Tyson, Rape Isn't Funny Anymore

by Michelle Simonsen 

Imagine you decide to go to the theatre to see an alleged, “One Man Act”. Imagine how you might feel after you find out that this "performer" is a convicted rapist? How would you feel when you found out that this person has to register as a sex offender in every state he works in?

After learning this information, I am going to assume that the majority of law abiding citizens would be up in arms over this performance in their cities. You think to yourself, "Why would anyone pay to see a sex offender ramble on about their poor, hard life?"  Wouldn’t you question the theatre owners and promoters and demand an explanation for why they are giving this rapist a platform and getting paid for it?

Well guess what. This really happened. People did see this convicted rapist, and they paid up to $250 ticket to listen to this longstanding criminal and sex offender justify himself. All on your dime, he's getting some sick pleasure out of exploiting his criminal acts and assassinating the character of his victims. Did you know this monstrosity started on Broadway? The infamous and controversial director, Spike Lee is producing it.  Thanks to the Hollywood machine, this rapist will be touring 36 cities, banking the bucks and getting crazy, wild publicity out of it.

Who is this performing rapist? His name is Mike Tyson.

It is of my opinion that entertainment executives, investors and the entire Hollywood machine have ignored that Mike Tyson is a SEX OFFENDER. He is a rapist. He is a self-admitted violent man. The movie “The Hangover” became less funny when I saw that ugly tattooed mug appear on the screen ruining a perfectly good Phil Collins song.  Why do the powers that be in Hollywood think it's a great idea to idolize and capitalize off a monster? What part of rapist do they not understand? He’s not an “alleged” rapist. He IS a rapist.

Every sexual assault survivor got a big slap in the face last month with a ugly wrapped package of the NBC network, and its television show, Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit.) The sick irony? Tyson played the victim of a prison rape.

Did I miss something? Was this supposed to be funny? Were these people serious? Tyson playing a rape victim?!

In the video below, Marcie Kaveney, a sexual assault advocate, called for a Petition on Change.org asking NBC recast Tyson's character.  When asked why would NBC do something like that (casting Tyson as a rape victim on a very sensitive show), Kaveney stated, "I can't even say because they haven't even come out to say anything.  They never responded to the petition, they haven't responded to any interviews...all I can think is ratings.  Maybe they thought with it being controversial that it would get ratings and new viewers."

HuffPost Live interview discussing Tyson starring in Law & Order: SVU

 

"Inappropriate and insensitive" discussing NBC, Marcie Kaveney, Change.org

Petition to Recast Mike Tyson--Change.org

Why is man who is a criminal, a rapist, a violent animal, and a loose cannon being celebrated on screen and on stage? I would surmise that NBC doesn't care about the viewers who were deeply offended by their choice of casting. However, the bottom line is always ratings and money. 

 FORGOTTEN VICTIM, DESIREE WASHINGTON

In July 1991, Tyson was one of the judges for Miss Black America. Desiree Washington, Miss Black Rhode Island, was introduced to Tyson and later offered to take her for a ride in his limo to see Indianapolis. Desiree testified that Tyson made sexual advances towards her in the limo where she rebuffed him and he stated to her,  "Oh, you're not like the city girls. You're a Christian girl."  Tyson told the limo driver he needed to stop at his hotel room and insisted that Desiree come with him. 

She testified that upon arriving at his hotel room, she excused herself to use the bathroom, and when she emerged she stated to the jury, "I glanced over and saw the defendant in his underwear...on the bed. He was just sitting there.... I was terrified."  Tyson pinned her down on his bed and raped her despite her pleas to stop.  "It felt like someone was ripping me apart," she said.  After the rape, she ran out of the room and asked Tyson's chauffeur to drive her back to her hotel. Tyson's chauffeur, Virginia Foster, confirmed Desiree Washington's state of shock. Dr. Thomas Richardson, the emergency room physician who examined Washington confirmed that Washington's physical condition was consistent with rape.   (Source)

Tyson was convicted on the rape charge on February 10, 1992 after the jury deliberated for nearly 10 hours. Tyson was sentenced to six years, but only served three, and was released in 1995. 

AN ANIMAL OUT OF ITS CAGE 

After being released, in an interview with Fox News Anchor Greta Van Susteren, Tyson was asked if he raped Desiree Washington. His answer? “No, I didn't rape that slimy bitch...just a lying, reptilian, monstrous, young lady. I just hate her guts. She put me in that state where, I don't know, I really wish I did now. Now I really do want to rape her and her (expletive) mama."   Source

He’s so full of hatred for being accused of this crime and “that woman” ruining his life. He’s no rapist! Right? Yet, in 2002 he was quoted as saying “[He] called me a ‘rapist’ and a ‘recluse.’ I’m not a recluse.”  Freudian "rape" slip?    Source

TYSON’S “RAPE LIST” 

Tyson happily brags in the same Van Susteren interview that he wishes he’d raped every single human being he’s ever seen, met, or had even minimal contact with, ever, in his entire lifetime. 

"Yeah, um, that lady, what's her name? Who walked my dog that day one time? I wish I raped that bitch good…and that Hilton bitch, what’s her name, Paris or Rome, I wanted to rape her one time but didn’t, I forget why, I think I was tired or something. And my cousin Veronica, she woulda' been good to rape. And my old mailman, Hank, back in Green Point [Brooklyn], I wish I’d raped him, too. That woulda' been funny, raping the mailman. His little mailman helmet woulda' fallen off and maybe I’d pick it up and wear it while raping him. Yeah, that woulda' been funny." 

Tyson also threatened Van Susteren, "After this interview I’ll probably look back and say, 'Damn, why didn’t I rape that Greta Van Whatever bitch, too…That woulda' been funny, raping that Greta lady while she tried to ask me those stupid questions. I mean, yeah, um, raping everyone from my life is all I think about." 

Others on Tyson’s “rape list” included his “bitch fourth grade teacher Ms. Hoffman, bitch choreographer Debbie Allen, Robin Givens’ greedy bitch mother, that fat Mexican bitch in that burrito place near the gym, that bitch Celine Dion, that Trista bitch from The Bachelorette, and former UN Secretary General Burtos Butros Gali.”   Source

NOT ENOUGH OUTRAGE

So with all the above in mind, why haven’t we seen more outrage about Tyson cashing in on his infamy? Why are Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public giving their hard earned dollars to watch this so-called “entertainment” by a convicted rapist? 

If you think Tyson is “reformed”, think about this. He once stated in an interview, "I wish that you guys had children so I could kick them in the fucking head or stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain because that's the pain I have waking up every day."

So, Why is Mike Tyson relevant?

We, the entertainment consumers keep him relevant. Do your part, don’t take part in watching SVU, do not see his “one man show”, write an email or tweet to Spike Lee @SpikeLee, or go to his website directly at: http://www.40acres.com. Voice your opinion to him! 

Write the executives at NBC and tell them how disgusting they were to think it was ok to put a sex offender on their show and portray him as a victim. 

Do they all think we’re stupid?  I know we aren't. Stand up and have a voice. What’s going on here is NOT ok. Not everyone has succumbed to society’s decay of moral values. Let’s show those people pulling the strings behind the magical curtain what is acceptable and what isn’t! We bear responsibility too, because this is everyone’s problem. Whether you think it affects you or not, it does. 

NBC Executive producers, Law & Order: SVU

Dick Wolf

Peter Jankowski

Warren Leight 

Bob Wright,Vice Chairman and Executive Officer 

GEChairman and Chief Executive Officer 

NBC Universal Headquarters

30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112

E-mail: robert.wright@nbcuni.com 

Phone: (212) 664-4444

Fax: (201) 583-5453

Spike Lee's Twitter @SpikeLee

Michelle Simonsen is an outspoken activist and true crime blogger well known for the grass-roots campaign,"Boycott Aruba," surrounding the time of the Natalee Holloway disappearance.

Conquering the Narcissist

photo by Gabe Walker

by Michelle Simonsen

You know there is a problem. It’s not you. But you’ve been told it’s you. Just smile and nod your head. ‘Thank you.’ ‘You are totally right.’ ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ Blah, blah, blah.

The narcissist. We’ve seen them in the public eye. Donald Trump. Bernie Madoff. Lance Armstrong. Charlie Sheen. Guess what? Most narcissists are not on television. They walk among us. They are your husbands, your bosses, clergy, and even your children. They can easily ruin lives. They wreak havoc in the boardroom, the courtroom, and the family room.

Don’t fool yourself. A well-developed narcissist cannot be cured. Narcissists are resistant to change, making it almost impossible for them to recognize their own behaviors in order to save their relationships or careers. If you insist on having a relationship with a narcissist despite the bleak prognosis you’ve been given, you’ll need to arm yourself for psychological warfare. Learn to conquer the narcissist--before they conquer you.

When dealing with a narcissist, ignorance is not bliss, and knowledge is power. Educate yourself. You must be able to recognize a narcissist before you can correctly handle them and the situation. Caution: Handle with care!

WHAT IS A NARCISSIST?

Narcissism is an excessive fixation on oneself. The personality disorder was named after a mythological Greek youth named Narcissus who became obsessed after falling in love with his own reflection in a lake.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines narcissistic personality disorder as:

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance. He or she will exaggerate achievements and talents and expects to be recognized as superior.

2. Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.

3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people.

4. Requires excessive admiration.

5. Has a sense of entitlement and unreasonable expectations of others.

6. Is exploitative. He or she will take advantage of others to achieve their own ends.

7. Lacks empathy. Narcissists are unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.

8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her.

9. Shows arrogant, haughty behavior or attitudes. 1

Other pervasive traits include constant interruption and domination of conversations, whether it be one-on-one, or in a group. A narcissist believes that if you are not special and superior like them, you are worthless. They will criticize not only you, but also everyone around them that doesn’t agree with them. Beware: If the narcissist is criticized or “attacked”, they will react with anger and inner humiliation. This will trigger rifts, arguments, and ultimately, alienation of friends, colleagues or family. A narcissist is incapable of successful long term, healthy relationships.

CAUSES OF NARCISSISM?

The etiology of narcissism is unknown, but researchers and experts believe that several factors occurring in early childhood may lead to narcissistic behavior. Some of these circumstances include excessive praise and admiration of a child by a parent that is never balanced with realistic feedback. Overindulgence by parents, family, and friends is also thought to be linked with narcissism. On the other hand, narcissistic personality disorder can also originate from severe emotional abuse or trauma during early childhood, including unpredictable or unreliable caregiving from parents. 2

A FOOL IN LOVE

Lynn was married to a pathological narcissist for over 20 years. She didn’t see the signs at age 18, when she met him in high school. He was good looking and irresistible with an abundance of superficial charm and charisma. He fooled everyone around him because he was a master at first impressions and false bravado. He was a compulsive and pathological liar. He had countless affairs, made up educational pursuits and degrees, and exaggerated stories about people he knew and where he’d been.

It took her many years to learn that she had been duped.

Throughout their marriage, Lynn’s husband was constantly fired from jobs. It was never “his fault”, instead blaming others for the discord. He burned bridges right and left. Like an abusive relationship, he kept Lynn controlled and isolated from family and had few friends. He expected undying loyalty and respect from everyone, but would turn on you

in a second if crossed or his logic was questioned. He found humor in making people upset or cry, and never apologized for his offending behavior. Why would he? In his eyes, it didn’t affect him, so it wasn’t his problem.

STUCK WITH A NARCISSIST? TIPS AND COPING SKILLS

• Lower your expectations. One shouldn’t have to lower their expectations in a relationship, but when dealing with a narcissist, there aren’t many choices. Please realize that your relationship will be completely one-sided because they are not capable of filling your emotional needs. Expect that they will exploit you by monopolizing your attention and demand that their needs and desires are attended to at all times. Remember, the narcissist lacks empathy and will never know (or care) that you are unhappy or have feelings.

• Don’t rock the boat. Choose your battles wisely. Never question the narcissist’s knowledge or point out his/her lack of knowledge. They must be “right” at all times. Be prepared to listen, but don’t plan on speaking. Don’t forget--you must forego your own opinions and ideas. Incorporating praise and admiration throughout any interaction with the narcissist is a must.

• Learn to keep yourself at an emotional distance. The narcissist will try to make you dependent upon them. If you keep your independence the narcissist is more likely to respect you.

• Master the ability to foresee bad behavior and reiterate to the narcissist the consequences for the specific behavior. Make sure you both know what your non-negotiables are, because this is where you MUST draw the line.

• Learn how to manipulate. Example: Your boyfriend never wants to see your family during the holidays. Turn it around and make it about him, “We should go to my parents for the holidays. They think you are so funny, they just love your stories!”

• Take back control. If you are able, limit your interaction with the narcissist. Keep your boss at arms length and avoid idle chatter. If your father is an unbearable, self-centered egomaniac, put a time limit on your conversation.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Assess the reason why you are in this relationship. What are you getting out of it? Are your needs being met? Weigh the pros and cons of why you remain in this toxic liaison. If you are not getting what you want, walk away. Never love anything that can’t love you back.

1 Narcissistic personality disorder – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000)

2 "Narcissistic Personality Disorder". Personality Disorders – Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Armenian Medical Network. 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-14





Michelle Simonsen is an outspoken activist and true crime blogger well known for the grass-roots campaign,"Boycott Aruba," surrounding the time of the Natalee Holloway disappearance.

The Invisible Sex Crimes

by Michelle Simonsen 

When I was 19, I came home from college for the weekend to my hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. It was midnight and I was driving on a busy main road. However, that night the busy street was desolate. Except for the car following closely behind me. The driver came around to my passenger side keeping a steady pace alongside me. I did not want to look over. I was scared. It was a man laughing and flashing his genitals at me. He pressed his buttocks on the window and molested himself with his hand.

My little Ford Escort went from 30 mph to 60 mph. I was suddenly in the Indy 500, swerving, mastering the sharp turns, up and down every side street and main road. No matter how fast I drove, he kept up, trying to follow me home.

After approximately 15 minutes of the cat and mouse game, I finally lost him. I was free and almost home. My vision was clouded with the images of the perverse things he did to himself. I replayed the entire incident in my head all night. I didn’t call 911. I just wanted to go to sleep and go back to school.

The next weekend was Easter. For the second time that month, I was in Racine again, shuttling between my parents for the holiday.

It was midnight. I was on the same road. It was desolate. Everything I experienced the weekend before was there again. I sensed it a mile away. I was prepared for him this time.

I saw headlights in my mirror and a red truck riding my ass. It was him again. His change of vehicle didn’t fool me. He proceeded to perform his act, identical to the weekend before. I wasn’t scared. I was angry. Damnit, I was pissed! I said to myself, “Dude, you have messed with the wrong girl.” I grabbed a pen and wrote down his license plate number on my leg.

I endured the same high speed wild goose chase, and managed to lose him again. As soon as I got home I called 911 and reported the incident, gave them his license number and the general direction he was headed when I last saw him.

Two hours later, the phone rang. The police called to informed that they arrested the ugly red headed psycho pervert. His name was Ronnie Lonhardt and he was 35. In order to press charges, I had to come downtown to write up a report and identify him. Are you crazy? I have to look at that maggot again? To this day, I’ve never forgotten his face, and my memory didn’t fail me that night either.

He was charged with a DUI and an additional charge for “lewd and lascivious” behavior. Turns out he confessed to police that he had been doing this to dozens women that month alone. Go figure. (Note: After a criminal records check, the red headed pervert pled down to four separate “Disorderly Conduct” charges. Two were dismissed at the request of the prosecutor, and the other two were forfeited. Thanks Racine County Prosecutors.)

For years I had issues with driving at night. I was fixated with who was behind me, and I never looked at the person to my side out of fear. I carried a knife. Was I paranoid or justified in my fears?

AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE 

Exhibitionism. Voyeurism. Groping. Frotteurism. Many women have experienced any one of these crimes at some time in their lives. Most offenders will get away. I did not let my offender get away. In my mind, I believed I might have averted another sex crime.

These invisible offenders are grooming themselves for their next deviant act in order to heighten and satisfy their sexual pleasure. Could it be rape? Sex with a child? Child pornography? Some experts insist that these initial “minor” sex crimes lead to worse crimes. Is this a risk you’d rather ignore until it happens to you, a friend, a sister, a mother, a daughter?

What are these “invisible sex crimes”? These particular offenses are the most under-reported sex assaults. Why? Because it happens when you least expect it. Did you see his face? You can’t remember because it happened so fast and you were in shock and embarrassed. What do you say or do? By the time you figure out what is going on, they are dust in the wind. These acts against women happen everyday.

GROPING 

Groping is a form of sex harassment. It can be unwanted pinching or grabbing. The groper targets the breasts, legs, buttocks and groin area. Groping is likely to happen in such places like crowded bars or parties, concerts, subways, sporting events and elevators. The predator is less likely to be detected and has the ability to flee before the victim realizes what happened.

Ever see this scenario? A waitress takes an order and walks away from the table. Her male customer swiftly slaps her buttocks in a “joking” manner saying, “Thanks sweetheart.” Have you ever experienced the unfortunate incident of a man rubbing his arm against your breast, then laughing it off saying, “Ooops! Sorry about that!”

Ladies, that was no accident.

ANGRY VOICES 

"I went to a music festival in a big park last year, and people had crowded together to see the headliner. It was dark except for the streetlight and stage lights up ahead, and I was encircled by young men. One or more of them kept subtly touching me inappropriately. I tried to squirm my way out to another location, but there just was no room to squeeze through. I had to endure the harassment for the whole show.” (Anonymous post, Wiesen, 2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation, “What is Groping?”)

“Every now and then, I will feel a hand squeeze my butt or leg so gently and then hear a voice say, “Oh excuse me!” I know that it was intentional, because if it had been an accident, it would have been more of a brush or a swipe rather than a cupping.” (Id.)

“I had the misfortune of getting groped while exiting a crowded elevator and I was more mad than anything. It is such a violation of your personal space and I hate knowing there are so many perverts out there that can get away with things like that just because there are so many people around.” (Id.)

FROTTEURISM 

Frotteurism is the act of rubbing the hand(s) or erect genitals against another person in a non-consensual manner in order for sexual gratification. Like groping, this act is done in public where the victim cannot easily respond to their attacker.

Studies have concluded that the average age of a “frotteur” is between 15-25, beginning at puberty and decreasing after 25. (PsychNet, 1998.) It was also noted that “older men with shy and reserved personalities or who are withdrawn socially” are common frotteurs. (Id.)

I have been a victim of many frotteurs in my day. When it happened, I became enraged. There have been times where I have grabbed the pervert, and screamed out to everyone within earshot what just happened. There was never a shortage of shit-stains who hadn’t experienced my wrath. Slapping, punching, pushing…nothing was ever out of the question for me. I wasn’t going down without a fight.

However, in each situation I was the ultimate loser. What the hell just happened? Where am I going to find this guy? I didn’t know who he was, I don’t remember what he was wearing. I was shocked, angered, and out of control. What did he look like?

I don’t know. He looked like them all. They all look alike.

VOYEURISM 

These offenders are formerly known as “peeping Toms”. But times, they are a changin’. With the advent of cameras, electronics, and other digital technology, voyeurism is out in full force.

This is the only sex crime where the offender doesn’t need to have direct contact with his victim. His crimes do not occur in public. A voyeur doesn’t need to stand in front of your window with binoculars. He won’t have any witnesses to his crime because he is safely sitting behind his computer, sometimes watching multiple women at once. Voyeurism is one of the hardest sex crimes to prosecute because of the predator’s elusiveness and ability of non-detection.

BOTTOM LINE 

It is absolutely necessary that we come together to stop these future violent sex offenders. See the statistics below. No matter how bleak, this is true: we are the ones that hold the power to make change. Victims need to stand up, not only for themselves, but for the others who are too afraid to come forward. As sad as the statistics below are, just remember, if it weren’t for those courageous women, there would be even more predators on the streets. They are always ready and waiting.

STATISTICS: RAPISTS ARE WALKING FREE

54% of rapes/sexual assaults are not reported to the police, according to a statistical average of the past 5 years. Those rapists, of course, never spend a day in prison. Factoring in unreported rapes, only about 3% of rapists ever serve a day in jail.

Out of Every 100 Rapes

• 46 get reported to the police 
• 12 lead to an arrest 
• 9 get prosecuted 
• 5 lead to a felony conviction 
• 3 rapists will spend even a single day in prison 

References:
Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey: 2006-2010
FBI, Uniform Crime Reports: 2006-2010
National Center for Policy Analysis, Crime and Punishment in America, 1999
Department of Justice, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties: Average of 2002-2006 

Michelle Simonsen is an outspoken activist and true crime blogger well known for the grass-roots campaign,"Boycott Aruba," surrounding the time of the Natalee Holloway disappearance.

IT HAPPENED IN CANCUN—ONE WOMAN’S VACATION NIGHTMARE

 By Michelle Simonsen

It all seemed to happen out of nowhere.  Tourism tragedies.  Of course they’ve been here all along, the media used them like gasoline that started fires under such unsolved tourist crime cases like Amy Bradley, George Smith, and “Aruba’s not-so-finest”, Natalee Holloway and most recently Robyn Gardner.  To this day, thousands are coming out of the woodwork wanting to share their stories. 

However, if you plan on leaving the country on vacation, do your homework.  When you leave the U.S., you leave all your American “rights” right back where you’re from on 123 Justice Street.  You are subject to each country’s laws and due processes.  It can take months for many foreign governments to glean information, and have been known to stall investigations knowing the victim will go home and let it go. 

A majority of tourist trappers are on the lookout for someone just like you.  They breed like cockroaches, un-relentless as blood hungry sharks.  They live where you vacation because there are so many victims to choose from, and violating you is part of the fun on their sociopath schoolyard.  They always flash you a smiling face before they go for the kill. 

In 2007, Rebecca Sinott, a married 38-year old North Carolina mother, thought she’d hit the jackpot when her 19-year old niece, Ashley, won a five-day trip to Cancun, Mexico.  Rebecca had never been out of the country, let alone on a plane.  This would be the trip of her dreams.  Little did she know it would change her life forever, only comparing it to a living horror movie. 

On their third night in Cancun, Rebecca and Ashley enjoyed dinner and drinks on one of many popular dinner/party cruises.  Until approximately 11:30 p.m., they enjoyed the warm air, the sound of the music and the serenity of the waves.  When the cruise ended they decided to check out a nightclub that was near their hotel. 

Along the way, they stopped at a convenience store next to their hotel.  As they approached, two security guards befriended both Rebecca and Ashley.  They identified themselves as Carlos and Javiar and offered the women a table in front of the store where they could “relax and chat”.  Rebecca pegged them as harmless locals, and so for the next hour they were telling them how exciting their vacation has been, how lovely Cancan was, and even exchanged stories about one another’s families and children. 

Carlos explained that he and Javier were security guards for a nearby night club and Carlos offered to show the women the inside, bragging about how they’ve hung out with bands such as “Guns-n-Roses”.  

Beginning to feel uneasy, Rebecca noted it was getting late and they would be leaving.  Their biggest mistake—becoming separated.  Rebecca agreed to look inside the club, while Ashley slowly headed back to the hotel waiting for Rebecca to catch up.  They separated for what could have been the final time. 

Rebecca recounts her nightmare, "I remember going into the club and looking around with Carlos and up until this point, no warning, no hint, no flirting, no touching, nothing to make me think anything other than I had met a nice gentleman security guard in Cancun.” 

"…After we came out of the club I remember saying 'thank you' and how nice it was to meet him [Carlos], so when he offered to walk me to the hotel for my safety, I never thought anything of it. And when he said, 'Here, let's cut through the club, it comes out in the back of the lobby,' I never doubted him. Once inside the club, we walked down a hallway and when I was in the back of the club, I remember coming to a locked door and asking him to unlock it." 

Rebecca continues her story. 

"I remember him saying, 'Give me what I want and I'll take you where you want to go!' I remember him wailing on my head with his fist and saying 'American Tourista' and 'you know you want it'. At one point, I could clearly see his face standing in the doorway and he was smiling at me, while he backhanded me across the face and knocked me to the floor. I remember him tearing at my top; I remember pushing him and saying, 'NO!  Don't do this!'  

“I remember grabbing his genitals and how his jeans tore at my fingernails as I tried desperately to hurt him enough to get him off me. I remember his face and his rage and his right hand coming at me and knocking me into a wall. Then I remember telling myself to lay still and act like I'm dead and maybe he'll go away. I remember the colors of the walls; I remember the blood, so much blood." 

Rebecca is found unconscious, raped, bruised and bleeding in the front of her hotel lobby.  She barely remembers her useless muted screams, “Go get Carlos!  He did this!  Ashley knows where he is!  Tell them!  Go get him!  Help me!” 

Conveniently (Hmmm?) Ashley recollects no one being able to speak English except for the ambulance driver, who quickly asked her, "How much money do you have?" A credit card was the only ticket to the hospital, where a rape kit was performed.   The “physicians” began to prep Rebecca for operations on her battered body not understanding what was going on to give consent.  She somehow managed call to her husband in North Carolina who cried, "Get out of there before they kill you! Get out of Mexico! Just come home no matter what! They are going to kill you! Don't trust anyone, come home!" 

With those words from her husband of 20 years, Rebecca, with the help of Ashley, refused medical service, and signed discharge paperwork that she couldn't see, let alone read.   Her hotel concierge hauled her off in a wheelchair and told her he would get her on a flight back to the states right away. 

As soon as Rebecca was back in North Carolina, she was rushed to a hospital, where she learned the extent of her injuries. She lost three teeth.  Both eye sockets and cheekbones were broken. Her nose was broken and had several broken ribs. She was left with over a dozen stitches, both inside and outside of her mouth, and another dozen around her left eye. 

Since this incident, Rebecca's life as she knew it has never been the same. She developed severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and debilitating depression for which she had to seek the assistance of psychiatrists and therapists using medications and therapy to help regain her life before Cancun. Adding insult to injury, Rebecca was fired from her job because she could not perform her duties the way she used to. 

Rebecca vowed to herself, and to countless other victims, that Mexico would not forget her name. She began to speak to anyone who would listen to her story - lawyers, politicians, the media, and the Mexican authorities.  In August 2007, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole referred Rebecca's case to the U.S. Department of State with a letter stating that the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun inquired with local police on her behalf and learned that a suspect had not been apprehended in connection with her case; however her case remains open. 

Rebecca eventually got in touch with Lydia Cacho Ribeiro who is a famous Mexican journalist, feminist and human rights activist. She receives daily death threats see: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/taxonomy/term/111), from the direct work she does through her organization CIAM. “CIAM Cancun provides free legal advocacy, psychological attention, medical care, shelter and security, to victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as victims of trafficking. http://www.ciamcancun.org/eng/”

While Rebecca has never seen any justice, she realizes the odds of facing her rapist in any courtroom as slim to none. Nonetheless, she continues to talk and reach out to people to share and educate others about her life-changing ordeal.  

To any victim:  The unselfish act of putting yourself out there and sharing your message is the most important step for the development of long-term changes!  If you’ve ever been a victim while on vacation, speak out!  Be heard!  It may not change your situation, but it will be helpful for countless of others.  

Pay the knowledge forward.  It won’t cost you a cent.


Michelle Simonsen is an outspoken activist and true crime blogger well known for the grass-roots campaign,"Boycott Aruba," surrounding the time of the Natalee Holloway disappearance.

A LIAR IS A FOUR LETTER WORD

By Michelle Simonsen

Five years ago, when I first heard of Joran van der Sloot, I prayed that the stories he told Aruban officials while being interrogated would actually lead to the truth—the location of Natalee Holloway. Every night I sat glued to the television and watched Joran take the Aruban Police, private investigators, the media and Natalee’s family on a wild goose chase in and around every dark crevice of Aruba to no avail. He smirked and took pleasure in telling investigators 20 different lies as to what happened that night of May 30 and what happened to Natalee.

By the end of the summer of 2005, I felt like a fool. I hoped that one of those lies would lead to Natalee. Instead, I witnessed the aftermath of what a pathological liar could do not only to a family, but to several countries, and millions of people across the world. We were all duped by an 18-year old psychopath.

Not only has Joran had five years to hone his craft, but he’s been able to roam the globe putting his monsterous techniques to use. Since he is a smarter and more experienced pathological liar and psychopath, he’s been able to dupe Peru as well.

On June 7, 2010, Joran confessed to murdering 21-year old Stefany Flores Ramirez on the same day he murdered Natalee Holloway in 2005. This time we had more information. The media reported she was found on the floor of Joran’s hotel room wearing only a t-shirt and underwear. She was beaten to a bloody pulp with an object, reportedly, a tennis racquet, causing blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. She sustained an intracranial hemmorage due to the force of the blows. Her neck was broken. And as reported by her brother, her eye was missing, stating she was “unrecognizable”.

However, Joran’s “confession” of striking Stephany a few times and grabbing her by her neck does not match up with her injuries.

Why were there bruises covering her entire body? Why was she only wearing a t-shirt and underwear? Why was her eye missing?

Try a new strategy Joran. The lies don’t fool anyone anymore, and your bogus confession does not add up.

If everyone in the world already knows how he operates, then why are Peruvian officials drinking the Joran van der Sloot “kool-aid”? Not once in five years has that waste of a human being ever told the truth. How can he continue to mesmerize smart people into believing his lies, false confessions and half truths?

Joran is going to spend a long time in a Peruvian prison no matter what story he spins now. However, just because Peru “has their man”, doesn’t mean they should accept his lies in order to close the case and drive the blood thirsty worldwide media out of town.

Don’t they owe it to Stephany?

Cell Phone Technology Helps Deter Crime--"You've Been Faced!"

By Michelle Simonsen 

One of my recent favorite movies is “Taken” starring Liam Neeson. Liam Neeson’s character (an ex-government operative) was very reluctant when his 17-year old daughter went to Paris on vacation with a girlfriend.

After getting off the plane, the girls were immediately spotted by a good-looking, seemingly friendly young man who offered to share a cab with the giggling teens. Never being out of the country and looking like obvious naïve tourists, they felt comfortable telling this gorgeous stranger where they were staying. He offered to take their picture with their cell phone; and thus, unknowingly left vital evidence behind.

Soon after they entered the apartment, four men broke in, drugged and abducted the girls. It was mentioned that sex traffickers pick out unsuspecting travelers in order to save on cost of trafficking women from out of the country.

After flying to Paris and finding his daughter’s cell phone, he discovered her pictures and saw a reflection of the perpetrator in the background. This was the catalyst that opened the Pandora’s box for a father’s vengeance and determination to rescue his daughter from being sold and turned into a sex slave by the sex traffickers out of Albania/Russia.

Because of that one photo, he had his first lead in his deadly quest of finding his daughter. This particular scene reminded me of this up and coming company out of Denver, Colorado called Face File.

FACE FILE-- “One click could save your life.”

The concept of Face File is quite novel. It is used to protect yourself in unfamiliar places or situations, upon meeting strangers alone, unknown individuals coming to your home (Craig’s List buyers, sellers; maintenance people; cable workers), or if you feel suspicious about a stranger.

The idea of Face File was born after the case of 24-year old Canadian real estate agent, Lindsay Buziak, who was murdered on February 2, 2008 while inside a vacant $964,000 home she was planning on showing to an unknown individual during a last minute request. As of this date her killer has never been found. The real estate community latched on to the idea of Face File and its and purpose.

WHAT IS FACE FILE? HOW DOES IT WORK?

“You’ve been ‘faced’”

The purpose of Face File is for the protection of personal safety and a deterrent of a possible crime and it works like this:

Consider finding yourself in a potentially dangerous or unknown situation. With that in mind, you take a picture with your cell phone of the individual or place and send the image to your private face file account. Once Face File receives the image, it is date/time stamped and alerts your “network” of friends or family that you choose so they can check on you, or contact the police if necessary.

Face File is great for the use in the following situations:

• Social situations (Meeting new people; Parties; Bars/Restaurants)

• Blind dates

• Visiting unknown areas

• Working on site or in the field (Real estate agents, Service repairmen)

• Technicians or servicemen who are called to your home

• A stranger approaches you (This could deter a robbery, rape or violation of you or your property)

• If you are being followed or stalked

• Witnessing a crime or accident.

For more information on FACE FILE and what it can provide for you, your family, or employees please see:

www.myfacefile.com

"It's better to be safe than sorry"

HUMAN TRAFFICKING MONTH--NOT JUST AN INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM

By Michelle Simonsen, true crime writer and victim's rights advocate

When you ask the average American what they think of sex trafficking and where it originates, you will most likely hear, “Thailand, Philippines, Eastern Europe.” The majority of Americans don’t believe that most sex trafficking occurs within our own borders. Many victims are regular kids and young women who aren’t runaways or have been abandoned. They are lured and coerced by clever predators.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director, Chip Burrus, who started the Lost Innocence Project, which specializes in child and teen sex trafficking stated, “What you can see time and time again, is that the predators will adapt their means to whatever the young people are doing—whether it’s malls, whether it’s ski slopes, whether it’s beaches…predators are going to do everything in their power to try to convince young girls, young boys, to come with them and enter this particular lifestyle.” [i]

United States is recognized among the top three countries for sex traffickers, along with Japan and Australia. Traffickers pick locales and business “fronts” in cities all over the country, but many choose to “set up shop” in areas such as San Francisco, New York, Arizona, Las Vegas and other cities and counties that would make your jaw drop.

Statistics and Economics of Human Trafficking in the U.S.

There is a huge economical difference between human trafficking and drug/weapon trafficking. You can sell a kilo of cocaine or a semi-automatic weapon only once. With a person, they can be sold over and over and over, making them nearly priceless to the trafficker.

Research and studies done on human trafficking within our borders is pathetic. The Department of Justice reported that in 2008 there were more than 1,200 “reported” incidents of human trafficking. [ii] Due to each state’s little to no research on human trafficking, that reported statistic cannot be a true, definitive number.

“Because sex trafficking is so far underground, the number of victims is not known and the statistics vary. According to Ambassador John Miller, director of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, “The number will always be an estimate, because trafficking victims don’t stand in line and raise their hands to be counted, but it’s the best estimate we have…The CIA won’t divulge its research methods, based on its figures on 1,500 resources, including law enforcement data, government data, academic research, international reports and newspaper stories.” [iii]

However, in a February, 2006 ABC News article it states, “The FBI estimates that well over 100,000 children and young women are trafficked in America today.” [iv]

Could the FBI’s estimate be more accurate than the Department of Justice’s 1,200 “reported” cases?

The level of apathy towards education, prosecution and punishment of these crimes is dismal. I have to wonder if our own police officers, local officials, or politicians are not making an issue of this crime because “money talks”? Think about it. Sex traffickers yield profits of over 32 billion dollars a year. That makes drug and weapons traffickers look like kids with a lemonade stand. [v]

Difficulties in Prosecution

The trafficking industry thrives because it is hard to prosecute. The women who are victims need to serve as witnesses and testify in court in order for the prosecution to prove their case against the perpetrator(s). These women don’t come forward not only because of the “re-victimization” in court, but also the threats made to them by their traffickers. They have been burned with acid, “disappeared”, or have had their families threatened or murdered.

“We have to explain the woman’s mind-set—that she’s often unsophisticated, comes from a country with a corrupt government and would believe her captors’ lies that if she flees should could get arrested by the police…Juries have a hard time. They wonder: If the door was open, why didn’t she just run?” [vi]

Destination America--From Sea to Shining Sea…

New York

Neighbors wondered why a 65-year old man had a succession of young foreign women living in his home. He told neighbors they were au pairs, yet Joseph Yannai had no children.

“You’d think a warning bell would go off in a neighbor’s mind,” said author Ron Soodalter, “The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today”.

The State Department estimates 17,500 people are trafficked INTO the U.S…but Nassau County Detective John Birbiglia, who runs the Long Island Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces says “that’s a guess because less than 1 percent of cases get prosecuted…it’s the invisible crime.” He thinks the number of enslaved people is much higher. He continues, “We used to arrest these women, now we know they’re victims.” [vii]

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has an infamous slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” They didn’t get the name “Sin City” for nothing. The Associated Press reported in 2008 that Las Vegas is a “hub” for child sex trafficking and that more than 400 children were found working as prostitutes during a SINGLE MONTH in 2007.

Shared Hope International, a non-profit based in Vancouver, Washington released a 165 page report in March 2008 that stated, “Las Vegas was one of 10 U.S. locations for which the agency completed reports. Others included Salt Lake City, Dallas, Bexar County and Fort Worth, Texas, the New Orleans area, Clearwater, Florida, Erie County, New York, Independence, Missouri, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.” [viii]

“Federal officials have recognized Las Vegas as an area where human trafficking is a concern, and a cooperative effort was launched in 2006 called the Anti-Trafficking League Against Slavery.” Even with the well-intended effort of the groups involved, there are no local safe houses to protect the victims.

Vegas Under-Reports Problem—Dare I Say “Tourism”?

“There is a huge and growing sex-oriented trafficking problem in Las Vegas. Yet they quickly add that no statistics have ever been gathered and law enforcers never before have made it a top priority—so the scope of the problem still needs to be determined.” [ix]

…Police in the past haven’t paid sufficient attention to the signs that the prostitutes or others they’re investigating may also be trafficking victims—meaning the problem has gone underreported for years.” –Terri Miller, Civilian Director of “Anti Trafficking League Against Slavery”, and Las Vegas Metro Captain, Terry Lesney. [x]

Could this problem be underreported because of the implications that would affect Las Vegas’s TOURISM? There are too many people invested in that moneymaking machine of a town, so it is plausible to assume that many are paid to look the other way. Starting from the top such as politicians and law enforcement all the way down to cab drivers and hotel managers and/or employees.

An anonymous source, who is an employee with Clark County’s law enforcement sector stated, “We’ve had some very sad cases of sex trafficking. Naturally, they don’t report that kind of stuff because it would ruin tourism.”

Everyone can be bought in Vegas.

San Francisco, California

“San Francisco’s liberal attitude towards sex, the city’s history of arresting prostitutes instead of pimps, and its large immigration population have made it one of the top American cities for international sex traffickers to do business undetected, according to Donna Hughes, a national expert on sex trafficking at the University of Rhode Island.” [xi]

Once in California, the women learn too late that the job offer was a ploy. They are beaten into submission, drugged and raped, then transported and hidden inside homes, massage parlors, apartments and basements.

The women are most often locked inside by security doors, watched by video surveillance and guards who analyze their every move and gesture. They are forced to have sex with as many as a dozen men a day. The organization pays crooked taxi drivers and hotel operators who are willing to shuffle the women to their “appointments” and accommodate the pimps.

They are constantly beaten, drugged, raped and starved.

Arizona

Debbie, a 15-year old from Phoenix, got a phone call one evening from a girlfriend who said she was stopping by. Debbie, wearing only her Spongebob pajamas, went outside to her driveway to greet her friend at the car who was with two older men. Debbie’s friend lured her to the car door and the three pulled Debbie into the car.One of the captors ordered Debbie’s friend to tie her up and put tape over her mouth and eyes.

After being drugged and gang raped, Debbie was trapped in one of Phoenix’s toughest areas. She was driven around Phoenix and ordered to prostitute herself, and when she refused, she was raped and kept in a dog kennel for 40 days.

Her traffickers put an ad on Craig’s List for Debbie’s “services”, and shortly thereafter men came all hours of the day and night demanding sex. Debbie was forced to have sex with over 50 men during her 40-day nightmare, not including the pimps who gang raped her on a regular basis.

The pimps told her that they would kill her family, “they even threatened to throw battery acid on her 19-month old niece.” Debbie stated, “After they told me that, I didn’t care what happened to me as long as my family stayed alive.” [xii]

Eventually tips came into the police and the apartment Debbie was kept in was searched, but they couldn’t find Debbie. Luckily, a police officer found her tied up and crushed into a drawer under a bed.

Police arrested two individuals and were only charged with kidnapping and sexual assault. They have pleaded not guilty and the current disposition of their cases is unknown. [xiii]

Georgia

Chelsey lived a seemingly “normal” middle class life with her family in Georgia, but at age 10 her life forever changed when she was sold as a prostitute by her own father. Chelsey’s story is one of redemption. After her escape, she managed to graduate from high school and received a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Georgia. Chelsey is now working on her master’s degree. The following is an excerpt of a journal passage Chelsey wrote during her unfathomable ordeal:

“As I hang from the beam of a dim, musky, cold basement, I think of as many descriptive words as possible for the body parts I loathe the most. I have endured 14 hands, 70 fingers, all the while my hands are tied.They are numb from being laced above my head and are exhausted from supporting the rest of my body. I am naked, beaten, bleeding, and alone. Sunshine creeps in through the holes in the shades and amplifies my new wounds. I am coming down from a large dose of cocaine and I hope that at least one pair of hands returns to feed me some more. I close my eyes because the drips of sun, of life hurt, and I begin thinking of names of presidents and countries. Dusk approaches with footsteps. I count 14 feet, 70 toes, returning for another round. I inhale, I exhale, I brace myself. I close my eyes, ask silently for death, and hope they have enough blow to get me through the night. I am twelve years old.” [xiv]

Rate Your State

U.S. Current and Pending State Laws on Human Trafficking

The U.S. Policy Alert on Human Trafficking charts current and pending state laws in regards to human trafficking. Polaris Project gathered information in regards to whether or not each state had (a) prosecution for human trafficking, (b) a state task force, (c) research commission, (d) law enforcement training, and (e) victim protection.

“U.S. states with no existing law or pending legislation specifically addressing human trafficking: Alabama, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.” [xv]

Hawaii is the only listed state that does not have any laws prosecuting human traffickers, in addition to no law enforcement training and no victim protection.

States With No Human Trafficking Task Force[xvi]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

States with no Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Training [xvii]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Texas

Virginia

Washington State

States with no Human Trafficking Victim Protection [xviii]

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Virginia

“Loverboys”—a/k/a “Pimps in disguise”

Many women lured and trapped in sex trafficking are brought by “loverboys”. These are men who befriend women and even engage in false relationships in order to win a woman’s trust, who then in turn releases them to the actual pimp. These are the men who control the women on a daily basis, through orders of the “head trafficker”, the man in charge. This is the man who decides which girls go where, and most often are the “head of operations” via their “legitimate” business fronts such as beauty parlors, hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies that are scattered throughout the entire United States.

Women Used as Traffickers

Believe it or not, a large amount of traffickers are women themselves. They are used to coerce naïve girls and young women into going with them for various jobs. Many claim modeling opportunities for the girls, where they are then tricked into going overseas or to a mansion used as a “front” in the method of their coercion.Once the bait is taken, the girls are beaten, drugged, kidnapped and sold. The woman trafficker gets her “cut” and she walks away looking for more vulnerable women and children.

Why Use Women as “Ploys”?

Using a woman as a trafficker is a fool proof way of obtaining a child or young woman’s false sense of security; simply because she is a woman. The woman predator is easily believed because the victims don’t perceive her as a threat. Children and women trust women more than they would a man who would offer the same things: opportunities of jobs, modeling, traveling around the world, making money to help their families or build their lives.

America’s Culpability

Let’s take into consideration the “supply and demand” aspect of why sex trafficking and forced prostitution is such a lucrative business. It is the high demand of these “services” that men command, and unfortunately, many of the solicitors are male American citizens.

There would be no sex trafficking and exploitation if there weren’t a need for it.

Who are these men? Why do they think this is ok? Maybe the latter question is something we will never know or understand.

Let’s Get to the “Root of the Problem”—the Solicitors

Dr. Jerry Albom

Meet Dr. Jerry Albom, a middle-aged radiologist from Oklahoma. Dr. Albom decided to take a trip before starting his new job at medical facility on the island of Guam. His destination? A secret. His family, friends and colleagues think he’s going to Bangkok. But he’s really going to Cambodia…his favorite and most frequented travel locales where he can have cheap sex with young teen girls.

Dr. Albom is a “child sex tourist”.

He is one of thousands of adults who travel overseas every year to sexually exploit children, some as young as five years old.

The majority of sex tourists are adult males from more industrialized countries who travel to lesser developed countries where laws are weakly enforced and sex is cheap and readily available. According to recent reports, Americans comprise an estimated 25% of all sex tourists. In countries such as Cambodia and Costa Rica, the percentage of American sex tourists jumps to 38% and 80%, respectively. [xix]

“Many impoverished countries rely on sex trafficking as a source of real income, and in effect, often have a vested interest in maintaining the status-quo…countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, the ‘sex sector’ accounts for anywhere between 2 and 14 percent of national income.” [xx]

“In many countries…the lack of political will and the abundance of corruption among government and law enforcement officials…undermine efforts to enact stronger laws and harsher punishments for perpetrators of child sex crimes.”

As a result, in countries where corruption is rampant, public officials are often part of the problem rather than part of the solution.

A new report released by the humanitarian organization World Vision—Cambodia indicates that ‘many high ranking officers [in the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism] are involved in child sex tourism and the sexual exploitation of children and even support the activities of child sex traffickers.” [xxi]

PART ONE:

“Usually I buy out three girls for 50 bucks. Take ‘em for the whole night.”

Albom warns the undercover sex tourist not to tell his educated friends “who read” because they will know about the area’s reputation. He states, “Don’t tell them where you’re going…tell them you’re going to Bangkok. And then come here very discreetly.”

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

PART TWO:

Albom Confronted With Hidden Video

“I don’t want to participate and make judgments of something I may have said when I was drunk, or…or, may have been slipped a pill, who knows?”

“Drunk or slipped a pill…that’s your defense?”

“Yes.”

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Bottom Line

You don’t have to be a politician, law enforcement, or part of some special group to make a difference. As a citizen…just be aware. Take notice. If you see something strange, odd, or just not right, do something! Say something! If nothing is done, call the local media! Spread the word within the community until something is done.

We, as American citizens need to take part in the responsibility of protecting these innocent children and women. Let’s officially put our U.S. politicians ON NOTICE, educate your family and friends on human trafficking, and make some noise!

Michelle Simonsen is a victim's rights advocate, crime analyst and blogger for "Michelle Says So", founder of the grassroots consumer boycott, "Boycott Aruba--Justice for Natalee Holloway", an advisory board member of "Survivors in Action", and is a contributing writer for "Now Public", and "True Crime Talk".

---

[i] ABC News, “Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”, June 2006

[ii] Department of Justice—“More Than 1,200 Alleged Incidents of Human Trafficking Reported in the U.S.”, January 15, 2009

[iii] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[iv] ABC News, “Teen Girls Stories of Sex Trafficking in the U.S.”, June 2006

[v] Polaris Project, “U.S. Police Alert on Human Trafficking—Summary of U.S. Policy Activity”, July 2007

[vi] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[vii] Adapted from N.Y.’s Hidden Trafficking, Metro, 21 June 2009.http://www.humantrafficking.org/updates/865

[viii] Associated Press, “Report: Las Vegas a Hub for Child Sex Trafficking”, March 2008

[ix] Adapted from: Sam Skolnik, “Do we have a human trafficking problem? Justice Department names Las Vegas among 17 most likely destinations.” Las Vegas Sun, January 29, 2007

[x] Id.

[xi] May, “San Francisco is a Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave”, October 2006

[xii] ABC News, “Teen Girls’ Stories of Sex Trafficking in U.S., February 2006

[xiii] Id.

[xiv] Wagner, Johnson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Untold Horrors”, June 2009

[xv] Polaris Project, “U.S. Police Alert on Human Trafficking—Summary of U.S. Policy Activity”, July 2007

[xvi] Id.

[xvii] Id.

[xviii] Id.

[xix] Susan Song, “Children as Tourist Attractions”, Global Child Sex Tourism,http://www.yapi.org/rpchildsextourism.pdf

[xx] Klain, “Prostitution of Children and Child Sex Tourism”

[xxi] The Associated Press, “Child Sex Tourism Spreading in Asia”