NY Human Trafficking Ring Busted

By Lauren Cooper
Brookly, New York City. The Global Issue Newspaper, Sunday 10 March 2040 13:28 EDT

Police arrested two ringleaders of human trafficking after a woman reported she was kidnapped from a New York City Street. The woman claimed that she had been forced into prostitution and sex trade, escaping over two years later in downtown Brooklyn. On Sunday night officers found the 23-year-old woman in a downtown parking lot after she called 911 with a cell phone, authorities said. When asked how she escaped, the woman said, Im the only one who made it out. A lady in the streets saw me running and knew something was wrong, so she let me use her phone. The woman stated that she wanted her name to stay anonymous for the time being, allowing her time for recovery and healing. However, she felt it was important to shed light on the issue of human trafficking, a crime she is no longer confined to the shadows of. She shared with authorities the details of her time being in the human trafficking industry and how she was forced into prostitution and sex trade. The woman revealed that there were over 30 girls working for two men, each withstanding physical abuse and violence on a regular basis. Most of the women living were in their 20s, however the youngest girl was only 15 years old.

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The location of where the woman was found by the police-Downtown Brooklyn, New York City. Photograph: Davis Sheppard for Global Issue Newspaper

The kind of sex trafficking described in this indictment is nothing less than modern-day slavery, said U.S. Attorney Andrew Potter.
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The Ring Leaders Convicted

Authorities arrested David Collins, 28, and Andy Toman, 31, the ringleaders of the human trafficking business. David Collins was booked into New York County Jail on suspicion of rape, human trafficking, aggravated assault and kidnapping. Meanwhile, Andy Toman was booked on suspicion of human trafficking and rape. During the trial, prosecutors stated that Collins and Toman kept the women at their house or in nearby hotels. The men would solicit clients for them by placing ads on websites or sending them to hotels in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Harlem. When the women were off the job, the men would beat them and threaten their family members if the women didn't earn enough, prosecutors said. They would also force them to charge high hourly rates for sex acts, typically $800 to $1,000, and then turn all proceeds over to him with no earnings to keep for themselves.
David Collins-Mug Shot at New York Police Department

Andy Toman- Mug Shot at New York Police Department

The house Andy Toman and David Collins held the women in. With over 30 girls living in the confinements, police examined the living quarters and explained them as the worst possible living conditions. Police found chains, broken beds, and an underground chamber where the men supposedly locked up the women if they were acting against disobedient against their will. Photograph: Davis Sheppard-The Global Issue Newspaper

What Happens Next?

With over 34 million victims of human trafficking reported in 2040, the industry continues to grow as the fastest criminal industry in the world. This report was just many of the thousands filed each month for human trafficking, including prostitution, forced labor and other illicit activities.

As for the 30 women for in this case, they have been taken into rehabilitation and recovery programs as well as receiving intense medical attention. Since victims of human trafficking experience severe forms of violence and abuse however, they often have a very short life span. Individuals forced into labor also suffer injuries, malnutrition, suicide and diseases such as HIV/AIDs. Human trafficking is not only rising exponentially each year, but also spreading diseases on a global level. Women who are forced into commercial sex work are at high risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, increasing the risk for contracting HIV. In addition, they are subject to dangerous and violent sex practices that allow the virus to spread easier. Death rates have increased reaching to an all-time high due to such diseases. At this rate, human trafficking is expected to have over 48 million victims by 2050.

At this rate, human trafficking is expected to have over 50 million victims by 2050.