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The challenge of eradicating the forced sex work industry in a city that is already a major hub for human trafficking has turned political in Queens, NY.
Most of the public sees this horrific crime as one that happens elsewhere—far away from their backyards, but the shocking reality is that human trafficking is pervasive across the United States and the next victim could be right next door.
The latest raids here were on March 8, when police went into four spas and arrested five women. They charged all five with the felony of unauthorized practice of a profession, and four also with misdemeanor prostitution. As of April, three of those spas were still open.
Eric Oliver, 35 of Syracuse,N.Y. became the poster-child for the state’s tough sex trafficking law that went into effect shortly before his 2013 arrest. The law was written to cover what had been previously considered street-level pimping of prostitutes. His crimes related to the sex trafficking of at least four underage girls ended up with an astronomical sex offender rating today.
The “runaways.”
The “throwaways.”
That’s who the sex traffickers prey upon. It’s these children their customers seek out. It’s these children who suffer the physical and emotional pain that, if they survive, will follow them throughout their lives.
Prosecutors say 47-year-old Raymond Rodio III trafficked as many as 22 women between 2014 and February of this year, holding some of the women by force in a basement. They say he would set up dates with men in the basement or in motels around Suffolk County and that he often kept the women’s money and gave them heroin and crack cocaine instead.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City has became more than a transit hub – it became a site of prayer and activism that connected the Stations of the Cross to the plight of sex trafficking victims.
In Judge Toko Serita’s courtroom, compassion and education for individuals charged with prostitution-related offenses is paramount. This understanding, empathetic approach to Queens’ alleged sex workers is the subject of “Blowin’ Up,” a documentary by director Stephanie Wang-Breal that explores the hurdles faced by women arrested and prosecuted for prostitution in the borough. Much of the film, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, takes places at Kew Gardens’ Human Trafficking Intervention Court, where Serita presides.
The NoVo Foundation today announced The Life Story Grants, a $10 million, 3-year commitment for programs in the U.S that open exit ramps and close on-ramps to commercial sexual exploitation. NoVo is now inviting Letters of Inquiry for grants across six system-focused “moments”: Housing, Medical Needs, Law Enforcement, Trauma and Mental Health, Immigration, and Systems Impacting Youth.
A local anti-trafficking organization will partner Friday with Nazareth College to co-host a documentary film and panel discussion about sex trafficking.
Finding new and innovative ways to combat the demand for purchased sex, raise awareness to this nationwide epidemic, and provide safe environments for victims.
