Rethink Resources

So usually I find five news items a week that catch my eye and post them here. But this week I just couldn’t make up my mind so here’s double the usual news items because there is a lot going on.

In Rochester, NY, a woman was charged with pimping a 13 year old family member.

In Jonesboro, Georgia police are investigating the latest in a number of homicides of young women, some of who were understood to be involved in trading sex for money.

In Beaverton, Oregon police talked about their most recent arrest of a 25 year old man pimping out a 15 year old youth and how they decided to find more leads on minors being advertised on Craigslist in the “erotic services” section.

In Greenbelt, Maryland a U.S. Capitol police officer is on trial for videotaped sexual acts with a teen who was 14 years old at the time and being pimped out by a friend of his.

In Kent, Washington after a nine month investigation a man was charged with forcing teen girls into prostitution, kidnapping, and rape.

In Witchita, Kansas police and advocates describe the depth and estimated numbers of youth involved in prostitution there.

In St. Louis, Missouri, to follow up to a previously posted item, the sentencing in a federal case resulted in five years in prison for a man convicted of pimping a teen girl.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota a 19 year old young woman was sentenced for running an escort service with minor girls. I have a lot of questions about this case because I know a number of young women who informally share referrals or put up ads and send other youth out to the men who call. I would really like to know what the minor girls thought of her - as an abuser or someone who was helpful?

I recently posted a tiny part of a news article about HIV that hinted at this and now here’s a full article on the issue of male day laborers being offered sex for money in Los Angeles, California. The article details men being drugged, sexually assaulted and more isolated because the experience. It’s not focused on youth, although one of the interviewed men is 19 years old. But I’m committed to finding more articles having to do with boys and young men’s experiences.

Lastly an amazing radio interview on youth in foster care who are fighting to get the parental rights of their birth parents restored. Really, it’s amazing - go listen now.

Ok, that’s a lot to take in. So here’s a cute picture to give us all a chance to breathe.

You can find the most current news items here too and all the archives here.