps, and GPS tracking to identify those involved with the sex trafficking ring. Information about the criminal activity first surfaced in April 2004 when the Eastside Narcotics Task Force raided the Apple Spa in Bellevue after determining it was a front for prostitution. Both KANG, JIANG, and ZHU had been involved in the operation of the Apple Spa. ZHU was deported to China as an illegal alien, but quickly returned illegally to the United States. KANG and JIANG failed to show up for deportation hearings. In December 2004, FBI agents in Portland learned KANG had resurfaced there and was operating a brothel. In the midst of the investigation in May 2005, KANG returned to Seattle and opened a brothel. In various conversations with confidential sources or on wiretapped telephone calls, conspirators discussed how the Asian women had been smuggled into the United States. KANG told one confidential informant that women were being smuggled into the U.S. in shipping containers, paying fees to smugglers of as much as $50,000. The investigation determined that some of the women were smuggled into the U.S. by illegally crossing the border from Canada. The women had to pay off their debts to the smugglers by working in brothels in cities across the country. One of the conspirators was recorded in a phone conversation saying she had lost a lot of money when smuggled women fled without working off their debt. Law enforcement was able to track tens of thousands of dollars going from the U.S. to possible smuggling “agents” in China who arrange for the women to be smuggled into the country. The investigation determined women working in the brothels were citizens of China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Laos. The investigation is continuing into the brothel network in other U.S. cities.
Sex Trafficking2006
Australia AU
Mr. Dobie tried to recruit 4 women under false pretenses from Thailand. 2 arrived in Australia, expecting to work in the sex industry,but upon arrival, both were forced to have sex with clients for whom Mr. Dobie received the money. Upon asking to leave this work, they were told they would be arrested if they left, as he was their vias sponsor. The police arrested him, He was charged with and later pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in persons (deceptive recruitment),4 counts of presenting false information to an immigration officer,and one count of dealing in the proceeds of crime.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
The case was investigated by ICE Special Agents from the New York Office of Investigations, with assistance provided by ICE Special Agents from the New Jersey and Mexico City offices, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Department of State, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, and officials of the Mexican Prosecutor General of the Republic.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
In December of 2006, Eagan Detective Kurt Bratulich, who worked as a Police Liaison at one of the victim's schools, learned about the case after a victim confided in him. The victim came forward about the prostitution ring operating out of a townhouse at the time. From the tip, investigators were able to execute a warrant of the townhouse. Unfortunately Reisdorf had already packed up and police were unable to find any useful information. After more interviews from victims, Detective Bratulich was able to build a strong case and by March of 2007, the FBI got involved. Because the internet and the soliciting of juveniles were involved, the investigation turned into a federal case. Reisdorf continued to post services on Craigslist. After more interviews from victims and tracing Reisdorf's ads to her computer, by June of 2007, investigators learned she was securing rooms for service at a Burnsville motel where she worked. Reisdorf was eventually arrested in June of 2007 at her Eagan home when a search warrant was executed.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
There were 31 arrests made, reported by the Associated Press on August 16, 2006, with no details regarding the traffickers, other than the fact that it was connected with a Korean couple in New York City. Some of the charges brought against the 31 suspects include "conspiracy to engage in human trafficking, prostitution, and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens."* *sourced: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208838,00.html
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
The Pacifica Police Department reported that Kwor "Tommy" Chou, 29, of Colorado and Ri Luo, 41, of Oakland were arrested on suspicion of felony pimping, pandering and criminal conspiracy. According to the San Mateo district attorney's office, Luo ran an escort service that was actually a front for prostitution services involving women imported from Korea, China and other countries. Also arrested after an eight- month investigation by federal and state officials were Wai Chong Kong, 38, and his wife, Kit Chi Ho, 43, of Highlands Ranch, both identified as citizens of China. They are each charged with transporting people to engage in illegal sexual activity. The couple allegedly advertised the women's services online. The ads included pictures of nude or scantily clad women and listed prices of $140 for 30 minutes and $180 for one hour.
Sex Trafficking2006
Timor-Leste TL
Two East Timorese owners of a massage parlor forced nine victims from the Philippines, China, and Indonesia into sexual exploitation.
Sex Trafficking2006
Australia AU
They were each found guilty last year of five counts of possessing a slave and five counts of using a slave - the first successful prosecution of its kind in NSW.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Intercepted phone calls and the discovery of police bribes led to the demise of this trafficking ring. A wiretap of a cell phone used by Tae Hoon Kim, a Flushing-based middleman and transported, led to the discovery of the Korean owned brothels. Approximately 67 Korean women were taken into custody to be questioned on whether or not they knew they were being forced into prostitution.
Sex Trafficking2006
Germany DE
After three weeks of captivity and abuse, including multiple rapes, Lucy acted compliant to gain trafficker's trust, then asked to use a cell phone. She called a friend in Finland, who gave her the number of the German police hotline. She called and German police arrived and rescued her. The
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Three people were involved with alleged international human trafficking. Traffickers were accused of charging Korean women thousands of dollars to enter the US. Hundreds of women were coerced into becoming prostitutes to pay off their debts. Sometimes they would be giving as much as $18,000 to the traffickers.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Per the Department of Justice news release: "Assistant Attorney General Perez and U.S. Attorney Nakakuni commended the FBI and the Honolulu Police Department for their work in investigating this case and rescuing some of the defendant’s victims. FBI Special Agents M.K. Itnyre and Kristin Lee investigated this case, and Trial Attorneys Edward Caspar and Kayla Bakshi of the Civil Rights Division and its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Ching prosecuted this case for the United States."
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Victim talked her way home and pressed charges. Law enforcement was little help.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Both the adult male and underage minor are facing charges. Details on the legal proceedings are still being researched.
Sex Trafficking2006
Ghana GH
All 5 traffickers were sentenced in Swedish courts. Lalik got 3 yrs, Makulova 2.5 yrs, Osmanovic 2.5 yrs and one of the Idic brothers got 2 yrs and 8 months while the other brother got 4 months less. http://www.gp.se/content/1/c6/27/91/09/Manniskohandel.pdf http://www.gp.se/gp/road/Classic/shared/printArticle.jsp?d=113&a=278084
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
FBI and Human Trafficking Task Force in Los Angeles accused the defendants of crimes. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement/ U.S. Department of Labor were also involved. Nine defendants have been arrested thus far. One a fugitive until recently arrested on September 15th, 2008. Intervention and investigations began into the ring after one of the trafficking drivers contacted authorities in October 2006.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
June was arrested in August of 2006 in Madisonville, TX, held in Houston on $150,000 bond. 40 count indictment handed over, pled guilty to two felony counts, $10 million in assets seized, sentenced by U.S. District Judge James V. Selna to 18 months in federal prison.
Sex Trafficking2006
Australia AU
Thai women were trafficked into Australia by a Thai woman DS and sent to work in brothels in Melbourne and Sydney. Five of these Thai women were sent to Ms Wei Tang's licensed brothel Club 417 in Fitzroy, Melbourne. The women were told they would be able to work legally in the sex trade and send money home to their families, once they had paid off their “debt”. However, they did not know the precise terms of their debt or their living or working conditions until they arrived in Australia. They were "owned" by “syndicates” with Tang taking 70% of their earnings and DS and her associates taking 30%. Each woman was bought by the syndicate from the "boss" in Thailand who recruited them for $AUD20,000. However, they were told their total "debt" to the syndicate was $45,000. The women were forced to work six days a week without any pay because all of the $110 charged to each client was divided between their owners, with $50 going toward paying off their $45,000 debt. The women were only allowed to keep that $50 per client on their seventh "free" day each week. Between August 2002 and May 2003 each woman was forced to serve up to 900 customers over 4-6 months. The women's passports and return airfares were taken from them and they were effectively restricted to the brothel premises because of their hours, nature of work, lack of payment and the fear of detection by immigration authorities, instilled in them by Tang and DS. The women lived in premises arranged by Tang. Two of the women ultimately paid off their debts, were given back their passports and were free to choose their hours of work and accommodation.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
An international prostitution ring operated 19 brothels in the Northeast, from Rhode Island to Washington DC. The brothels were run out of “businesses” including massage parlors, health spas, and acupuncture clinics. Some of the known locations include: Crystal Spa on West Ave. in Norwalk, Connecticut and Cleveland Park Holistic Health on Connecticut Ave. in Washington DC. Several brothels were also found on West 26th St. and 59th St. in Manhattan. The brothels’ clients were generally Asian customers, who had learned of the establishment by word of mouth. The victims were recruited in Korea to come to the US, and travel with false documents or were smuggled across the Mexican or Canadian border. The victims’ identification and travel documents were taken, and she was threatened to be beaten or have her family in Korea harmed is she tried to leave. They were told they had to pay of tens of thousands of dollars in traveling debt from their trip.
Sex Trafficking2006
United States US
Yelena Aleksandrovna Telichenko met the victim, a Russian woman, in Philadelphia, where Telichenko convinced the victim to move to Orlando, FL. After arriving, the victim was forced to serve as a mistress to several men. If she objected, Telichenko would beat her. The victim was also forced to work cooking and cleaning the apartment. Telichenko is also known as Ella Schenkerberg, a court interpreter from Ukraine.
Sex Trafficking2006
Canada CA
In June 2006 the RCMP and US Border Patrol intercepted 8 female and 2 male Korean nationals attempting to walk across the border into the US. Several of the women indicated during preliminary questioning that they had to pay a debt for their crossing once they reached their destination. Some also mentioned that they were going to work in the US in jobs such as waitressing; however, there was evidence that they were destined to be forced to provide sexual services at massage parlours.
Sex Trafficking2006
Malaysia MY
Police officers in the Philippines arrested and questioned Rachel Sabal after receiving information from Edmonds and Howe. After questioning, Sabal was arrested and held in custody for investigation of human trafficking. Police in Malaysia performed a search of an apartment where Edmonds and Howe suspected Ejercito was being held. Though they found evidence that she had been there, there was no continuation of the investigation after that. When Ejercito turned up at the police station in Malaysia, she was interviewed while her captor, Kang, sat in the room with her, preventing her from speaking honestly about her situation. Howe suggested that Kang be removed from the room and once he was, Ejercito admitted that she was being held against her will. Though there is no evidence, both Edmonds and Howe believe that, based on the behavior of the police and Kang, that they had a preexisting relationship. Later, after Dr. Ng had arrived at the police station and Ejercito's passport had been returned, the police permitted both Kang and Dr. Ng to walk free and no trafficking charges are known to have been filed against them. However, in 2006, Philippine official organized an operation to rescue the 15 other victims that were being held captive by Dr. Ng and Kang.