First Lady Cecilia Abbott Delivers Remarks During “Be the One” Human Trafficking Awareness Presentation At Luling High School

First Lady Cecilia Abbott today delivered remarks at Luling High
School as part of a human trafficking awareness presentation for junior
and senior students. The First Lady urged students to talk to their
parents, their teachers, or a trusted adult about human trafficking. She
also discussed ways to report human trafficking and other dangers in
the community with students, including the National Human Trafficking
Hotline.

The presentation featured the "Be the One"
video produced by the Office of the Texas Attorney General, which
provides an understanding of what human trafficking is from a young
survivor’s perspective, identifies red flag indicators of human
trafficking, and educates on methods of reporting suspected trafficking
to authorities. 

"The State of Texas will never tolerate the horrors of human
trafficking, and we are committed to eradicating this heinous crime once
and for all," said the First Lady. "Every Texan has the power to help
us stop this horrible cruelty. It only takes one person to listen, to
see the signs, and to ask for help." 

The First Lady is a long-time advocate in the fight against human
trafficking, often partnering with the Child Sex Trafficking Team in the
Governor's Public Safety Office on a variety of initiatives. Most recently,
the First Lady attended the White House Human Trafficking Summit, and
met with federal officials to discuss Texas' efforts to combat human
trafficking. 

A female pimp who pleaded guilty to human trafficking sentenced to 50 years in prison

A Houston woman who spent a month forcing a 16-year-old girl to work as a prostitute was sentenced to 50 years in prison this week, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Friday.

“Only a true predator would force a minor to become a street walker,” Ogg said. “Someone who steals a child’s youth by brutally coercing them to have sex with strangers for their own profit, like in this case, deserves to spend time in prison.”

Marilyn Joy Wilkes, 27, pleaded guilty to three charges: sexual assault of a child under the age of 17, human trafficking and compelling prostitution for a month-long crime spree over the Christmas holiday in 2018. During that time, Wilkes had sex with the juvenile, forced her to solicit strangers on the street in southwest Houston, made her see “johns” in a motel room on 1960 and go to strangers’ homes for sex. When the teen refused to work, Wilkes would punch her in the face, burn her with cigarettes and stomp on her head. Once, when the juvenile did not make her $600 a day quota, Wilkes broke her finger and her ribs. Wilkes used the money to pay for the motel and buy food, alcohol and drugs.

In January 2019, the teen was able to escape during a “date” with a stranger when she asked to use his phone to call her mother to pick her up. When her mother arrived, the 16-year-old jumped in her car, and fled while Wilkes followed them in a high-speed chase. To get away, mother and daughter called 911 and met a police officer in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. Wilkes was arrested weeks later.

Prosecutor Micala Clark convinced a judge to stack two 25-year prison sentences for a total of 50 years in prison for compelling prostitution and human trafficking. Wilkes was also sentenced to the maximum of 20 years for sexual assault of a child which will run concurrently.

Clark said the victim, her mother and a psychologist testified about the long-term effects of Wilkes’ actions.

“This was an example of the typical grooming that pimps use to victimize women,” Clark said. “This young woman suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia and nightmares at the hands of this predator.”

Governor Abbott Establishes Customized Clemency Application For Survivors Of Human Trafficking And Domestic Abuse

Governor Greg Abbott today established a customized clemency
application specifically for survivors of human trafficking or domestic
violence in coordination with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
(BPP). The application will include a section that affords the applicant
an opportunity to provide a statement to BPP about their human
trafficking or domestic violence victimization. 

Human trafficking and domestic violence often lead victims down a
path of offenses that entraps them in a vicious cycle of abuse and
associated crime. This announcement coincides with the launch of a new
public awareness campaign that educates survivors that they can submit
an application for BPP to review and consider recommending to the
Governor for a full pardon for crimes committed while under the grips of
a trafficker or an abusive partner. 

"Texas is committed to empowering the survivors of domestic abuse and
human trafficking, and one of the surest signals of that goal is laying
out a true path to redemption and restoration," said Governor Abbott.
"The gubernatorial pardon plays an important role in this redemption
process, because it offers a second chance to survivors with criminal
convictions resulting from their abuse or exploitation. I am grateful
for our ongoing partnership with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
as we work together to develop a stronger justice system that promotes
redemption, restoration, and transformation." 

Executive Order on Combating Human Trafficking and Online Child Exploitation in the United States

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., it is hereby ordered as follows:  

    Section 1.  Policy.    Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery.  Throughout the United States and around the world, human trafficking tears apart communities, fuels criminal activity, and threatens the national security of the United States.  It is estimated that millions of individuals are trafficked around the world each year -- including into and within the United States.  As the United States continues to lead the global fight against human trafficking, we must remain relentless in resolving to eradicate it in our cities, suburbs, rural communities, tribal lands, and on our transportation networks.  Human trafficking in the United States takes many forms and can involve exploitation of both adults and children for labor and sex. 

    Twenty-first century technology and the proliferation of the internet and mobile devices have helped facilitate the crime of child sex trafficking and other forms of child exploitation.  Consequently, the number of reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of online photos and videos of children being sexually abused is at record levels. 

    The Federal Government is committed to preventing human trafficking and the online sexual exploitation of children.  Effectively combating these crimes requires a comprehensive and coordinated response to prosecute human traffickers and individuals who sexually exploit children online, to protect and support victims of human trafficking and child exploitation, and to provide prevention education to raise awareness and help lower the incidence of human trafficking and child exploitation into, from, and within the United States. 

    To this end, it shall be the policy of the executive branch to prioritize its resources to vigorously prosecute offenders, to assist victims, and to provide prevention education to combat human trafficking and online sexual exploitation of children.  

   Sec. 2.  Strengthening Federal Responsiveness to Human Trafficking.   (a)  The Domestic Policy Council shall commit one employee position to work on issues related to combating human trafficking occurring into, from, and within the United States and to coordinate with personnel in other components of the Executive Office of the President, including the Office of Economic Initiatives and the National Security Council, on such efforts.  This position shall be filled by an employee of the executive branch detailed from the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Transportation, or the Department of Homeland Security. 

    (b)  The Secretary of State, on behalf of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, shall make available, online, a list of the Federal Government's resources to combat human trafficking, including resources to identify and report instances of human trafficking, to protect and support the victims of trafficking, and to provide public outreach and training.  

    (c)  The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, in coordination and consistent with applicable law:  

        (i)   improve methodologies of estimating the prevalence of human trafficking, including in specific sectors or regions, and monitoring the impact of anti trafficking efforts and publish such methodologies as appropriate; and 

        (ii)  establish estimates of the prevalence of human trafficking in the United States.  

    Sec. 3.  Prosecuting Human Traffickers and Individuals Who Exploit Children Online.   (a)  The Attorney General, through the Federal Enforcement Working Group, in collaboration with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall:  

        (i)   improve interagency coordination with respect to targeting traffickers, determining threat assessments, and sharing law enforcement intelligence to build on the Administration's commitment to the continued success of ongoing anti trafficking enforcement initiatives, such as the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team and the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiatives; and 

        (ii)  coordinate activities, as appropriate, with the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives as established by Executive Order 13898 of November 26, 2019 (Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives). 

    (b)  The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other heads of executive departments and agencies as appropriate, shall, within 180 days of the date of this order, propose to the President, through the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, legislative and executive actions that would overcome information-sharing challenges and improve law enforcement's capabilities to detect in real-time the sharing of child sexual abuse material on the internet, including material referred to in Federal law as "child pornography."  Overcoming these challenges would allow law enforcement officials to more efficiently identify, protect, and rescue victims of online child sexual exploitation; investigate and prosecute alleged offenders; and eliminate the child sexual abuse material online.

   Sec. 4.  Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation.   (a)  The Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other heads of executive departments and agencies as appropriate, shall work together to enhance capabilities to locate children who are missing, including those who have run away from foster care and those previously in Federal custody, and are vulnerable to human trafficking and child exploitation.  In doing so, such heads of executive departments and agencies, shall, as appropriate, engage social media companies; the technology industry; State, local, tribal and territorial child welfare agencies; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and law enforcement at all levels.  

    (b)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall establish an internal working group to develop and incorporate practical strategies for State, local, and tribal governments, child welfare agencies, and faith-based and other community organizations to expand housing options for victims of human trafficking. 

    Sec. 5.  Preventing Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Through Education Partnerships.   The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall partner with State, local, and tribal law enforcement entities to fund human trafficking and child exploitation prevention programs for our Nation's youth in schools, consistent with applicable law and available appropriations. 

    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.   (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:  

        (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

        (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                        DONALD J. TRUMP

First Lady Cecilia Abbott Delivers Remarks At TxDOT Human Trafficking Awareness Event In Austin

First Lady Cecilia Abbott today delivered remarks at the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) human trafficking awareness event in Austin. In her remarks, the First Lady emphasized the important role that every Texan has in identifying, responding to, and preventing human trafficking across the state. 

"Texas continues to be a leader in the fight against human trafficking thanks to agencies like TxDOT who do their part to protect the vulnerable, help survivors recover, and bring traffickers to justice," the First Lady said. "Nothing on earth is more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and if we continue to join together to protect and defend the victims of human trafficking, I have no doubt that we will eradicate this heinous crime once and for all." 

Today's TxDOT human trafficking awareness event, in partnership with the Texas Governor's Commission for Women and the Texas Attorney General's Office, trained employees on identifying human trafficking and how to respond within their daily exposure to the public and while carrying out transportation operations. The event is an expansion of their "On The Road to End Human Trafficking" program, which seeks to raise awareness among employees, industry partners, and the public.

TxDOT is joining a statewide effort to encourage everyone to know, watch for and report signs of human trafficking. This horrific crime affects more than 300,000 people in Texas at any given time, including 79,000 youth victims of sex trafficking. Your involvement will be critical to our “On the Road to End Human Trafficking” initiative.

To raise awareness among employees, industry partners and the public, we are providing the following materials:

• Information cards for all TxDOT vehicles.
• Wallet cards that include details on what to look for and how to report suspected trafficking.
• Large posters.
• Restroom stall signs for our Safety Rest Areas and Travel Information Centers throughout the state.

Mayor Turner, Harris County Sheriff's Office and Community Partners launch Pilot Program to Educate Homeless Youth about Trafficking

Mayor Sylvester Turner announced today that the city of Houston’s anti-trafficking case managers and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Outreach Team (HCSO HOT) will launch a six-month pilot program with a specific focus on increasing victim identification in homeless youth. The HCSO HOT and case managers from the Mayor’s Anti-Human Trafficking division, along with outreach specialists from The Landing and United Against Human Trafficking, will ride with HCSO deputies to distribute goodie bags and talk with the vulnerable population about available trafficking services.

A rotating calendar of participating human trafficking outreach specialists will share these responsibilities twice a month with the HCSO HOT beginning in March.

The trafficking risk prevention unit is one of the city’s responses to a 2017 research study that revealed that 1 in 5 homeless youth is a victim of trafficking in the United States. Prior to assembling this outreach team, the Mayor’s Anti-Human Trafficking division worked with the Coalition on Homeless to add questions to its Universal Assessment for housing to assess people for trafficking victimization.  Incorporating this into the assessment was the first step in building a bridge for trafficking victims to shelters and eventually long-term housing. 

“Human trafficking is prevalent among our homeless youth. By joining forces with the HCSO HOT and our longstanding partners, The Landing and United Against Human Trafficking, we will be able to increase victim identification with the safety, security and expertise of the HCSO HOT,” Mayor Turner said. “Like all victims of trafficking, it is important that we work to uphold the dignity of those that carry the additional burden of being homeless. I also want to point out that this program leverages existing resources and the political will to do something about trafficking.”

“Protecting homeless youth from falling victim to human trafficking predators requires law enforcement, local government, and our community partners to all pull in the same strategic direction,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “We are excited to join Mayor Turner and all the organizations involved in this joint effort to protect those who need us the most.”

“Our hope is to meet these youth where they are and connect them to available services and support. We are encouraged by the steps Houston is taking to enhance victim services, and as The Landing expands into youth advocacy, this program will support our efforts to help young victims of trafficking in our city.  – Cara Parker, Executive Director, The Landing

“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Houston in their efforts to identify trafficking victims within the homeless population. These individuals are often overlooked in the trafficking conversation and we are thankful for the Mayor’s efforts to shine a light on these vulnerable youth. We are confident through this collaborative approach, many of our young adults will be able to live free and heal from their exploitation.” – Timeka Walker, Executive Director, United Against Human Trafficking

This new pilot is aligned with the City’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan and its overall goal to increase victim identification by setting up a variety of referral streams. The plan has been dubbed the first comprehensive municipal response in the U.S. by Polaris Project and can be found at humantraffickinghouston.org.

Harris County Precinct One Constable human trafficking liaison/advocate to receive an award from UN ambassador

https://twitter.com/Pct1Constable/status/1222241948997521408

Harris County Precinct One Constable's office is proud and humbled to announce an honor which will be bestowed upon one of our own on Today, January 28, 2020.

United Nations Ambassador Farah Zulaikha of the National Council Of Women Of The United States will be honoring Precinct One Human Trafficking Liaison and Advocate Jacquelyn Aluotto with an Ambassador’s Pin.

Aluotto is a true champion fighting every day for victims of human trafficking. She's worked tirelessly over the course of two decades to raise awareness about this epidemic. She is the founder of the 501 (c) (3) "Break The Cycle USA" and creator of Real Beauty Real Women, an advocacy group that promotes awareness of social issues faced by women, men and children facing poverty, domestic violence and sex trafficking.

"I am excited to honor you with this pin, symbolizing your great achievements in the realm of the advancement of women and their inalienable rights," Ambassador Zulaikha recently wrote in a letter to Aluotto.

The Ambassador’s Pin is a blue United Nations pin given by the UN Ambassador in recognition of service and dedication to the tenets and values upheld by the National Council Of Women Of The United States. The NCWUS was founded in 1888 by Susan B. Anthony. The organization was instrumental in gaining women’s suffrage in the United States and has a long history of recognizing exemplary women.

Otis "Big Face Tulu" Berry is wanted for sexually assaulting a child and human trafficking

https://twitter.com/HCSO_SID/status/1220084669800230915

Otis "Big Face Tulu" Berry is wanted for sexually assaulting a child and human trafficking. Help us put this dangerous predator behind bars before he hurts another child.

Contact 713-222-TIPS (8477)

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