Human trafficking in Georgia (U.S. state)

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Human trafficking in Georgia is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor as it occurs in the US state of Georgia, and it is widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery. Human trafficking includes "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs." [1]

Contents

History

Slave trading in Atlanta Slave Market-Atlanta Georgia 1864.jpg
Slave trading in Atlanta

Human trafficking in the form of slavery is known to have been practiced by the original or earliest-known inhabitants of the future colony and state of Georgia, for centuries prior to European colonization. During the colonial era, the practice of Indian slavery in Georgia soon became surpassed by industrial-scale plantation slavery. While slavery technically became illegal in Georgia after the ratification of the 13th Amendment, slavery continued to thrive legally under the peonage system and aggressive penal labor. [2]

Laws

Georgia law OCGA 16-5-46 prohibits the trafficking of persons for labor or sexual servitude with a more severe penalty for trafficking minors. [3]

On April 2, 2015, a new law passed called the SB8 and SR7. Under this law convicted traffickers will register as sex offenders and pay into a state fund called New Safe Harbor to help victims of sex trafficking with physical, mental health, education, job training and legal help. [4]

HB 200 law went into effect on July 1, 2011. The law is harsher when it involves minors and can be up to a twenty-year prison sentence and a $100,000 fine. Another major step is that the age of consent, which is sixteen, or lack of knowledge of the victim's age is no longer a valid defense. [5]

Sex trafficking in Atlanta

Atlanta is a major transportation hub for trafficking young girls from southern countries and is one of the fourteen U.S. cities with the highest levels of child sex trafficking. [6]

In 2007, the sex trade generated $290 million (~$411 million in 2023) in Atlanta. [3] This number derives from the study "Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major US Cities" by Urban institute, with 18 interviews (pg. 121) conducted in Atlanta, and includes "prostitutes, massage parlors, and brothels" with both "pimp controlled" individuals and "non-pimp controlled" (pg. 122). In the study, human trafficking is defined in the section: "Background on the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in the United States" as "any sex act in exchange for which anything of value is given to or received by any person (e.g., prostitution)." (pg. 7). [7]

Craigslist is a major medium for the advertisement for sex and the site is known to get three times as many hits as other sites. [8]

"The same ready access to commercial air and ground routes that draws businesses and travelers to Atlanta also entices criminals engaged in human trafficking." There are numerous events and conventions in Atlanta that bring many people to the city which also exemplifies the issue. [6]

Organizations

Out Of Darkness is an organization that is against sex trafficking which is located in Atlanta Georgia; Out of Darkness falls under the section 501(c) (3). Their "mission is to reach, rescue and restore all victims of commercial sexual exploitation, that the glory of God may be known." [9]

BeLoved Atlanta is an organization that focuses on the "community of women who have survived trafficking, prostitution and addiction". BeLoved Atlanta will provide a residential home to adult women who were personally affected by sexual exploitation, they are able to provide their services to residents for up to two years. [10]

End It "is a coalition of leading organization in the world to fight for freedom". Their mission is to shine a light on all forms of slavery. End it "Partners are doing the work, on the ground, every day, to bring AWARENESS, PREVENTION, RESCUE, and RESTORATION." [11]

Not For Sale is about protecting individuals from modern day slavery and human trafficking. Not For Sale started in Berkeley California, and is now located in 15 other states. They provide safety, job-training, and life skills, along with many other outlets. [12]

Cases of human trafficking

On March 19, 2016, Athens-Clarke County Police arrested two men at the Days Inn on North Finley Street for human trafficking. [13] The police found a missing 16-year-old girl from New York inside the hotel. The men were charged with armed robbery with a gun, pimping a person under 18 years of age and trafficking commercial sex acts.

On October 13, 2016, police arrested two cases of sex trafficking at Horizon Inn and Suites, Room 239, in Gwinnett. Both victims came into contact with Gwinnett County police at the Dawson Boulevard outside Norcross. Both 911 calls were made because residents of the hotel heard a woman being beaten. One of the victims boyfriend's, Betric Quintavious Walton, 25 was not at the scene but when the victim, 22 years old, was questioned by police she was hesitant to share info and then broke down saying she was scared to call the cops saying he said he would do something to her family if she did. The cop agreed to take her to the Doraville MARTA Station for her sister to pick her up. As they were pulling out of the parking lot, they saw a woman wearing tight jean shorts knocking on the door of Room 239. The victim told the cop she met Walton three years ago after having troubles with her mother at home. She gave him half the money she made working for him. The officer gave the woman phone numbers for Georgia Cares and Street Grace Ministries, organizations that help victims of sex trafficking. He mentioned that they could get her a medical exam and a place to stay.

Operation Cross Country X

On October 13, 2016, 60 people were arrested in Metro Atlanta for international sex trafficking and prostitution, and 82 minors were rescued. [14] This operation took place at hotels, truck stops, street corners, and other locations. The Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force assisted the FBI. They rescued one juvenile from trafficking, executed two search warrants, and confiscated seven firearms. More arrests took place in the surrounding area with five people arrested in Alpharetta, one person in Dekalb, four in Dunwoody, two in Gwinnett County, two people in Marietta, five people in the Athens area, and one person in Augusta

Statistics

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial sexual exploitation of children</span> Commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) defines the "umbrella" of crimes and activities that involve inflicting sexual abuse on to a child as a financial or personal opportunity. Commercial Sexual Exploitation consists of forcing a child into prostitution, sex trafficking, early marriage, child sex tourism and any other venture of exploiting children into sexual activities. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the lack of reporting the crime and "the difficulties associated with identifying and measuring victims and perpetrators" has made it almost impossible to create a national estimate of the prevalence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States. There is an estimated one million children that are exploited for commercial sex globally; of the one million children that are exploited, the majority are girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

Forced prostitution, also known as involuntary prostitution or compulsory prostitution, is prostitution or sexual slavery that takes place as a result of coercion by a third party. The terms "forced prostitution" or "enforced prostitution" appear in international and humanitarian conventions, such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, but have been inconsistently applied. "Forced prostitution" refers to conditions of control over a person who is coerced by another to engage in sexual activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prostitution in Ukraine</span>

Prostitution in Ukraine is illegal but widespread and largely ignored by the government. In recent times, Ukraine has become a popular prostitution and sex trafficking destination. Ukraine is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked transnationally for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. Ukraine's dissolution from the Soviet Union, saw the nation attempt to transition from a planned economy to a market economy. The transition process inflicted economic hardship in the nation, with nearly 80% of the population forced into poverty in the decade that followed its independence. Unemployment in Ukraine was growing at an increasing rate, with female unemployment rising to 64% by 1997. The economic decline in Ukraine made the nation vulnerable and forced many to depend on prostitution and trafficking as a source of income. Sex tourism rose as the country attracted greater numbers of foreign tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Cambodia</span>

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. The traffickers are reportedly organized crime syndicates, parents, relatives, friends, intimate partners, and neighbors.

Syria is a destination and transit country for women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. A significant number of women and children in the large and expanding Iraqi refugee community in Syria are reportedly forced into commercial sexual exploitation by Iraqi gangs or, in some cases, their families. Similarly, women from Somalia and Eastern Europe are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. Foreign women recruited for work in Syria as cabaret dancers are not permitted to leave their work premises without permission, and they have their passports withheld—indicators of involuntary servitude. Some of these women may also be forced into prostitution. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Syria may be a destination for sex tourism from other countries in the region. In addition, women from Indonesia, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone are recruited for work in Syria as domestic servants, but some face conditions of involuntary servitude, including long hours, non-payment of wages, withholding of passports, restrictions on movement, threats, and physical or sexual abuse. Syria may also be a transit point for Iraqi women and girls trafficked to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Lebanon for forced prostitution. The Government of Syria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so. Syria again failed to report any law enforcement efforts to punish trafficking offenses over the last year. In addition, the government did not offer protection services to victims of trafficking and may have arrested, prosecuted, or deported some victims for prostitution or immigration violations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian law, remains a significant problem. People are frequently illegally trafficked through India for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced/bonded labour. Although no reliable study of forced and bonded labour has been completed, NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians. Men, women and children are trafficked in India for diverse reasons. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage, especially in those areas where the sex ratio is highly skewed in favour of men. Men and boys are trafficked for the purposes of labour, and may be sexually exploited by traffickers to serve as gigolos, massage experts, escorts, etc. A significant portion of children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups.

Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination country for women, children, and men trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The greatest threat of trafficking facing Indonesian men and women is that posed by conditions of forced labor and debt bondage in more developed Asian countries and the Middle East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the United States</span>

In the United States, human trafficking tends to occur around international travel hubs with large immigrant populations, notably in California, Texas, and Georgia. Those trafficked include young children, teenagers, men, and women; victims can be domestic citizens or foreign nationals.

Afghanistan is one of the source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. Trafficking within Afghanistan is more prevalent than transnational trafficking, and the majority of victims are children. In 2005 the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) reported 150 child trafficking cases to other states. Afghan boys and girls are trafficked within the country and into Iran, Pakistan and India as well as Persian gulf Arab states, where they live as slaves and are forced to prostitution and forced labor in brick kilns, carpet-making factories, and domestic service. In some cases the boys and girls were used for organ trafficking. Forced begging is a growing problem in Afghanistan; Mafia groups organize professional begging rings. Afghan boys are subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor in the drug smuggling industry in Pakistan and Iran. Afghan women and girls are subjected to forced prostitution, arranged and forced marriages—including those in which husbands force their wives into prostitution—and involuntary domestic servitude in Pakistan and Iran, and possibly India. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) report that over the past year, increasing numbers of boys were trafficked internally. Some families knowingly sell their children for forced prostitution, including for bacha bazi - a practice combining sexual slavery and child prostitution, through which wealthy men use harems of young boys for social and sexual entertainment. Other families send their children with brokers to gain employment. Many of these children end up in forced labor, particularly in Pakistani carpet factories. NGOs indicate that families sometimes make cost-benefit analyses regarding how much debt they can incur based on their tradable family members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Texas</span>

Human trafficking in Texas is the illegal trade of human beings as it occurs in the state of Texas. It is a modern-day form of slavery and usually involves commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, both domestic and agricultural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in California</span> Overview of the situation of human trafficking in the U.S. state of California

Human trafficking in California is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor as it occurs in the state of California. Human trafficking, widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery, includes

"the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

<i>Nefarious: Merchant of Souls</i> 2011 film by Benjamin Nolot

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is a 2011 American documentary film about modern human trafficking, specifically sexual slavery. Presented from a Christian worldview, Nefarious covers human trafficking in the United States, Western and Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia, alternating interviews with re-enactments. Victims of trafficking talk about having been the objects of physical abuse and attempted murder. Several former prostitutes talk about their conversion to Christianity, escape from sexual oppression, and subsequent education or marriage. The film ends with the assertion that only Jesus can completely heal people from the horrors of sexual slavery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in New York</span>

Human trafficking in New York is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor. It occurs in the state of New York and is widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery. It includes, "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Nevada</span>

Human trafficking in Nevada is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor as it occurs in the state of Nevada, and it is widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery. It includes "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in the United States</span>

Sex trafficking in the United States is a form of human trafficking which involves reproductive slavery or commercial sexual exploitation as it occurs in the United States. Sex trafficking includes the transportation of persons by means of coercion, deception and/or force into exploitative and slavery-like conditions. It is commonly associated with organized crime.

Sex trafficking in China is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the People's Republic of China. It is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

Sex trafficking in Japan is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the country. Japan is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in South Korea</span> Overview of sex trafficking in South Korea

Sex trafficking in South Korea is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of Korea. South Korea is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons. Sex trafficking victims in the country are from South Korea and foreigners.

References

  1. ↑ United Nations (2000). "U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2012.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ The New Slavery in the South “An Autobiography,” by a Georgia Negro Peon, Independent, LVI, 25 February 1904, 409–14.
  3. 1 2 "Georgia Laws". Street Grace, Inc. Archived from the original on 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ↑ "Senate votes to tighten Georgia's sex trafficking laws" . Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ↑ "Human Trafficking | Office of the Attorney General". law.ga.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. 1 2 "Civil Rights Prosecutions: Human Trafficking | USAO | Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major US Cities" (PDF). Urban.org. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  8. ↑ "Human Trafficking Fact Sheets and Legislative Updates | Human Trafficking and the State Courts Collaborative". www.htcourts.org. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  9. ↑ "Out of Darkness". outofdarkness.org. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Home". BeLoved Atlanta. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  11. ↑ "The END IT Movement". enditmovement.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  12. ↑ "Not For Sale". Not For Sale. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  13. ↑ Norsworthy, Charlotte (2016-03-21). "Two men arrested for human trafficking in Athens Days Inn". The Red and Black. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  14. ↑ Steve Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "60 arrested in Georgia in FBI-led child sex trafficking operation". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  15. ↑ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/georgia-human-trafficking-prosecution-unit/85-f55cdba7-ab00-4a3a-9282-b618055e2a73 [ bare URL ]
  16. ↑ https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/georgia-human-trafficking-prosecution-unit/85-f55cdba7-ab00-4a3a-9282-b618055e2a73 [ bare URL ]
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