SEX TRAFFICKING IN CONNECTICUT Jillian Gilchrest Chair Trafficking

SEX TRAFFICKING IN CONNECTICUT Jillian Gilchrest Chair Trafficking in Persons Council

Human Trafficking The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for… ACTION MEANS PURPOSE

Escort Services Illicit Massage, Health, & Beauty Outdoor Solicitation Residential Domestic Work Bars, Strip Clubs, & Cantinas Pornography Traveling Sales Crews Restaurants & Food Service Peddling & Begging Agriculture & Animal Husbandry Personal Sexual Servitude Health & Beauty Services Construction Hotels & Hospitality Landscaping lllicit Activities Arts & Entertainment Commercial Cleaning Services Factories & Manufacturing Remote Interactive Sexual Acts Carnivals Forestry & Logging Health Care Recreational Facilities Polaris Project, http: //polarisproject. org/typology

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is the exchange of any sex act of a minor (child under 18) for anything of value. § § § Internet Based Prostitution Street Prostitution (increasingly less common) Stripping - “Gentlemen’s Club? ” Pornography Escort Services Casinos/Clubs Private Parties Interfamilial Pimping Survival Sex for Drugs Gang Based Prostitution

Connecticut DMST Referrals…. 2008 to present – Over 800 children and youth referred 202 children were identified in 2016 alone. Children of every racial and ethnic group are victimized. - Breakdown by Race (data for the 202 identified in 2016): Children of all ages are victimized. - Breakdown by Age (data for the 202 identified in 2016): - under 10: 1 - 11 -12: 12 - 13 -14: 44 - 15 -16: 75 - 17 -18: 60 - over 18 or unknown: 10 - Caucasian: 74 - African-American/black: 57 - Hispanic: 48 - Multi-Racial: 16 -Other or unknown: 7 Children of all genders/gender identities are victimized. -Breakdown by Sex/Gender Identity (data for the 202 identified in 2016): - Female: 184 - Male: 17 - Transgender: 1

RISK FACTORS/ VULNERABILITIES AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO TRAUMA Children with a history of traumas such as… • • Physical Abuse/Neglect Emotional Abuse/Neglect Sexual Abuse Deprivation of Necessities Separation of Family/Community Rejection by Peers and/or Family Bullying Community Violence DMST. …are at higher risk and more vulnerable for victimization of

THE TRAFFICKER • Can be a boyfriend, father, mother, brother, uncle, a police officer, clergy, a coach, a teacher or anyone exerting control over a minor, even a peer. • Not always organized criminals. • Both men and women of varying ages. • Any ethnicity or race. • Anyone who benefits from the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor or facilitates the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor.

WHO ARE THE TRAFFICKERS? Less Organized More Organized • • • • Individuals Pimps Neighbors, friends, relatives, intimate partners Foreign diplomats and international organizations Labor recruiters/brokers Informal Criminal Operations Family or extended family Pimp networks Gangs Businesses (Small or Large) Small contractors/agents Labor recruiters International Organized Crime Syndicates

IN CONNECTICUT…

THE TACTICS • Force =Violence • Fraud = Seduction, Grooming • Coercion = Threats of Violence • Infiltrating a congregate care setting with a “bottom bitch” • Scouting a schools, train and bus stations, malls, cinemas, ANYWHERE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUTH SPEND TIME • Looking for weaknesses

WHY DO VICTIMS STAY • Fear, distrust of health providers, government, police • Unaware what is being done to them is a crime • May develop loyalties, positive feelings toward trafficker as coping mechanism • May not know where they are, because traffickers frequently move them to escape detection. • Fear for safety of family due to threat of violence. • Fear of safety for oneself

PROBLEM GAMBLING • An estimated 2 million adults in the United States meet the criteria for "pathological gambling, " • 4 to 6 million are considered "problem gamblers. " It's an addiction found across economic classes, from lower -class Americans playing for their next paycheck to those wealthy enough to gamble away tens of thousands of dollars within a few hours. National Council on Problem Gambling

Casino patrons … almost 17% more likely to have paid for sex in the past year. WHY? Casinos set the stage for a potential crime to occur— • Men • Lots of money in their pocket • Want to have a good time Superbowl, Sturgis Biker Rally, Political Conventions…

Rhode Island Woman Charged With Trafficking at Connecticut Casino A 24 -year-old woman was arrested at the Two Trees Inn at Foxwoods Casino for her involvement with human trafficking and the promotion of prostitution. A 16 -year-old female victim was rescued after the Mashantucket Pequot tribal police collaborated with the FBI on an investigation at the Foxwoods. The investigation came about because of a tip alluding to the pervasive use of prostitution websites at the hotel. William Dittman, the chief of the Mashantucket police, said he was “sure (the prostitution) didn't develop here, but it led here. ” Dittman said he believed this situation was an isolated event.

Problem Gamblers & Illicit Sex Gambling alters the person’s mood and the gambler keeps repeating the behavior attempting to achieve that same effect. Just as tolerance develops to drugs or alcohol, the gambler finds that it takes more and more of the gambling experience to achieve the same emotional effect as before. This creates an increased craving for the activity and the gambler finds they have less and less ability to resist as the craving grows in intensity and frequency. –National Council on Problem Gambling

End Demand CT

Justification & Ignorance • “Johns” • Reverse Sting • He needs to blow off steam. • He isn’t getting what he needs at home.

INTERVAL HOUSE

Laws & Law Enforcement • Last 10 years in CT, rate at which we prosecute those arrested for prostitution is 7 times that of those buying. • Not one person arrested for patronizing a minor since enacted in 2013. • Mistake of age defense enacted in 2013. • Age at which someone can be arrested for prostitution, not changed to 18 until 2016.

How Many Buyers? • The Department of Children and Families has identified more than 600 youth at high risk of DMST; IF, each of 600 children had just five buyers on 30 separate occasions, that would be 90, 000 buyers since 2008. • Research shows that on average, an estimated 5 -25 men pay for sex per victim per day; • 15% of adult male population have admitted to purchasing sex IF, each of 202 children had just five buyers each day for half the year, that would be 184, 325 buyers. More than 600, 000 ads posted in 2016 selling sex in Connecticut INTERVAL HOUSE

Resources National Human Trafficking Resource Center Futures Without Violence Trafficking in Persons Council Love 146 Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Institute Alliance to End Sexual Violence Salvation Army Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence DCF HART