by Lily Vesel | Sept 11, 2017 | dailycollegian.com

Graduate students at UMass Amherst have a reason to be excited for this fall semester: The UMass College of Nursing is offering a new online course on human trafficking this fall.

The course will be taught by Donna Sabella, an expert in the field of human trafficking. Sabella has organized a number of national projects to help victims of this scourge.

“The course will introduce students to what human trafficking is, how to identify victims, the health problems commonly associated with this population, special considerations to be aware of when working with trafficking victims and how to access services for them,” stated the UMass press release about the course.

Sabella’s course is the first of its kind at UMass, and is offered online so that students from all over the country can register. It is also open to all academic disciplines, so that graduate students of all backgrounds can gain knowledge on the subject of human trafficking.

Read the full story here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 24, 2017

**MEDIA ADVISORY**

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING ORG HOLDS GOLF OUTING TO SUPPORT LIBERATION EFFORTS

Hinckley Dermatology and Operation Underground Railroad host a charity golf outing to support its mission to rescue and rehabilitate victims of child sex trafficking

Salt Lake City, UT – Hinckley Dermatology has partnered with Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) to host a charity golf outing to raise awareness and funds for O.U.R.’s mission of rescuing children from sex slavery and helping to rehabilitate survivors. All proceeds from the event will go directly to O.U.R. thanks to Hinckley Dermatology’s generous offer to cover all event costs. O.U.R. has increased its global reach since its founding, operating in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Haiti, and Peru, among others. It has also ramped up its U.S. presence, training local law enforcement to identify, track, and take down trafficking rings.

One day prior to the outing, there will be a public silent auction hosted by Hinckley Dermatology to further benefit Operation Underground Railroad. All are welcome to bid, as participation in the outing is not required for the auction. A list of available auction items can be found here.

“This tournament will be one of our premier annual events. We are so grateful for Hinckley Dermatology, as well as the numerous sponsors and donors who are making this day possible. The funds raised from this event alone will allow our team to rescue dozens of children,” said Tim Ballard, O.U.R. Founder and CEO.

“We believe there are few organizations with such an important mission and we are honored to take part in this great cause. We look forward to many more years of this golf tournament,” said Dr. Michael Hinckley, Founder of the Hinckley Dermatology Charity Golf Scramble.

WHO: Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.)
WHAT: Hinckley Dermatology Charity Golf Scramble
WHEN: Friday, August 25, 2017
WHERE: Stonebridge Golf Club – 4415 Links Dr, West Valley City, UT 84120
TIME: 1:00 PM MT

Operation Underground Railroad is registered 501(c)3 organization. Bringing together former CIA, Navy SEALs, and Special Ops operatives, O.U.R. partners with local law enforcement agencies around the world to save children from this modern day slavery. Founded by CEO Tim Ballard in 2013, O.U.R. has rescued more than 650 victims and helped arrest over 275 traffickers worldwide.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Tim Ballard, please contact Frank at frank@javelindc.com or 703-490-8845

by Megan Cerullo | Aug 18, 2017 | nydailynews.com

Img source: nydailynews.com 

More than 250 sex buyers and traffickers were arrested in Houston as part of a national initiative aimed at suppressing prostitution.

Law enforcement agencies made more than 1,000 arrests countrywide as part of the “National Johns Suppression Initiative,” according to the Cook County sheriff’s office press release.

“I’m very proud of our work, but concerned by the fact that demand hasn’t declined,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said of the results, announced Friday morning, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The operation ran from June 28 — July 31 and spanned 17 states, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.

Read the full article at nydailynews.com.

What can YOU Do?

DONATE TODAY

We are grateful for the law enforcement’s efforts in fighting child sex trafficking. Check out this article about how the FBI’s investigation led to 296 rescues and 900 arrests here.

Spread awareness. SHARE this article.

by Dave Hendricks | Oct 6, 2016 | valleycentral.com

A federal judge sentenced a Harlingen man to 20 years in prison Wednesday for distribution of child pornography.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced Kevin Michael Kaster, 26, of Harlingen to 20 years in federal prison on Wednesday afternoon.

Agents with the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force arrested Kaster in February, according to federal court records. The task force includes agents with Homeland Security Investigations — a division of U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement — in Brownsville and Harlingen.

During a search, federal agents found 22 child pornography videos on Kaster’s computer, according to the criminal complaint against him.

“Kaster admitted to being the owner of the computer and being in possession of child pornography,” according to the criminal complaint. “Kaster stated that during the last three years, he has downloaded child pornography to his computer.”

Read the full news story at valleycentral.com.

What can YOU Do?

DONATE TODAY

Homeland Security Investigations was able to catch this man based on training that the O.U.R. team provided for them. We are grateful for the opportunity our team has to enable law enforcement in the U.S. and around the world to protect kids from trafficking.

Spread awareness. SHARE this article.

By Vinciane Ngomsi | August 15, 2017 | thefederalist.com

With a highly anticipated fight between boxing’s biggest star Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and MMA firebrand Conor McGregor just around the corner on August 26, almost all of the stories surrounding the historic event have focused on the animosity between the two fighters, the revenue it’ll bring to Las Vegas (and the fighters themselves), and predictions of its result.

But what has gone underreported is the human cost that will inevitably come to this event in the form of prostitutes and other victims of human trafficking—especially since it’s in Las Vegas, home of the sex industry and one of the highest risk cities in the country for human trafficking.

Major sporting events like this and the Super Bowl every year draw unprecedented amounts of human trafficking. Just this year, during Super Bowl weekend, police arrested 750 suspects in sex trafficking stings across the U.S. In 2015, in the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, law enforcement agencies in 17 states arrested nearly 600 people and rescued 68 victims of human trafficking during a sting. In 2012, the week before the Super Bowl over 1,000 postings on Backpage.com, an online postings site that recently came under fire in a new Senate report, listed services from women and escort services, and a quarter referenced the Super Bowl, or “Super Bowl Specials.” The Mayweather-McGregor fight is expected to bring much of the same.

Preventing Sex Trafficking and Protecting Its Victims

Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) Founder and CEO Tim Ballard believes more should be done to reduce the human cost at major sporting events in the U.S.

Read the full article at thefederalist.com.

What can YOU Do?

DONATE TODAY

The world of human trafficking is large. In addition to big events in places like Las Vegas, trafficking exists in places like the food industry. To read more about it, click here.

SHARE this article to spread the word.

“Huge sporting events create a big market for sex traffickers who appeal to men seeking sex with underage girls. You don’t have to travel to the Super Bowl or a Mayweather fight to find sex slaves”. 

When boxing fans converge on Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight this month, young women and children forced in to sex slavery will be brought into Sin City. Tim Ballard sat down with Nancy Grace as they discussed how sex trafficking is happening right under our noses!

Listen to the full podcast below
(forward to 17:00)

“Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” is now a national radio show, heard on SiriusXM’s Triumph
Channel 132, five times a day. 

Wednesday Crime Stories: Taylor Swift’s groping trial & sex trafficking in your town

What can YOU Do?

SHARE this podcast to spread the word.

By Annie Ross | Jun 20, 2017 | standard.co.uk

Today, June 30, 2017, a cohort of adventurous runners and cyclists are setting off from Bosnia and headed for the UK, an astounding 2,000km away. The aim of the challenge, named Run For Love, is to raise £250,000 to fight human trafficking. I’ll be joining them for Stage Two, a 555km 3-day alpine cycle from Zagreb to Munich so head to social media for updates and you’ll meet some of my fellow challengers (Instagram @eXerKyourself)

The donations raised through Run For Love, an endurance duathlon, will support charities that work towards the prevention of future trafficking and help victims of modern day slavery.

See the full news story at standard.co.uk (Photo source: standard.co.uk)

What can YOU Do?

DONATE TODAY

A 17-year-old boy ran a similar campaign on behalf of of O.U.R. as he lead a fundraising bike ride along the California coast. For the full story, click here. If you would like to start a campaign of your own, visit yourrescue.org

By Brittney Donovan, Action News Jax | Jun 5, 2017 | www1.cbn.com

ARLINGTON, Va. – One group fighting sex trafficking calls itself S.O.A.P. – Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution. And they’ve actually found a way to use soap to battle this second leading crime in America.

During the first weekend of June, they gathered a couple of dozen volunteers in Arlington, Virginia across the Potomac from Washington D.C. to pack bags with bars of soap that have the number of the National Human Trafficking Hotline on the wrapper. Then they delivered these bags to hotels and motels around the D.C. Metro area.

The wrapper says, “Are you being forced to do anything you do not want to do? Have you been threatened if you try to leave? Have you witnessed young girls being prostituted? If so, please call: 1-888-373-7888 – National Human Trafficking Hotline.”

SOAP Saved a Chicago Girl

S.O.A.P. Founder Theresa Flores recently received a text message from someone about one of these wrappers.

Flores recalled, “It said ‘you are the reason I’m free. I found a bar of soap in Chicago and it gave me a reason to get out.’”

For the full news story at www1.cbn.com (Photo source: Pixabay)

Operation Underground Railroad runs a similar campaign with doTERRA Healing Hands. The new HOPE blend was developed and donated to O.U.R. specifically for distribution in high trafficking areas. It includes an 800 hotline number for children who are suffering and in need of help. Read the full story and consider donating to O.U.R. today!

What can YOU Do?

DONATE TODAY

Human trafficking is a worldwide epidemic. What can you do in your own community to stop it?

In the month of June, O.U.R. volunteers around the world are holding yard sales and donating the proceeds.

Join the fight. SHARE this article.