Every second Friday at 5pm at the new Milwaukee Youth Drop-in Center @ 4200 N. Holton Avenue – near the 11 Holton and 62 Capitol buses. Check out the flier below.

Want more info about the group? Contact me here or by phone 414-212-5121.

Why start a bad date sheet in Milwaukee?

Last summer in Milwaukee, law enforcement announced the arrest of a man believed to be responsible for at least eight murders of women with histories of prostitution arrests from 1986 to 2007. You can find detailed reports about these cases here.

While Milwaukee news media talked about one serial killer, lost in those reports was the fact that actually 42 women involved in the sex trade were murdered in that 21 year period. The number connected by DNA evidence to one suspect was much smaller. It’s hard to decide what is more chilling – a serial killer who went unstopped for 21 years or over 30 individual murderers who each killed one woman – some of whom have also escaped arrest, as the police have noted not all cases have been “cleared,” or resulted in an arrest.

The man currently charged in the serial killings had a known history of violence. Before ever murdering anyone, the Journal Sentinel reported that in February of 1985: “(H)e was charged with attacking his girlfriend after accusing her of cheating on him. He punched her repeatedly in the face, pulling out a gun and forcing her to prostitute herself on W. North Ave., the criminal complaint says. Ellis watched from his car as she had sex with seven different men over several hours in a parking lot, according to charging documents. Those charges, too, were dropped. Records don’t say why.”

As the law enforcement task force on unsolved homicides filled the news, outreach workers and community members – including people currently trading sex for money talked about the ongoing violence towards people involved in the sex trade. People tried to share what they had heard informally and support those who had been assaulted, raped, beaten and abused.

A bad date sheet is a tool to share information about violent perpetrators who target people involved in trading sex or sexual kinds of activities for money and survival. We will collect, share and distribute the reports of violence that we experience and hear.

Just like in the Ellis case, people who commit serious violence like murder often start out with other violent acts. A bad date sheet means someone will have the ability to better avoid people who have committed violent acts in the past.

The Milwaukee Bad Date Sheet is an effort of many of the local organizations committed to supporting youth and adults who sell sex for money and survival. This is a new collaboration and your ideas, suggestions and support are welcome.

A man and his teenage son who are accused of recruiting teenage girls as prostitutes have been indicted on multiple charges that include sex trafficking of children.

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Todd “Tut” Carter, who turns 39 Friday, and his son, Nicholas Harrison, 19. Each is scheduled to be arraigned and enter a plea next week.

Criminal complaints filed Jan. 27 describe Carter as a controlling pimp who recruited his son’s girlfriends into prostitution, and who also took in teenage runaways who typically knew he was a pimp.

Bucky the Badger is angry about pimping in Wisconsin.

Mishicot teen faces child sex charges

MANITOWOC — A 17-year-old Mishicot teen was charged with two felony counts after he allegedly had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl multiple times between September and November, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

David Brandt was charged with bail jumping and repeated sexual assault of a child….Brandt also was charged with soliciting a child for prostitution as a party to a crime after a friend allegedly gave a 16-year-old girl $3 to have oral sex with Brandt, according to a criminal complaint filed Dec. 8.

Wis. woman gets 40 years for prostituting daughter

KENOSHA. A 38-year-old Kenosha woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for prostituting her then-15-year-old daughter.

Kenosha County Circuit Judge Mary Wagner says the sentence should keep the woman confined until she is too old to influence children.

A jury convicted the woman last month on 21 charges including soliciting a child for prostitution, failure to protect a child and child enticement, all as a repeat offender. The woman is not being named to protect her daughters.

Authorities say she charged men $25 to $45 for sex with her 15-year-old daughter and tried to sell her 14-year-old daughter into prostitution as well.

‘Sexting’ outbreak at Waukesha West High School in Wisconsin leads to warning

Police and school officials in Waukesha are warning parents to check their children’s cell phones after a nude photo of a 14-year-old girl was widely distributed.

The girl and her boyfriend are students at Waukesha West High School. They exchanged sexually explicit photos by cell phone, known as ’sexting’. Police say when the two broke up, the boyfriend forwarded the girl’s picture to other teens.

Capt. Mark Stigler says the photo spread until 100 or more students saw it. Stigler says police are pursuing possible felony child pornography charges against the teens who distributed the photo.

Prosecutors File More Charges Against Former Racine Mayor

Two additional child pornography charges have been filed against former Racine Mayor Gary Becker…Becker is also charged with six felony counts, including child enticement, exposing a child to harmful materials and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child….Police arrested Becker last month, accusing him of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a state agent posing as a 14-year-old girl online. Becker resigned from office shortly after his arrest.

And here I thought no one had missed the whole ‘To Catch a Predator’ series.

Alejandro, a tough and ambitious Latino street orphan on the verge of adolescence, lives and works in an auto-body repair shop in a sprawling junkyard on the outskirts of Queens, New York. In this chaotic world of adults, young Alejandro struggles to make a better life for himself and his 16-year-old sister, Isamar.”

During the movie, it’s revealed that his sister has sex for money. Her brother Ale’s reaction is amazingly layered and compassionate. She handles herself in a such a realistic and complicated way too. This movie stands out for me as presenting a complex picture of a young person in the sex trade without resorting to a mandatory downward spiral, an improbable rescue, or even to resolve everything neatly at the end.

FBI, police rescue child prostitutes around US

The FBI has rescued more than 45 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps.

Over a three-night initiative called Operation Cross Country, federal agents working with local law enforcement also arrested more than 50 alleged pimps, according to preliminary bureau data.

The teenage prostitutes found in the investigation ranged in age from 13 to 17.

Historically, federal authorities rarely play a role in anti-prostitution crackdowns, but the FBI is becoming more involved as it tries to rescue children caught up in the business.

“The goal is to recover kids. We consider them the child victims of prostitution,” said FBI Deputy Assistant Director Daniel Roberts.

“Unfortunately, the vast majority of these kids are what they term ‘throwaway kids,’ with no family support, no friends. They’re kids that nobody wants, they’re loners. Many are runaways,” Roberts said.

Most of the children are put into the custody of local child protection agencies.

They might as well just add the note ‘and within days those youth will run away from the facilities the first chance they get.‘ Because, in fact, many of the youth do have friends and people they trust and it isn’t the police or child protection agencies.

I stopped posting around the time of the last wave of arrests in late October last year:

U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello joined FBI and local police representatives at a news conference at the Oakland Police Department Tuesday morning on the operation, which netted 642 arrests in 29 cities….The national arrests included 73 alleged pimps and 518 alleged prostitutes, the FBI reported. In addition, 47 children working as prostitutes – who range in age from 13 to 17 – were rescued during the operation, according to the FBI.

That article highlights something from last year’s two nationwide sweeps (one in June and the other in October) – hundreds of arrests of adult women (anyone 18 and over) who apparently have the misfortune of appearing young in escort advertisements so federal agents try to set up sting operations with those individuals on the possibility they might be minors.

Another article today indicates that this might be the case this past weekend as well. These adults are not offered services but arrested and potentially charged with federal offenses.

Being taken into custody by federal law enforcement agents is traumatizing and creates deep fear among teens in the sex trade. Communities don’t even have adequate services or housing for youth they find so they are warehoused in foster care facilities and detention centers. Raids set up an environment of terror and panic and discourage any potential for youth to voluntarily seek out police for assistance. Raids are not the answer.

The youth taken into custody by federal agents need and deserve solid legal representation. And we need to stop the practice of raids and instead make multiple welcoming options available to teens and anyone who wants to leave the sex trade and make it easy for someone to get assistance. And we are so far away from that right now, it really worries me.

Most of the time we talk about helping teens being trafficked, being pimped out or trading sex for money or survival needs as individuals and improving programs to meet the immediate needs of youth on a one to one basis. This is crucial to help young people impacted by the sex trade. However in order to create systemic change that will help all youth, we need to be advocating and fighting for policy and systems level changes.

In small groups, participants got the chance to brainstorm ideas about how to accomplish some basic goals that I’ve heard from youth consistently over the years:

Starting from the ideas of youth is crucial because too many efforts on teens in the sex trade are happening across the U.S. that have no involvement from youth directly affected at all. If more community efforts to advocate for youth started with the above ideas, I believe we’d really make an impact.

Governor signs bill to protect child prostitutes

Albany: Children in New York who are forced to work in the sex trade won’t be treated as criminals under a new law Gov. David Paterson signed Friday.

The measure will extend additional social services to exploited youth and require the legal system to treat them as victims, rather than criminal sex workers.

“You don’t deserve to be treated like a criminal,” said Shaquana, an 18-year-old who was arrested for prostitution at age 14. “Hopefully it will take that stereotype out of people’s heads about girls who are being sexually exploited.”

New Legislation Decriminalizes Child Prostitution

Sacramento: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law Sunday that would help young prostitutes. The legislation decriminalizes the actions of minors involved in the sex trade. Instead of punishing them, they would be treated as victims.

Currently, if a minor is picked up for prostitution, she is charged as a criminal and sent to juvenile. But this law would change that and connect young girls with counselors and services they need. The law would also help girls who want to bring charges against a pimp.

So both New York And California now have new legislation on the books regarding minors arrested for prostitution. In one way I can definitely understand how some youth will be elated at the idea of not having to go to jail or prison. But I have many, many problems with the way that youth are mandated into services, reinstatement of charges for youth who do not complete programs, and provisions that deny youth eligibility if they don’t cooperate with law enforcement to prosecute pimps. Sounds like a lot more problems to me.

Standing Between Exploited Girls and the Streets (video)

Elizabeth Sy — Director of Banteay Srei at the East Bay Asian Youth Center a 26 year old first generation Cambodian woman who recently won a Rising Peace Maker Prize for her work with young women involved in the sex trade. YO! Recently talked with Sy and found out what steps she feels must be taken for future of sexually exploited minors.

Court hears of teen’s life before the streets

The Dallas detective listened as the Wichita teenager described a troubled past that led her to work as a prostitute on the streets of his city.

Detective Michael McMurray testified Wednesday in the trial of Marlin Williams — charged with human trafficking for allegedly taking the teenager to Dallas.

Voices on 82nd: What will it take to tame the street’s sex trade?

Portland Police Officer Scherise Hobbs asks a 14-year-old girl in handcuffs: “Does your mother know what you are doing?” The teenager was walking down 82nd Avenue when she got into a man’s car. She admitted to police that she had agreed to a sex act with the man.

This last article isn’t focused on youth but I’m really irritated with the picture above and caption that I’ve quoted here. It’s such a violation for minors to be photographed by media while being arrested anyway. And for the police to bring up her mother – as if it’s likely that her mother cares? It’s so shame-based. Not that I expect a lot but seriously, this is yet another reason teens don’t want to talk to police.

FBI: Couple Offered Sex With Girl, 5, for Used Car Many cases like this go through child protective services and don’t make it to the police or news media.

A San Antonio couple is accused of trying to trade sex with the woman’s 5-year-old daughter for an apartment, a used car and child care for her 10-month old daughter.

Man fails to outwit cops This guy was bold enough to offer his DNA, which confirmed the girl’s story and led his arrest.

After a 15-year-old girl told police that McGhee pimped her out as a prostitute and had fathered her child, they confronted him about it. McGhee denied he’d ever touched the girl or charged others money to have sex with her. In fact, he told police to arrest the girl for being a prostitute…McGhee was so sure of his innocence he agreed to allow police to swab his mouth to gather his DNA for a paternity test.

Teen slain to hide identity, LV police say, Body of runaway girl maimed Strong trigger warning on this link since the article describes just how the couple maimed the youth they murdered.

A couple threatened with possible exposure for pimping out a runaway teen (17-year-old Nichole Yegge) are accused of trying to hide the crime by choking the young girl to death, according to a Las Vegas police report

It’s Called “Insane” On a positive note, here are some youth activists against violence from Youth Rights Media.

“Chillin’ on the streets, youth in trouble. Slip and stumble, watch the cops double. Youth stays the same, stuck in the game, looked at with shame.” Amanda Demayo, a junior at Platt Tech in Milford, performed her a cappella rhymes as part of a Youth Rights Media-sponsored “‘Unite 4 Change” event Thursday night. Using street theater, rhymes, T-shirts, comic books, and murals, teen activists spoke out on several youth issues on Thursday evening.

]]> http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/08/27/some-news-links-for-august/feed/ 0 http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/07/28/weekly-news-links-72808/ http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/07/28/weekly-news-links-72808/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:03:54 +0000 Claudine http://www.rethinkresources.net/?p=305 Links in the news this past week:
Authorities: Kidnapped girl rescued at motel

Police arrested a Vineland man and three other people after a Massachusetts girl called her mother to report she was being held against her will at a White Horse Pike motel…she had been threatened with a stun gun, forced to stay in various motels for at least a week and forced to work as a prostitute in the Atlantic City area….(one 18 year old woman) was charged with promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child

Note again that they arrested an 18 year old young woman and charged her with promoting prostitution. It’s true that youth are used to control other youth inside pimping networks. Charging youth seems like an effort to turn people against each other to gain convictions.

Pimp faces 20 years in prison

A College Hill man faces 20 years in prison after a jury convicted him of pimping a 15-year-old girl and having sex with her. Edward McGhee, 43, was found guilty today by a Hamilton County jury of two counts each of compelling prostitution and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Organizers of aboriginal women’s summit want to test sincerity of federal apology

“There’s a myth that somehow aboriginal women are either born into or consent to be in the sex trade,” said Jo-Ann Daniels, a policy analyst for the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women in Edmonton. “The government does not even recognize the domestic human trafficking of aboriginal girls. There are no services (specifically) available to the trafficked girl.” The study, presented last year in the child welfare journal First Peoples Child and Family Review, noted that while few statistics were available on the subject, young aboriginal girls were “overrepresented in prostitution.” For instance, in Vancouver aboriginal girls represented 60 per cent of all those who were being sexually exploited. In Saskatoon, the study found, the average age for aboriginal girls working as prostitutes was between 11 and 12.

I’ve talked with outreach workers in the reserves of Saskatchewan who were used to working with youth in the sex trade as young as nine.

Prosecutor: “sex fest” suspect tried to buy off victims

A prominent Boise business owner and another man have formally been charged, after police say they held a “sex fest” with two teen girls…a reward of some kind was offered for the sexual acts, but deputies are not calling this a case of prostitution – and notes the girls went to the home on their own accord before any type of monetary incentive was discussed.

Trio indicted for committing sex acts with teenage girls

Three people have been indicted by an Ada County Grand Jury for multiple acts of lewd conduct, sexual abuse of a child and felony injury to a child involving two 15-year-old girls. Douglas Winberry, 50, of Meridian, Colby Watson, 36, and Lindsey McKeehan, 23, both of Boise, were arrest last month following an investigation by Meridian Police. Police say Winberry was engaging in sexual acts with an underage female and offering prostitution services on the Internet site Craigslist.

While a lot of talk is focused on the big city sex trade, I’ll point out that both of the above news items are from Idaho.

]]> http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/07/28/weekly-news-links-72808/feed/ 0 http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/07/23/easier-to-talk-with-a-youth-or-an-adult/ http://www.rethinkresources.net/2008/07/23/easier-to-talk-with-a-youth-or-an-adult/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:28:12 +0000 Claudine http://www.rethinkresources.net/?p=298 Which do you think is easier?

I was reminded of this question yesterday at a meeting here in Milwaukee that’s part of an effort to create a drop-in center for youth struggling with basic needs. A lot of plans have focused on connecting youth with adult run programs and agencies and that’s super common when adults plan efforts to address youth needs.

But one of the first ideas from an advisory group of local youth is to have peer counselors at the center and everyone seems excited about this idea. This made me happy as I’m a strong advocate of peer outreach and peer based programs.

Many times I’ve met youth in the sex trade who felt that talking with another young person is way easier than talking with an adult. My experience has been that teens are talking with each other about the sex trade (should they do it? what do you think of this offer – does it sound real?) Teens who are in or have been in the sex trade can be trained and supported to do outreach to other teens who are experiencing similar struggles.

This makes sense and is powerful in many ways. Teens can find other teens way easier than adults can sometimes, especially in reaching teens in the off-street sex trade. An adult outreach worker can’t easily be at that hotel party or someone’s basement where some youth hang out.

Often a teen can connect with another teen through shared language, experiences and styles that are super difficult, if not impossible, for an adult to do. Educating peers to be leaders in their own communities means supporting changes in the moment, not just at that specific group time or one to one meeting with an adult. If you prepare youth to have the information and resources necessary to support safer and healthier decisions, I believe you can reach way more youth.

More than being accessible, youth often talk with each other about really difficult experiences way before reaching out to an adult. Maybe you witnessed another young person’s helpfulness in other situations or feel like they’ll understand more.

Sometimes youth feel like adults are just untrustworthy or inaccessible. If you feel like adults aren’t listening, or aren’t around or are most likely going to tell other people about what you need to keep confidential – talking with another youth can seem a lot better.

But I’ve also talked with youth who feel like they would much rather talk with an adult because the youth they know can’t seem to keep a secret. So you confide in one youth and next thing you know the whole school or whole neighborhood knows. Or I’ve heard youth wonder why they would seek out assistance from another teen when what they want is someone with more life experience or knowledge or someone outside their social circle/peer group.

Sometimes youth who’ve had positive experiences with adults making things happen want to talk with an adult because it may mean more access to a program or resources. Or youth will seek out an adult if it’s about something really serious.

A few programs focused on teens in the sex trade have peer based projects like outreach or speaking to groups of youth and I’m excited about all the peer based work I was able to be a part of with YWEP. Unfortunately a lot of programs don’t make it a priority or believe strongly in adult leadership. I think we miss out on amazing opportunities that way.

It does seem like no matter if teens prefer to talk out dilemmas and solutions with other teens or with adults everyone wants to talk with someone nonjudgmental, supportive, with helpful resources and hopefully with similar life experiences.

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