Posted: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 9:00 am |
Updated: 7:50 pm, Fri Mar 28, 2014.
By Wendi Winters
[email protected]
Area groups say that action is needed to combat Maryland’s escalating human trafficking problem.
“Maryland is considered a hot spot for human trafficking because of the I-95 corridor and the number of airports we have,” said Lisae Jordan, executive director of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, or MCASA.
The coalition will be among the organizations at a human trafficking forum from 7 to 9 p.m. April 3 at Anne Arundel Community College.
The event is being sponsored by AACC and the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women. Speakers and panelists will identify signs of human trafficking and resources for victims, and discuss how to protect loved ones.
Two hundred victims of human trafficking were identified in Maryland in 2012. Nationwide, it is estimated that 100,000 children are being trafficked in the U.S.
Jordan said human trafficking or slavery is the third-largest type of international crime, with an estimated $15.5 billion spent on it every year. About half the victims know the trafficker, she said.
Maryland is the third-most profitable state for human trafficking, said one of the forum’s organizers, Jessica O’Kane, a local lawyer who is the vice chairwoman of the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women.
“There are a lot of children involved, as the most popular age right now is 13 years old. The traffickers call these kids ‘the buffet’ because they come in contact with so many that they groom for prostitution,” O’Kane said.
“Sometimes the traffickers or pimps tell the kids they’ll hurt their family, or they’ll show the pornographic photos they took of the kids to their parents.”
According to media reports, more than 45 pimps and their associates were arrested in a sting operation throughout Northeast while the recent Super Bowl was being played in East Rutherford, N.J.
The sting was conducted by the FBI, other federal law enforcement agencies, and New Jersey, New York and Connecticut local and state police. Sixteen girls under the age of 18 used as prostitutes were rescued.
“The myth is that they are all internationally trafficked,” said Jordan. “ ... But frequently traffickers prey on local kids. Some are still going to school, but their trafficker sells them at the end of the school day.”
The event will be moderated by Terri R. Ricks, deputy chairwoman of the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force.
Panelists will include Courtney Brooks, program supervisor for MCASA; Anne Arundel Police Department Detective Daniel T. Dickey, who assigned to the FBI’s Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force; Amelia Rubenstein, team leader of the anti-trafficking program Turn Around Inc.; and Anne Colt Leitess, state’s attorney for Anne Arundel County.
“I’ve been working on issues of sexual and domestic violence for almost 20 years. It’s getting worse,” Jordan said. “Traffickers are learning — unlike drugs which are consumed and you have to get more supplies to stay in business — humans can be used over and over again.”
About the Human Trafficking Forum
The free forum will be 7 to 9 p.m. April 3 in Room 219 in the Cade Center for the Arts at Anne Arundel Community College's Arnold campus. Seating is limited. Register at:
www.stophumantraffic.eventbrite.com.
There will be a question-and-answer session, plus informational tables.
Numbers to call
The National Hotline at the National Human Trafficking Resource Center is 1-888-3737-888. People can call any time to report a tip, connect with anti-trafficking services, or request training, technical assistance or general information.
The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24-hour hotline is 1-443-279-0379. Its website is
www.mcasa.org.
The number for Anne Arundel County’s vice unit is 1-410-222-6003.
Turn Around Inc.’s 24-hour hotline is 1-443-279-0379. Its website is
www.turnaround.org.
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