The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania encourages the public to be aware of the possibility of sex trafficking during the NFC Championship game weekend in and around the Philadelphia area.
“We need members of the public to help law enforcement identify predators and victims of sex trafficking, especially this weekend," said United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. “Tragically, large events like the NFC Championship football game that draw out-of-town crowds also lure sex traffickers, who prey on the most vulnerable members of our community. We must all work together to prevent these crimes and bring perpetrators to justice."
In recognition of January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Department of Justice has been encouraging everyone to familiarize themselves with the warning signs of human trafficking. Human trafficking is a federal crime involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit someone for labor, services, or commercial sex, or the use of juveniles to engage in prostitution. Victims are commonly Americans, but may also be foreign nationals.
Be aware of signs that may indicate someone is being held against her or his will and trafficked for sex:
* They do not hold their own identity or travel documents;
* They appear to suffer from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade, or frighten;
* They are not permitted to speak for themselves;
* They are extremely nervous, especially if the victim’s “translator" is their trafficker; and
* They are not allowed to move about by themselves and seem to have little understanding of where they are.
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania has aggressively pursued sex trafficking prosecutions with great success. As recently as December 6, 2017, Kevino Graham, 36, of Philadelphia was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison for sex trafficking. Along with his three co-defendants, the defendant engaged in acts of force, threats, fraud and coercion to cause young women to engage in prostitution, including subjecting them to repeated acts of sadistic sexual torture.
Please report a potential sex-trafficking incident please contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
