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    • Iowa College settles the second of two human trafficking lawsuits

      Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) has agreed to settle the second of two federal lawsuits alleging the school conspired with others to engage in human trafficking.

      As reported last month by Iowa News outlets, WITCC of Sioux City has agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle a lawsuit initiated by 10 students from Brazil. In April, the school agreed to pay $3 million to settle similar claims brought by 13 students from Chile. Court documents confirm that while the lawsuits have yet to be dismissed, settlements between the school and the students have been finalized.

      The two lawsuits survived a broad array of legal challenges mounted by the defendants over the past three years. Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa Leonard T. Strand dismissed claims of racketeering and indentured servitude against the defendants in one case, but let stand several counts alleging human trafficking, breach of contract, fraud, and, with regard to the school, the intentional infliction of emotional distress.

      “WITCC specifically prohibited (the students) from seeking other employment without permission, making their labor for Tur-Pak or Royal Canin the only way they could provide for themselves,” the Chief Judge stated in his ruling. “The (students) are foreign nationals with varying levels of proficiency in English. They all made financial sacrifices to be a part of the program, with several of them selling nearly everything they owned prior to enrolling in the program.”

      The lawsuits alleged that WITCC recruited the students with the promise of work in the culinary arts or robotics industries. However, the culinary arts program students signed up for was allegedly rebranded as a “food-service diploma program” and the robotics program students signed up for was rebranded as an “electromechanical technician program.”

      After arriving in Iowa, the students were put to work on meatpacking production lines to help fill a labor shortage in western Iowa. Some of the students had to work 12-hour overnight shifts and then report to class by 8 a.m., one of the lawsuits alleges.

      The school allegedly arranged for J & L to put the students to work at Tur-Pak and Royal Canin. The arrangement allegedly called for the two companies to pay $15 an hour for the students’ labor, with $7.75 an hour of that routed to the college to offset the expense of the students’ housing, tuition, and fees.

      College President Terry Murrell said that he took responsibility for the problems in the school’s J-1 visa program that was intended to offer educational opportunities for foreign students.

      “The J-1 program is complex, it’s complicated,” Murrell stated, “and I don’t think we appreciated that when we stepped in, and all of that is my fault … We got too deep into something we were not overly familiar with, and we didn’t do a good job.”

      You’re Invited! Empowering Legislative Advocacy: Championing Anti-Human Trafficking Policies at the Iowa Legislature

      Join us for a powerful educational program designed to equip you with the tools and confidence needed to effectively advocate for anti-human trafficking policies with Iowa Lawmakers and Candidates. In this interactive session, you will learn from experienced advocates who will guide you through the critical steps of becoming a successful advocate for change.

      You Will Learn:

      The Legislative Process: Understand how legislation is developed, vetted, and passed in Iowa, and identify key touchpoints where your advocacy can make a difference.

      Communicating with Policymakers: Learn how to craft persuasive messages and articulate your position on anti-human trafficking with clarity and impact to ensure your voice resonates with your target audience.

      Building Relationships: Discover the best techniques for engaging legislators, forging productive relationships, and navigating the political landscape in support of your advocacy efforts.

      Utilize Advocacy Tools: Learn how to use various advocacy tools and resources, including how to leverage data, personal stories, and policy briefs to strengthen your case.

      Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or new to the field, this program will provide you with actionable insights to drive meaningful change in the fight against human trafficking. Don’t miss this opportunity to become a more effective advocate and contribute to the advancement of crucial anti-trafficking policies in Iowa.

      Date: Monday, October 7, 2024, 12:00-1:00 PM
      Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87614783066?pwd=KuPjJsswregrxf4DaydAaEUh2CYrt6.1

      Iowa Man Charged with Trafficking and Enticing a Minor

      An Urbandale man was arrested at an Altoona hotel on August 22, 2024 for allegedly soliciting someone to find a mother whose young daughter he could have sex with.

      The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says Kevin Lind, 69, showed up at an Altoona hotel expecting to meet a 13-year-old girl and her mother for sex, but instead was met with investigators and learned he’d been corresponding with an undercover detective.

      Criminal complaints filed in the case say the investigation began when an independent witness contacted detectives with the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and told them Lind had asked the witness to find a mother with a younger daughter he could have sex with. Lind allegedly told the witness he’d pay money to make it happen and the witness provided evidence to detectives of Lind’s requests.

      Detectives then provided a phone number for an undercover female detective who would pose as a mother with a 13-year-old child and the witness passed it along to Lind.

      The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the undercover detective met with Lind and he provided money. He was arrested at the Motel 6 at 3225 Adventureland Drive at 8:42 p.m. Wednesday. The Iowa State University Police Department assisted in the arrest.

      Investigators say Lind admitted he believed the person he would be meeting was under the age of 18.

      Lind is charged with human trafficking, enticing a minor under 16, solicit commercial sexual activity, and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. He is being held in the Polk County Jail.

      Teen Boys Are Increasingly the Target for Sextortion

      Submitted by Teresa Davidson, Network Board Member and CEO of Chains Interrupted

      One of the many things Teresa Davidson learned while attending the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s Global Summit in Washington DC last month was just how prevalent sextortion is, especially of minors. A new disturbing and growing trend is financial sextortion, whose main targets are teenage boys. These boys believe they are exchanging text messages with an attractive young girl, while in reality, it is an older predatory man. Additionally, some of these male predators are actually overseas (currently mainly in Nigeria).

      Ultimately, the teen boy is sent a nude photo of the girl they believe they are interacting with and are asked to reciprocate a nude of themself. Manipulative tactics run high if the teen hesitates or says no. In some cases, a nude, AI-generated photo is created of them, even if they refuse to send one. Either way, the teen is then threatened with having their nude photo posted online if they don’t send money or gift cards. Chains Interrupted has worked with several teens who have experienced financial sextortion. Visit this site for resources on this topic.

      Photo: A highlight of the conference was joining leaders, survivors, and advocates from across the nation. Their goal was to advocate for the protection of children at a rally on Capitol Hill. Teresa Davidson (shown with her fist raised) and other conference attendees visited individual House and Senate members to discuss priorities for Federal legislation.

    • AI Pornography Legislation in Iowa

      There has been a massive increase in AI-generated pornography and the Iowa Legislature has finally made it a crime. Three bills were signed into law and went into effect on July 1, 2024.

      • Iowa HF 2523 makes it a crime to use AI to generate pornography. If the victim is a minor, the penalty is a class D felony, or Class C for any subsequent conviction; if the victim is an adult, the penalty is a misdemeanor.
      • Iowa SF 2243 makes it a crime for any person 18 years or older to disseminate or publish AI generated pornography. The penalty is up to 2 years in prison, and they will be placed on the sex offender registry.
      • Iowa HF 2240 took affect on July 1, and passed through the legislature 88-6. This law requires minors between 13-18 to receive parental permission to create social media accounts, and social media companies are required to give parents or guardians access.

      One example of why Iowa needed to take action about the unnerving rise of AI-generated deepfakes, including this story of a group of young girls in Nevada, Iowa who took a photo at prom, which was then turned into AI pornography. Even more sickening, the school refused to punish the offender, saying that there was no evidence that the deepfake had been made during a school event, on school property, or on a school device.

      The Misconceptions of Child Trafficking

      Child trafficking is a harrowing crime impacting children of all ages in the United States and around the world. According to the International Labour Organization, in 2022, an estimated 27.6 million people were exploited in forced labor globally, of which at least 3.3 million were children. Child trafficking can occur as sex trafficking and/or as forced labor, including domestic servitude and forced begging, and in the context of agricultural work, factory work, sextortion, child sexual abuse material, and sexual exploitation, to name a few.

      Every country and culture has its own myths and misconceptions around human trafficking. While the information provided in this document is common in many areas, it is important to take a localized approach when examining the misconceptions around child trafficking to proactively enhance a clearer understanding of the issue and provide better targeted support to child survivors. Relying on misconceptions creates a false narrative, making it harder to identify both the recruitment tactics traffickers use, as well as identify children who are being victimized by human traffickers. The lack of focus on prevention and providing protection to child victims is a grave disservice to youth who are relying on safe adults to care for them.

      Learn more about four common misconceptions and about how children are recruited here.

      Back to School Resources for Parents & Grandparents

      Courtesy of Sharedhope International

      As children’s access to technology grows — including online games, social media, chat rooms, and more — so does the tragedy of sex trafficking in the United States.

      According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there are 750,000  predators online at any given moment. The realities of online predators, stalking a child you love, can feel overwhelming. Let Shared Hope help you protect them!

      Shared Hope has created a free toolkit to educate you and equip you to protect your children and grandchildren, especially in this back-to-school season. Protect your child online by clicking this link.

      The easy-to-download resources include:

      • Information sheets on prevalent apps being used by both youth AND predators
      • Tips for monitoring kids online
      • How-to guides for talking to your kids in a non-confrontational, effective way about the dangers of being online

      Kids Are Using AI to Violate Their Peers

      Jessica, a 15-year-old from New Jersey, returned to her history class one day to find a cluster of girls whispering to each other. She approached them to ask what they were discussing. What she heard next was horrifying:

      Boys at her high school were using images of their female peers’ faces and editing them onto AI-generated nude bodies.

      The girls decided to discuss the problem with administrators at the school, but doubtful that she would personally fall victim to this sexually exploitative behavior, Jessica continued to go about her day, focusing on her schoolwork and extra-curriculars. As time went on, she made the devastating discovery that she was one of the girls whom her male classmates had created AI-generated nude photos of.

      As she left the front office following her meeting with the administration, she noticed a few of the girls, whose faces were in the pictures, crying. But what really made her stomach churn was the group of boys laughing at them from just a few feet away.

      “I didn’t think my classmates could do this to me,” she said.

      I Was Groomed by Someone I Met Playing Video Games Online

      Harrison Haynes was a 12-year-old, video game-loving middle school student when he said he met a stranger online through a video game.

      Over the next few months, Haynes says that stranger, who claimed to be 19-years-old and whom Haynes never met in person, became someone whom Haynes considered his “best friend.”

      “I’m not making friends, so this gaming space was like a really good space for solace for me,” Haynes, now a 20-year-old college student, told “Good Morning America.”

      Referring to his friendship with the “teenager” he said he knew only as a fellow video game lover, he added, “We had so much fun.”

      As the virtual friendship deepened, Haynes said the “teenager” asked him to move their conversations from video game apps to texting. From there, over the next year, Haynes said the “teenager” exposed him to pornography, self-harm and created a distance between Haynes and his own family.

      Now, Haynes said he is sharing his story to help other kids and their parents become aware of the potential dangers of technology like cellphones, social media and texting.

      “I think for almost every generation in America right now, everyone was told that there’s going to be a stranger in a white van handing you candy, and you should say no to that stranger,” Haynes said. “But I think for us and for my generation, the danger isn’t the stranger in the white van. That’s not where the call is coming from. The call is coming from inside our pockets. It’s coming from inside our iPhones.”

      Iowa Network 30-Minute Video for Legislators

      Below is the link to a webinar (about 30 minutes) that the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking (NAHT) put on for Iowa legislators about human trafficking and services for trafficking victims in Iowa. The presentation by Theresa Davidson from Chains Interrupted and the commentary toward the end by Threase Harms, a lobbyist for NAHT, explaining the failure to get a Safe Harbor Law passed are very informative.

      The NAHT will try to get the legislative 2025 goals passed in the Iowa legislature and will ask all Iowa anti-trafficking advocates to help. Watching this now will, hopefully, make you more aware of what is being asked of legislators and why, and make you more inclined to contact your state Representative and Senator. The nine organizations that would benefit from the requested money are: Braking Traffik, Lila Mae’s House, Wings of Refuge, Dorothy’s House, Chains Interrupted, Freedom House, Garden Gate Ranch, Friends of the Family, and YSS.

      Click Here to access the webinar. Passcode: =0FJ4qWf (the second digit in the passcode is a zero).

       TV News Clips & Articles

By on October 1, 2024   /   News