1. Dr. Cherie McKeever
Great Falls College MSU
October 2016

2. A Cancer Called Abuse
Abuse
Child abuse
Drug abuse

3. Human Trafficking Definition and scope of the problem
A Montana Perspective :
Law enforcement
Safe house operators
Victims
What can you do to help?
Questions

4. Action + Means + Purpose Model
Commercial sex versus human trafficking
National Human Trafficking Resource Center

5. $32 billion dollar industry
Estimated close to half million children are trafficked for sex in the U.S.
Average age of girls forced into sexual slavery is 12 years old.
Girls may “age out” by 18.

6. Many Levels of Trafficking
Jesse Slaughter, Great Falls detective assigned to Internet Crimes Against Children – extortion is becoming more common among local teenagers.
Gang level
Organized crime
The higher the level the more sophisticated the criminals.

8. Big money buys smart technology. Extreme violence buys silence.

9. The Victims Both boys and girls, as young as 5 or 6
Brought into the sex trade many ways:
Sold to a trafficker by a parent or trusted friend
Lured by promises of love, security, a good job, or?
Extortion
Abduction
And then they disappear

11. Why Don’t They Run? Complete control by their trafficker or “handler”
The younger they are, the easier they are to control.
Stripped of identity, means of communication, driver’s license, etc.
Threatened and/or beaten into submission
Isolated and totally dependent upon the trafficker for physical and financial needs.
May be forcefully addicted to drugs.
Escape becomes mentally and often physically impossible. And if one tries and fails?

13. Dept. of Justice Attorney General’s Office
 It’s estimated that fewer than 2% are ever rescued or leave “the life.”
Montana
Dept. of Justice Attorney General’s Office

14. 4her Windie Lazenko http://4hernd.org/
“Anyone’s daughter, everyone’s community.”

15. Rescue Montana DOJ Human Trafficking Force Homeland Security FBI
Nonprofit Organizations such as 4her and Operation Underground Railroad
“The Abolitionists”

16. The Lucky 1 – 2% Once at the Safe House: Rest is #1 priority.
Every girl is different but they are all exhausted. Girls have had little sleep and “sleep with one eye open all the time.”
Often want all lights on all the time for first month.
Building trust and helping them to feel safe is very difficult.

17. The Lucky Few Medical exams
Counseling and attempts to rebuild a sense of self-worth.
Navigation of the justice system if necessary.
Often 6 months or more before they are ready to start reclaiming their lives:
Identifications
Driver’s licenses
GED, other education

18. traffickrefuge.org
Greatest need:
Gas cards and Walmart gift cards

19. The Other 98%

20. High Profit – Low Risk
Traffickers see low risk vs. high profit margins due to many factors, including:
Lack of law enforcement training and scarce resources for investigation.
Ineffective, outdated laws that make prosecution difficult – the victim is the criminal
Low community awareness
Social blaming of victims

21. High Profit Due to High Demand
Windie Lazenko “Anyone’s daughter, everyone’s community.”
Human trafficking for sex has no gender, racial or socioeconomic limits. Stereotyping allows traffickers to hide in plain sight.
As other countries have begun to address human trafficking, it has driven up the demand in the U.S., especially for children.

22. “Right here, right now, human trafficking is a bigger threat to our families than terrorism. But nobody wants to believe that. Not in Montana. Nobody wants to talk about it.”
Law enforcement agent

23. So What Are the Numbers?
Less than 1% of actual cases reported, even fewer are ever prosecuted.
The I-15 Corridor
The Bakken
Native American populations vulnerable
Backpage.com

24. Can We Have An Impact?

26. Law Enforcement
More manpower to work cases - rescue victims, arrest and convict traffickers. If the trafficker goes free, the victims suffer.
Prevention - as much as possible. Educate the public and eliminate misconceptions so community has a realistic picture of issue.

27. Safe House Operators
Increased public awareness on how to identify victims and the critical need to call law enforcement when suspicious.
Be vigilant with the little ones.
Get information into the schools!

28. Victims
Every story is different with one common thread – none of the victims had any idea what was happening to them until it was too late.
Most of them thought they would never get out alive.
Some now devote their lives to increasing public awareness to try and save others.

29. What Can You Do? Education and public awareness
Increased pressure on legislators to toughen laws and increase “boots on the ground” manpower.
Provide assistance to the YWCA Mercy Home and the safe house
We all have different platforms, different gifts - Find your strength, find your voice and act?

32. NoMore Violence Symposium - April 2017

34. Resources
Montana Department of Justice
Montana Safe House
National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Windie Lazenko 4her North Dakota
Operation Underground Railroad