Child sex trafficking: Learn what you can do to stop it.

Kudos to Attorney General Gurbir Grewal who last week arrested two dozen men for using social media to lure underage girls and boys for sex. Thankfully, the children targeted turned out to be undercover officers, part of an operation put together by our AG called “Open House”. 

Attorney General Grewal said that most of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a location in Toms River, where they allegedly expected to find their victim home alone. What they found instead, were law enforcement officers ready to arrest them..

"It is a frightening reality that sexual predators are lurking on social media, ready to strike if they find a child who is vulnerable," AG Grewal said. "To counter that threat, we are working collaboratively and aggressively across all levels of law enforcement to apprehend these sex offenders. We want child predators to know that we are on social media too - and the child they target may be the undercover officer who puts them in handcuffs. That is the message of Operation Open House."

The arrests were made over a five-day period from September 5th through September 9th.   All 24 were arrested and charged with second-degree luring, and other crimes, including second-degree attempted sexual assault on a minor and third-degree attempted debauching the morals of a child. Five of those arrested face third-degree charges of attempted sharing obscene materials with a child for allegedly sending photos of their genitals to undercover detectives.

Those who deal in the trafficking of women and children for America’s booming sex industry use the same on-line methods that those arrested last week used. This isn’t a victimless crime.  Many of the victims have been brought to America to be sold into this modern slavery.  A United Nations study estimated that the criminal cartels who control the trafficking of human beings and illegal narcotics into the United States collect $6.6 billion annually. 

And who is being trafficked?  Here, meet some of the victims…

The United Nations has issued reports showing human trafficking is the fastest growing organized criminal activity on earth.  Secure borders help prevent human trafficking and the exploitation of children.  Secure borders fight modern day slavery.

Porous borders are not only a boon to modern day slavery – the trafficking and sale of human beings, especially children – they facilitate the trafficking of illegal narcotics, opioids, and illegal firearms to. There have been irresponsible calls to abolish ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) and to open the doors to a nightmarish wild west scenario.  If ICE is gone, who will be around to prevent the living horror of modern slavery? 

Some have adopted dangerously naïve views about border security.  A lot of those on the Far-Left want to permit the border to grow more and more porous – allowing thousands more victims (mainly women and children) to be shipped and sold like cattle, welcoming more dangerous illegal drugs into our communities, and providing illegal firearms for organized criminal gangs.  We must address this in no uncertain terms.

On Thursday, there will be a reception to discuss the Human Trafficking & Child Exploitation Prevention Act.  This is a bi-partisan initiative aimed at stopping the trafficking of children in the United States at the source… the Internet.

We hope you can attend.

Democrats and Human Traffickers: The party of the old slavery is the party of the new.

How was your Thanksgiving?

For most members of the New Jersey Legislature -- and their staffs -- we bet is was pretty good, surrounded by family, nice food, drink, warmth, love, and friendship.  But for the victims of human trafficking -- our modern slavery epidemic -- it was just another day in hell, made more poignant by the fact that, for almost all of those trafficked, there are memories of when they enjoyed the holidays as much as the members of the New Jersey Legislature and their staff members do.

Human Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, second to drug dealing and tied with arms dealing.  Just last month, the FBI announced that it had uncovered and arrested 42 child sex traffickers in New Jersey.  The Star-Ledger reported that the 42 were arrested on charges that included sex trafficking, child exploitation and prostitution.  A total of 84 children were rescued during the operation.  Human Trafficking is modern day slavery and it is happening TODAY -- in the HERE and NOW! 

But many Democrats don't want to admit that it is happening, because too many are in hock to contributions from special interests who benefit from the massive profits generated by everything from goods made with indentured labor to Internet porn.  Instead of addressing this modern crime against humanity, many Democrats console themselves by virtue signaling about the slavery ended by the Civil War -- in 1865.  This allows them to (1) ignore modern slavery, (2) keep taking the money, and (3) feel good about themselves. 

Imagine if the British government had taken this line in 1807 and -- instead of abolishing the slave trade -- they had merely congratulated themselves on the end of their enslavement by the Romans, centuries before.  But no, they were focused on their modern times, and sent the Royal Navy out to blast every slave trader from the seven seas.

Modern technology is rapidly expanding the means by which human beings are ensnared and trapped into modern slavery and then trafficked as though they were meat.  The modern "slave ship" is embodied by certain websites and social media -- its "ocean" is the Internet.  In October, the media reported about the rescue by the FBI of a "3-month-old girl and her 5-year-old sister" who were being trafficked by a child predator "who was offering to sell the children for sex" using the Internet.  Isn't it time to adopt the technology to blast these scumbags from the Internet?

Child trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year industry and is on the rise in all 50 states, according to the U.S. government.  4.5 Million of trafficked persons have been sexually exploited and nearly 300,000 Americans under 18 have been lured into the commercial sex trade.  The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported that in 2016, human trafficking in the United States increased by 35.7% -- in one year!  But we have the technology to stop it.  So why aren't we adopting it?

We have the legislation.  It's called the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act (S-2928).  And it offers a constitutional way to prevent predators from using the Internet to sexually exploit children.  It is supported by Thorn, an anti-human trafficking group that uses technology to defeat child sex traffickers.

So why is a staffer at Assemblyman John McKeon's office doing everything in his power to undermine and block this legislation -- and to kill the hope that it offers to the victims of human trafficking and their families?  That's right, John McKeon -- the same politician who wants to hold Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen accountable for everything President Trump does -- is allowing his staff (who are paid by the taxpayers on his say-so) to kill the hope of victims of human trafficking and their families.  And what a time to do it.

Merry Christmas, John McKeon and taxpayer-funded staff.  While you are exchanging presents and enjoying good food, in a nice house, all warm and cozy, and happy in the company of family and friends -- you are killing the hope of someone who is on the cold street, malnourished and in poor health, who is made to "service" as many as twenty scumbags a day (perhaps some of them politicians and their staff?).  And when they don't, they are physically beaten.  That is how they will spend their holiday.  And their families -- what do you think their Christmas will be like?

Why don't you take some responsibility for your staff, Assemblyman John McKeon?  After all, what did you think would happen when you recruit an emotionally volatile young man from a boy band and hand him power over vulnerable people?  He can't help but hurt people, can he?  But you can do something about it John McKeon.

So why don't you... and do it in time for Christmas.

It is time for flannel-mouthed politicians like John McKeon to step up and squarely oppose the slavery that we face TODAY.  How about it?

Will you join your bi-partisan colleagues who care enough to sponsor the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act (S-2928)?  Instead of ignoring modern slavery, why not adopt the use of technology to end it?   We're waiting for your answer.