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Ryan Klesko
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JULY 31 - AUGUST 13, 2008 VOL 6, ISSUE 11

IT N U M M O C R U O Y W KNO

FREE

m ti Vic -less Crime

Why isnt anyone talking about the discovery of a 17-year old American girl in the recent massage parlor raids?

Feature by Chris Horne

Victimless Crime?
Severe forms of trafficking in persons means sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age The term sex trafficking means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, PUBLIC LAW 106386 Sec. 103.Definitions, #8-9

s long as youre asking the Federal government, it really doesnt matter who else you askthere is sex trafficking in Macon. There is at least one victim, and the Macon Police Department (MPD) found her. Shes someone whose face was plastered on the front page of The Telegraph, across television newscasts and their online components. Each respective comment section quickly filled up with remarks about her. The story has even traveled far, reposted with pictures to websites as global as Fark.com and as unrelated to Macon as a Pittsburg Penguins fansite. But instead of compassion, she has become the target of lewd, lascivious and sometimes sexually violent commentary. She is a 17-year-old girl who was arrested and booked on prostitution charges instead of helped and protected. Somewherepresumably between law enforcements best intentions and ignorance of the Federal lawthis girl slipped through. On July 16, 2008, the MPD embarked on the second night of the second phase of its Operation Massage Parlor. Unlike the first phase, the MPD utilized assistance from Tapestri, an agency in Atlanta that aids survivors of international sex trafficking. They also solicited and received help from the Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia, who help sexually assaulted women. This is not a victimless crime, Alia El-Sawi says. She is the Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator for Tapestri, and a Mercer graduate. The mere presence of these organizations represented a shift in the culture of the MPD, who had become aware that they needed help investigating the probability of sex trafficking. Police Chief Mike Burns said as much in his opening comments at the July 21 press conference. On that second night, however, Tapestri stayed in Atlanta because agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed to accompany the MPD. After raiding Q-Spa and arresting three Koreans, MPD went to All-American Spa and arrested three Americans, charging two with Keeping a House of Prostitution, and one, the 17year-old girl, with Masturbation for Hire. Two things happened in the wake of the raids: ICE agents ignored her because their emphasis is on immigrants, and the MPD saw no red flags because the legal age of consent in Georgia is 16.

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14 | JULY 31 - AUGUST 13, 2008

Amnesty Internationals
campaign against sex trafficking

Two things happened in the wake of the raids: ICE agents ignored her because their emphasis is on immigrants, and the MPD saw no red flags because the legal age of consent in Georgia is 16.

Community Collaboratives, a function of the Juvenile Justice Fund, which serves Fulton County, McCullough sees little distinction between trafficking and the prostitution of children in a case like this. Theyre two words that essentially mean the same thing. For some, trafficking means crossing over state lines, but movement isnt necessary, she says. If people really dont understand what trafficking is, then saying child prostitution makes more sense. It gets their attention in a way they understand. Of all the problems around the trafficking issue, chief among them is understanding what it is. One reason Congress passed the The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA,) was to define and penalize trafficking. In the majority of cases, the only substantive law is the TVPA. Macon is no exception. Thats something the Feds would handle, District Attorney Howard Simms says. It is, however, something that can be referred to US Attorney Max Wood by local law enforcement. They probably dont know to go to (Wood), Simms says, noting that the 86-page TVPA isnt widely understood in Middle Georgia yet. He says his wife, DeAlvah Dee Simms, the former State Child Advocate, recently made him aware of the 17-year-olds situation. It is something he wants to bring to Woods attention. Stephanie Davis, Policy Advisor on Womens Issues for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, says the distinction between minors and adults can be arbitrary and harmful. A girl turns 17, and all of a sudden, she doesnt qualify for a lot of services, Davis says. She cant be treated as a victim through a lot of eyes when she clearly is (a victim). It is the very fact of her age that qualifies her for Federal protection. Congress has recognized that some crossroads require intelligent, mature and informed decisions that a person under 18 isnt always capable of. If that is already true for casting a vote and serving in the military, it should certainly apply to working in a brothel. The inference is that, in Georgia, less maturity is needed to determine ones level of sexual activity than for responsible alcohol consumption. Once out on the street, one out of every three teens will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. from Hidden in Plain View: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Girls in Atlanta On June 25, the FBI marked the fifth anniversary of the Innocence Lost Initiative, which targets criminals engaged in the domestic trafficking of children for prostitution. In that time, the initiative has resulted in the conviction of 308 individuals on a combination of state and federal chargesand the recovery of 433 child victims. These domestically trafficked child victims are often, as Dr. Mary Alice Morgan says, runaways and the socalled throw-aways. Without intervention and support, Dr. Morgan, the Director of the Womens and Gender Studies Program at Mercer, points out that these girls are practically destined to continue repeating this cycle ad nauseum. Who is going to step in? The don isnt going to intervene. The pimp isnt going to intervene. The family is going to write her off. The church is going to write her off, Dr. Morgan says.

So these girls endure being lied to and abused because theyre left feeling there is no other option, no one to help. Suffering from a seeming variety of Stockholm Syndrome, some victims even refuse to believe theres anything wrong with their circumstances. Theyll show up bruised and beaten, and tell you theyre okay. They prefer the terror that they know, Dr. Morgan explains. They really dont have advocates. Except for people like Davis, who attempts to match the needs of trafficked women and girls with effective policy. For Atlanta, which is among the 14 worst cities for child prostitution according to the FBI, the challenges are steep. Davis says that arrests in adult entertainment venues in Atlanta revealed high rates of prostitution. That, in turn, means many young women were at risk. An ordinance recently passedand currently being challenged legallyraised the minimum age of employees in Atlantas bars to 21. It immediately took 2,600 girls off the stage, Davis says. The scope is enormous, the effect insidious. When a large convention or sporting event comes to Atlanta, a sizeable contingent of prostitutes is brought into town to handle the increased demand. Davis works with tourism leaders to curb this growing problem, but acknowledges that meaningful reduction will come from the demand side. The reason there is prostitution is that men are buying sex. Youve got to ask why men are buying sex, Stephanie Davis says. One reason I think it flourishes in the Bible Belt is because there is so much repressed sexuality. And the churches are afraid to touch it, like theres some sort of guilt by association.

ut why are these girls getting involved? Like their international counterparts, victims of domestic trafficking are lured into the cycle with promises of love and comfort, escape, companionship, drugswhatever it takes. Of course, money is primary. The employment ad for Macons All-American Spa on PennyPincherUSA.com websiteactive as recently as June 29, 2008, though it has since been removeddemonstrates this in short form. MODEL TYPES NEEDED! At ALL AMERICAN SPA Earn Up To $200 Per Day. No Experience Necessary, Will Train The Right Individuals. Call

A man who buys sex is viewed simply as a man doing what men do Hanny Ben-Israel and Nomi Levenkron, The Missing Factor: Clients of Trafficked Women in Israels Sex Industry It would be best if she were treated as a victim, not a criminal, Kaffie McCullough says. As the coordinator of

Speaking at Aprils Combating Sex Trafficking" Conference in Chapel Hill, NC, Ken Franzblau, the Director of Human Trafficking Education in the NY State Division of Criminal Justice Services, described the situation in New York State, where the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Act was passed in June. This legislation allows law enforcement to treat girls 15 and younger as victims instead of criminals.

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Unedited comments from USA Sex Guide,

an online message board, June 14 through July 27:
Optihead One of the local rags the 11th Hour has done an story on our favorite shops in Macon, and it was picked up by public radio too. Tiny Dan Read the 11th Hour rag, you know a good story would be how having an amp or legalized prostitution in your area can reduce violent sex crimes, this has been proven by a survey in London. And its not only the asian parlors in Macon. But its just like everything else in this city, it was a city counsel person doing a favor for a "legit" therapist he knew. Macon sucks. Politicians, now thats the true whores in this town. Jonnnnnnnnnny Why was all of the massage parlors closed on Thursday night. I was riding around about 10: 30 P. M. And they were all closed. VIP, Q Spa, Ultimate Massage, Hong Kong, and Paradise Spa were all closed. Does anyone know what was going on? Scornful That would be because of the busts last night... train5 I knew this was only a matter of time before uncle Leo intervened. It's ok if the drug dealers and murderers are roaming about. Mydogblue1873 The news just said a group of mercer students and professors are going to city council to protest the amp's due to the women being sex slaves and not having rights. Andy Bernard Those flashy billboard signs was a bad business move for the AMP's. Especially when there were a few in Macon, that countless yuppie soccer moms saw. You can bet they complained about that shit. Looks like the beginning of the end of Macon AMP's... Lookinfoit69 Damn! No way I would bother with the Macon AMP scene at this juncture. They killed a damn good thing; but as was stated here by someone else, the AMP's didn't help their situation with all the in-your face advertising. A bit of discretion may have saved them but when you post gigantic ads all over 75, Warner Robins and the like, you can expect people to begin asking questions and demanding action. Frickin small town cops with nothing better to do. J Man Anyone have anything to play with in Macon? My usual has taken a powder on me and I need a replacement. Mydogblue1873 New round of arrest today at the Macon AMPs wouldn't go near them right now. Sledgehammer The AMP scene in Macon is in scary shape. I have a cop friend who says that they are beginning to target the customers, taking pictures of tags. ...

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even though it is not popular. Forget what you've learned about sex Statements made by the callused and trafficking from 20/20, Franzblau said. The majority of trafficking in NY is domestic traf- dismissive reflect a view that those under the yoke of prostitution and trafficking fickingrunaway kids BSd into this, promised a place to sleep. . . (told) Im a rapper I'll deserve what they get, which is eerily similar to the sentiments expressed by slave put you in my next video. owners and their supporters 200 years ago. Every trafficked or prostituted woman Dr. Silver has heard enough of that, has two things in common: They all have too. People say the police shouldnt spend stories, and nobody wants to know them, so much time on the massage parlors Mercers Dr. Andrew Silver says, As long what? How many nights have they spent on as we're happy in our innocence, their sufit? Three, four, five? This isnt keeping them fering continues. from pursuing other crimes. Now that Macon Police Chief Mike What frustrates authorities more is the Burns has eliminated the serious threat of idea that the size and prevalence of prostitumassage parlors and has had his picture in tion and trafficking somehow means it can The Telegraph posing proudly as a great never be stopped and therefore, attempts to crime fighter, how about some other crime control it shouldnt even be made. fighting that is not victimless? This might Daviss response comes quickly: include Operation Murder, Operation Car Youll never stop prostitution. They say, Theft, Operation Rape, Operation Home Elimination Fee, Dbl Entry $55 saying theres no way to stop Thats like Invasion, and Operation Business Anyone can Play murder, so dont look for reasons why peoRobberies. Letter to the Editor, The $1000 guarantee to 1st Place ple murder people. Telegraph, July 24, 2008 Members Leaguee Pool another simple reason. As Theres serves9-Ball as the Sexual Dottie Stafford Tournament, 1p Open discount a $10 Receive Franzblau said, Where prostitution is tolerAssault Advocacy Program Director for ated, trafficking flourishes. They know that Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia and has been assisting the police on if the police aren't looking at prostitution, they won't be looking at trafficking. this issue. Her perspective is drastically difElimination Dbl $45 Entry Fee, American girl white, If a 17-year-old, ferent than those who think the massage parcan be so easily discarded, what chance lor raids are a waste of time. Prize Money Only, Added Amateurs does an immigrant with $ few English People are so callused and dismissive Card Fee 30 Tour skills 20/$ 1 Day Event, The have for getting the help she needs? realThey dont Tournament in the comments they make.Amateur Open Player Auction starts at 1pm question should no longer be whether or not ize whats really happening, Stafford says. sex trafficking exists in Maconby definiIt isnt as if all other crime-stopping efforts tion, it absolutely does. The question is have ended. I commend the police chief and whether or not the community gives a damn. the mayor and city council for doing this

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