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Central Valley, Visalia – A combined effort of multiple law enforcement agencies has led to the apprehension of nine men and the rescue of six women in a significant human sex trafficking operation in Central Valley, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Throughout the past week, detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Human Trafficking […]

The Texas foster care system is facing criticism after two teenage girls, under the state’s care, were allegedly drawn into a sex trafficking operation, as reported by Dallas Morning News on September 7. According to the details, the girls, from Bell County north of Austin, disappeared from an unofficial foster care placement, igniting concerns that

Brooke Thompson, involved in a child sex trafficking ring spanning from January 2019 to April 2020, received a seven-year sentence on Friday by Superior Court Judge David Zent. The decision comes after Thompson expressed remorse and agreed to testify against two other participants in the operation, one being her son, Caleb Thompson. Originally facing charges

Cumberland County authorities have executed simultaneous search warrants on five Asian spas, unearthing significant evidence of human and sex trafficking in massage parlors.  Part of the larger “Operation: Closed2Trafficking” initiative, which spans across Dauphin, York, and Cumberland Counties, the investigation has identified ten parlors as fronts for illicit activities. District Attorney Seán McCormack revealed that

Gisela Castro Medina, once closely aligned with ex-GOP strategist Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, received a three-year federal prison sentence on Tuesday. Her conviction stemmed from recruiting underage girls for Lazzaro.  In December 2022, she pled guilty to conspiracy in the sex trafficking of minors and obstruction in the investigation. Although five other trafficking counts will be

In a chilling tale of online interactions gone awry, an Oakland man’s response to a babysitting ad led to horrifying consequences. The man, identified as 30-year-old Lennard Davis, faces charges of human trafficking, child molestation, assault, and child pornography after allegedly abusing and trafficking three teen girls, ages 13 to 15. The incident came to

In a pivotal move to combat child trafficking, Fresno emerges as a catalyst for change in state law. Debra Rush, CEO of Breaking the Chains, emphasizes the alarming growth of human trafficking affecting youth aged 12 to 25. Addressing a round table discussion on Fresno child trafficking, Rush reveals the pressing need for action to

In a major joint operation in Oxnard, Silvia Diaz, 51, the owner of VIP Therapy Massage, was arrested on charges of human trafficking, pimping, pandering, and money laundering, as reported by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Diaz’s spa, located on West Fourth Street, Oxnard, has been accused of commercial sex solicitation. Collaborating on this extensive

Brooklyn’s federal court ruled on Wednesday that royalties exceeding $500,000, accrued by R. Kelly, will be garnished to settle payments for his sex trafficking victims. Universal Music Group (UMG), having retained these funds since Kelly faced charges for sex trafficking and child pornography in multiple cities, has been directed to remit $520,549. Initially, both UMG

Prominent US hotel chains have been implicated in decades-long sex-trafficking activities, reveals an investigation by The New Yorker and Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program.  Over 60% of surveyed victims disclosed they experienced sex trafficking in hotels. Notably, a survivor named Anastasia detailed being trafficked at a Howard Johnson hotel in Pennsylvania. The hotel’s manager and