New York Anti-Trafficking Coalition

Mission Statement

The New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition is a group of organizations that have joined forces to increase public awareness of human trafficking in our communities, enact anti-trafficking laws, improve law enforcement response and increase social services to help women and girls escape trafficking. New York is a leading entry, transit and destination point for trafficking victims. Last year, the New York Anti-Trafficking Coalition drove the passage of the first Anti-Human Trafficking Law in New York.

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Queens Man is First Convicted Under New York State Sex Trafficking Statute

The Queens District Attorney Richard A Brown announed on December 2nd that St. Alban’s resident David Brown has been convicted of second-degree kidnapping, sex trafficking, third degree promoting prostitution, first degree unlawful imprisonment, and third degree assult. He is the first person to be convicted under New York State’s Anti-Trafficking Law, which was enacted in 2007. According to trial testimony, in August of 2008, Mr. Brown was “sold” a 19-year-old for $2,000, who he then forced to work as a prostitute. She was imprisoned in his apartment, assulted, raped, and under constant threat of death. Attorney Brown said that “this is exactly the kind of case that the legislature had in mind when it enactes New York’s Sex Trafficking Statute,” and that “this office continues to use every tool allowed under the law to prosecute dangerous individuals like this defendent.” The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Dept.’s Queen Gang Squad. Read the District Attorney’s press release here.
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NOW-NYC’s Trafficking Action Network Meeting next month!

Come get involved in current efforts to combat human trafficking. Our next meeting is set for Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 6:30 pm at the NOW-NYC office, 150 West 28th Street, Suite 304. (Note: the Network would usually meet the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm.) Please email Catherine Camp at catherinevcamp@aol.com to RSVP or to find out more information.

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Anti-Trafficking Coalition Holds Meeting to Discuss Recent Developments

The New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition held a meeting on Friday, November 13th that addressed recent sex trafficking legislation, case investigations, and criminal prosecution. The speakers included Andra Ackerman, Director of the Office of Human Trafficking, Christa Stewart, coordinator of the New York State Anti-Trafficking Program, Lauren Hersh, Senior Trial Attorney for the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, and Elizabeth Fildes, Program Director for the Human Trafficking Task Force in Erie County.

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Celebrities Jump on Board the Trafficking Cause!

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) and the trafficking cause gain some big-time allies: Beyoncé Knowles, Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Sinead O’Connor, Mary J Blige, and Katie Ford. As part of the Netflix premiere (July 7th) of the Showtime documentary “Very Young Girls”, GEMS and the aforementioned women will “use e-activism, live events, all-star artist collaborations and other initiatives to promote girls empowerment and education as critical tools in the fight against child traffickers and pimps who victimize between 100,000 and 300,000 American children and teens each year.” This is a big step for GEMS and the trafficking cause because these big names will provide much-needed exposure to situations that are too-often passed off as ‘misguided teenage girls.’

More information can be found here.

Getting more exposure is an important next step after the Safe Harbor Act was signed into law in September 2008 by Governor Paterson. The Safe Harbor Act creates specialized services to help children involved in prostitution, instead of punishing these children for being victims of sexual exploitation. The bill requires the state to create a range of services so that these children can reclaim their young lives.

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U.S. Department of Justice Releases New Trafficking Statistics

According to the stats released in January of this year, over 1,200 alleged incidents of human trafficking were reported in the U.S. over the 21-month period from January 2007-September 2008. The recent stats released by the U.S. Department of Justice paint a bleak picture for young women and girls:

• 83% of all alleged reported trafficking incidents involved sex trafficking, and one third, or 32%, of the total involved the sex trafficking of children. 71% of sex trafficking victims were under age 25.

• Over 90% of the victims, overall, were female. Hispanics are particularly hard hit: Hispanic victims constituted 37% of all sex trafficking victims and 56% of labor trafficking victims.

• It’s also clear that sex trafficking is a local problem. The stats show that U.S. citizens accounted for 63%, or a clear majority, of sex trafficking victims.

The full press release can be found here.

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NY’s Anti-Trafficking Law Gets its First Indictment 

A Queens’ pimp is the first person to be indicted under New York’s new Anti-Trafficking Law passed by former Governor Elliot Spitzer in November 2007. Pimps and traffickers now face up to 25 years in prison, a substantial increase from the previous sentence of 2 ½ to 7 years. The law also provides further social services for victims of sex trafficking. The first convicted pimp is accused of kidnapping and forcing a 16-year-old girl to have sex with nearly 200 men. Click here to read the full story 

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Real Funding Needed for Anti-Human Trafficking Measure

The New York Anti-Trafficking Coalition helped pass the first-ever New York State Anti-Human Trafficking Law last June, which established penalties for traffickers and provided services for victims. Getting the law on the books was the first step, and the Division of Criminal Justice Services has launched training workshops for law enforcement, but the state needs to put real dollars behind the new law for improved services, investigations and statewide training for police, judges, DAs and social service agencies. Get in touch with your state senator and assemblymember and ask them to adequately fund the new law in next year’s budget. Ensure that our leaders keep their promise to fight human trafficking.