Rethink Resources

I am in the process of moving these links into the original posts. Please note that the links worked when the reports were first posted but many no longer lead to the article cited. I have left the original links to better assist those looking for the primary sources.

I often don’t agree with the way youth in the sex trade are presented in the media, however I’m linking here directly to media reports and articles on issues affecting youth in the sex trade

Wednesday, March 5, 2008 Mother jailed for promoting prostitution of her child (Indiana) An Indiana mother is behind bars Thursday, after pleading guilty of arranging sex between her pre-teen daughter and a male adult. Jackson County Police learned of the crime after the girl notified a school counselor.

Tuesday, March 4 2008 International Child Porn Ring Uncovered (US) …one of 12 Americans indicted last week in a worldwide investigation that ultimately charged 22 people with participating in the porn ring - and intentionally blocking police from investigating it. In all, more than 400,000 pictures, video files and other images showing children engaged in sexual behavior were produced, advertised, traded and distributed globally in the online pornography ring, according to U.S. and international authorities. The sting, which started in Australia, also netted accused pornographers in England, Canada and Germany.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 Police: Man had sex with teenage boy in Camden County (New Jersey) A Sea Isle City man is accused of paying up to $2,000 for sex with a teenage boy in three Camden County towns. Michael Shumen, 38, had encounters with the youth, now 17, between July 2005 and November 2006, when the boy was 14 to 16 years old, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Florida: 17-Year-Old Trans Kid Murdered (Florida) Police in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Feb. 25 that they still have few solid leads in their investigation of the slaying of a 17-year-old transgender youth. Simmie Williams Jr. was shot by two men, witnesses said, around 12:45 a.m. Feb. 22 near the corner of Sistrunk and 10th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Police said the area is well known as a cruising spot for men seeking transgender prostitutes. Williams was dressed in women’s clothes.

Thursday, February 14, 2008 Sitting Targets: Sit-Lie Ordinance Takes Aim at Street Kids (Portland) Portland’s controversial sit-lie ordinance appears to be targeting a distinct group of homeless youth (or “street kids”), according to the latest enforcement statistics from the mayor’s Street Access for Everyone (SAFE) committee. It’s true that the ordinance has overwhelmingly been used to target people without a fixed address: 62 people were issued verbal sit-lie warnings.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 Florida’s Ex-DCF Spokesman Faces More Porn Charges (Florida) The former press secretary of Florida’s Department of Children and Families, arrested Feb. 1 on charges of forcing children, including one who had been within the agency’s care, to perform lewd acts for money so he could film them, is now facing federal pornography charges too. Al Zimmerman, 40, of Lakeland, a former television reporter for Bay News 9 in Tampa Bay before becoming employed by DCF in the spring of 2005, allegedly paid two 16-year-old boys for sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves during 2006 and 2007 and then sold the images to overseas pornographers, federal prosecutors say. Zimmerman alleged paid the boys in money orders and cash.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 Aurora couple accused of running prostitution ring through Craigslist (Illinois) An Aurora couple have been accused of arranging for others to pay for sexual trysts with a 17-year-old Wisconsin runaway through the popular marketplace Web site Craigslist.org. Jermel D. Pope, 22, and Mary M. Jefferson, 30, both of the 2000 block of Fox Pointe Drive, were charged Saturday with pandering and may face additional charges

Friday, February 8, 2008 Mom Held in Prostitution Case Involving Daughter (Maryland) During a four-month period last year, a 16-year-old Annapolis girl found herself thrust into a life of prostitution, taking orders from a pimp who sold her body to men and collected cash and crack cocaine in return, police said yesterday. The pimp, police said, was her mother. Police alleged yesterday that the 34-year-old woman once made her daughter snort cocaine to “calm her down” after she objected to what she was asked to do. But mainly she used her authority as a parent to force her daughter to have sex with men, said Hal Dalton, an Annapolis police spokesman. “She would say she would need the money for the family,” Dalton said.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 Man Arraigned On Charges Of Compelling Teen Prostitution (Cincinnati) A man accused of paying teen co-workers for sexual videos or sex itself was arraigned on Tuesday. Armando Rivera, 33, a former shift supervisor at Wonderpark Family Entertainment Park in Cincinnati Mills, was arrested last month and charged with compelling prostitution. Police said Rivera, of Loveland, told them he intended to create a pornographic video Web site.

Saturday, February 2, 2008 City cop charged with prostitution of runaway teen (NYC) A veteran detective was hit with stunning charges Wednesday, accused of pimping out a 13-year-old runaway in Queens, authorities said. Det. Wayne Taylor, 35, …a 14-year veteran from the Housing Bureau, and Zelika Brown, his girlfriend, were charged yesterday with promoting prostitution, kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a child, in a case that a police source said stunned Internal Affairs investigators.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Suspect in gang rape, kidnapping pleads guilty (Arizona) The suspected ringleader in the gang rape of a 15-year-old El Mirage runway, who was forced in prostitution and captivity, has pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges. Matthew Steven Gray, 29, of Phoenix, could receive as much as 35 years in prison when he is sentenced March 7 in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Monday, January 28, 2008 She did ‘dates’ at 13, teen testifies (Alaska) She was 12 when she left her mother’s home, 13 when she took to the streets…She took the witness stand Thursday in Anchorage federal court to testify against the man she knew as Jerry Starr, and she was torn up about it. She cried before the prosecutor asked the first question.

Thursday, January 24, 2008 ‘Talent agent’ gets 15 years for forced prostitution (Georgia) A 32-year-old Stone Mountain man who posed as a talent agent is heading to federal prison for tricking young women into signing modeling contracts before forcing them to engage in prostitution and have sex with him. Jimmy Lee Jones, also known as Mike Spade, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking and transporting young women across state lines for purposes of prostitution.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 San Antonio needle-swap activists facing charges (Texas) Police said they will seek drug paraphernalia charges punishable by up to a year in jail for three activists who were caught handing out clean syringes in exchange for dirty ones. The members of the nonprofit group Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition were cited Jan. 5 when a police officer saw them parked at a corner “with several known prostitutes and drug addicts next to the vehicle.”

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Man goes on trial on pimping charges (California) When police searched the suburban Chula Vista home of Darren Hilton in February 2006, they found training books and videotapes on how to become a pimp. Hilton, 28, is now on trial in Chula Vista Superior Court, accused of putting that information into practice by trying to force four teenage girls to become prostitutes. A conviction could result in a sentence of life in prison.

Friday, January 18, 2008 Police bust alleged prostitution ring (Michigan) The young woman, who was brought to the police station by her mother, told police that she was invited by 26-year-old Davina Shirley Lloyd to come live with her with the understanding that it was to be an intimate relationship, Engstrom said. The girl agreed and moved into an apartment in northern Westland—near Joy and Warren roads—with Lloyd and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Lanard Mack Henley. Soon after, the couple allegedly pushed the teen into becoming a prostitute, according to police. Clients were obtained through ads featuring the girl’s photo that were placed on web sites such as Craig’s List, he said. “They would drive her to various hotels and she would exchange sex for money and give the money to Davina,” said Engstrom. The teen allegedly told police that although she was unhappy with the situation she had been afraid to refuse or to displease Lloyd. Engstrom also said that the girl told police that Henley would physically and sexually assault her when Lloyd was not around.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Inquest report urges more help for sexually exploited teens (Winnipeg) An inquest report released Thursday into the suicide of a 14-year-old Manitoba girl two years ago recommends improvements to the child-welfare agency and sweeping efforts to combat child sexual exploitation in Winnipeg.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 DMV Clerk Charged with Making Faking IDs (New York) An Erie County motor vehicles clerk from Buffalo has been arrested for selling fake Identification documents to teenagers… The 24 year-old faces several felony charges for accepting bribes to alter birth dates on identification cards. An undercover officer allegedly paid Colbert $100 dollars over the regular fee to have a license altered. Colbert is also suspected of altering IDs for a 14 year-old girl and a 19 year-old girl linked to a local escort service. The girls allegedly sought the IDs so they could work at strip clubs or casinos.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Cops: Teen Gang Made Girls Prostitutes (Fort Worth) Several teenage gang members have been arrested on suspicion of forcing girls as young as 12 into a prostitution ring, police said Tuesday. After befriending the girls and getting them high, Varrio Central gang members took them to some regular customers and then sought other men by trolling apartment complexes, offering the girls’ services for $50

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Bill seeks to eliminate life sentences for youths (California) Sara K. says that if she was freed from prison she would try to help children who find themselves in the terrible circumstances she had to endure as a young teen. But Sara does not expect to ever be free. She is among 227 people in California serving life sentences without parole for crimes committed when they were ages 14 to 17. Her crime? At 16, she killed her 31-year-old pimp, who steered her into prostitution over three years.

Saturday, January 12, 2008 Evansville: No shelter for homeless youth (Indiana) The co-chairs presented 14 recommendations to address the problem. A major finding is that Evansville is the only large city in Indiana that doesn’t have a shelter for teens under 18. Cynthia Smith, PhD is the Homeless Youth Council’s co-chair, she says, “It’s certainly one of those things that we desperately need.” Otherwise, teens end up couch surfing with different friends, like Rose. The council wants to create a formal network of host homes or support the friends and parents already taking in homeless teens.

Thursday, January 10, 2008 Recently Homeless Youth More Likely To Engage in Risky Sex, Increasing Risk of HIV, Other STIs, Study Says (Los Angeles) Youth who recently have become homeless are more likely than other youth to engage in risky sexual behavior that can lead to the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, according to a study published in the Jan. 3 online edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health

Wednesday, January 9, 2008 Woman, 19, sentenced for sex ring: Federal judge rejects leniency bid in Internet case, gives the maximum penalty of 5½ years (Minnesota) She was 19, operating out of a Burnsville motel room as both pimp and prostitute. But when it came time Monday for a federal judge to sentence Justine Alex Reisdorf, her attorneys argued that the Eagan teen who ran a sex ring off the Internet was as much a victim of a difficult childhood as a criminal. Reisdorf “is a 19-year-old single mother, raised primarily by a single mother,” wrote Katherine M. Menendez, a federal public defender, in a position brief to the court. “(Her) experience as a young prostitute, first ‘turned out’ by an older male … distinguishes this case from most.”

Sunday, January 3, 2008 Alleged pimps arrested in Mesa child prostitution bust (Arizona) Phoenix police say they broke up a child prostitution ring in Mesa Thursday morning. Teen prostitutes found in hotel room with alleged pimps A Phoenix police officer noticed a young girl walking near 27th Avenue and McDowell Road at about 1 a.m. He stopped to talk to her and she told him that she was a runaway from California and that she had a pimp who was in the area. Tranter said police made a traffic stop and arrested the pimp, Deon Richerson, near 27th Avenue and McDowell Road.

Friday, December 21, 2007 Ruling says judges may jail runaways (Washington State) Judges may throw kids in jail when they repeatedly run away from home, under a ruling Thursday by the Washington Supreme Court. The ruling, in the case of two Yakima County teens who were in foster care, affirms judges’ broad power to lock up runaways, if necessary until their 18th birthdays. But there’s a hitch: The power can be used only as a last resort. Mental-health experts and child advocates say the ruling did not, however, get at the real problem: Foster kids are running away by the hundreds each year because they’re in need of help, not punishment.

Thursday, December 20, 2007 Congress Lifts Ban on D.C. Needle Exchange Program (DC) the ban on the use of public funds for needle-exchange programs was finally lifted. For the past nine years Congressional Republicans successfully prohibited the District from using any of its resources to promote needle-exchange programs, regardless of their efficacy in combating the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. As a consequence, the only needle-exchange program of any significance was run by the organization PreventionWorks on a shoe-string budget of private contributions, serving only a third of the city’s estimated 9,700 intravenous drug users.

Sunday, December 16, 2007 Lessons in compassion (Wisconsin) Compassion looks like a soft fleece blanket. It sounds like the voices of Northwestern Middle School sixth graders as they tucked books into the blankets Wednesday….“They’re going to a shelter for kids who are homeless,” Jordan said. “Because people who don’t have anything or that are homeless need something too.”

Friday, December 14, 2007 City Estimates 4,000 Homeless Teens Are on the Streets (NYC) It’s estimated that nearly 4,000 teenagers and young adults are considered homeless in New York City. That’s according to a survey conducted by organizations that provide youth services.

Thursday, December 13, 2007 At hearing, teen tells of prostitution trafficking (Witchita) The girl was 15 when she ran away from the Wichita Children’s Home, and she said her only solace and security came with the man who put her on the streets of Dallas as a prostitute. “I had nowhere else to go,” she said Wednesday from the witness stand, where she pointed to Marlin Williams as the man who drove her to Texas to have sex for money earlier this year.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Gov expected to sign contraception bill (Wisconsin) If, as expected, Gov. Jim Doyle signs the bill preliminarily passed by the state Assembly to provide emergency contraception to rape victims, it will be the first time in a decade the state has significantly expanded access to birth control…. Emergency contraception, most often packaged as “Plan B,” is essentially a high dose of birth control pills that, if taken within 72 hours of intercourse, is highly effective at preventing pregnancy. Recent surveys have shown that many hospitals around Wisconsin don’t stock emergency contraception or offer it routinely to victims of sexual assault.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Aging out of foster care (Minneapolis) Each year 24,000 American teenagers in foster care leave their foster families or group homes and try to make it on their own. It’s called “aging out.” They get too old to qualify for state services anymore. In Minnesota, most foster kids age out when they turn 18. A study released Wednesday shows that foster teens do better if they stay in care until they’re 21.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Benefit seen in longer foster care (Milwaukee) Young people who are aging out of Milwaukee County’s foster care system are less likely to go to college and more likely to become pregnant compared with their counterparts in Chicago, according to a new study being released Wednesday.

Thursday, December 6, 2007 Group accused of more crimes 3 are charged with prostitution racket (Milwaukee) The “Body Snatchers” crime ring, which authorities say was involved in a litany of crimes in Milwaukee including murder, cocaine dealing, armed robbery, kidnapping and mortgage fraud, has now been accused of running a prostitution racket stretching from Wisconsin to Nebraska. Michael Lock, 36, previously accused in state and federal courts of leading the group’s various operations, is charged with having pimped a group of exotic dancers…

Thursday, December 6, 2007 Young women forgoing the condoms (Vancouver) Here’s the good news: national teen pregnancy rates are falling in Canada, and youths are waiting longer to have sex. But a new national poll focusing on birth control and sexual attitudes of young women between 16 and 24 years old suggests there’s still plenty of room for concern when it comes to risky youth sexual behaviour. A new national poll focusing on birth control and sexual attitudes of young women between 16 and 24 years old found that two-thirds don’t use a condom every time they have sex.

Friday, November 30, 2007 When youth meets opportunity (Portland) This fall, Bangs partnered with the nonprofit Oregon Outreach to launch a job-placement program for teens in North and Northeast Portland, matching young people from the McCoy Academy and Open Meadow alternative high school with neighborhood businesses. One of the things that motivated her, Bangs says, was witnessing the changes that swept Mississippi Avenue, watching people wonder how to connect: the new businesses that wanted to invest in the neighborhoods’ future, but weren’t sure where to start; the teens who saw new shops and restaurants opening all around them, but didn’t see how they belonged to them, too.

Friday, November 30, 2007 Atlanta cop’s husband accused of paying girls for sex (Atlanta) Atlanta police were told seven years ago that the husband of a sergeant on the force was paying young girls for sex — and saw photographs of the encounters — but the tip resulted in no investigation or charges, according to federal authorities. Terrill Marion Crane was arrested Thursday on federal charges of producing child pornography and is scheduled to make his first appearance in court Friday on charges he paid the young girls as much as $100 and photographed their sex acts.

Friday, November 30, 2007 New Jersey’s First Legal Needle Exchange Is Open (New Jersey) The needle exchange program bill passed nearly a year ago by the New Jersey state legislature has borne its first fruit. A needle exchange program operated by the South Jersey AIDS Alliance in Atlantic City began operations Tuesday.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 Teen suicide spurs war on child prostitution (Atlanta) At the age of 15, Samantha Walker was lured into prostitution on the streets of Toledo, Ohio, then taken against her will to Atlanta. What makes her story different from thousands of others is that she testified against one of the men who paid for sex with her, helping to send him to prison. But just weeks after the trial she took an overdose of drugs she was taking for depression and died at the age of 18.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Sex for shelter (Edmonton) Youth workers call them the darkest, most disturbing tales of Edmonton’s housing crunch - girls, sometimes younger than 14, turning tricks on cold winter nights in exchange for shelter. “It’s so common it breaks my heart. They’re not prostitutes, they’re not addicted to drugs or doing it for food or money. They’re doing it because it’s cold outside and they need somewhere to sleep,” …Even more alarming is where they come from. She estimates 90% are non-aboriginal, the children of professional parents - doctors, lawyers, nurses and the like. “Almost every one is fleeing a home where the parents use drugs, abuse them, or are pimping them out.”

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Killed by the Cops (Chicago) This summer ColorLines and The Chicago Reporter conducted a joint national investigation of fatal police shootings in America’s 10 largest cities, each of which had more than 1 million people in 2000. Several striking findings emerged. To begin, African Americans were overrepresented among police shooting victims in every city the publications investigated.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Recent study shows ‘shocking’ data on status of Wis. girls (Wisconsin) A Nov. 7 report described the overall status of girls age 10 to 19 in Wisconsin, showing some “shocking” statistics in regards to both health issues and racial differences. The Status of Girls report, sponsored by Alverno College and state women’s groups, showed 42 percent of girls 15 or younger reported their first sexual contact was not consensual…”

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Sense Project puts brave new spin on sex-ed (Montréal) As of the end of October, a unique educational experiment is now playing out in several Montréal high schools. Local NGO Head & Hands has spent the past two years developing and perfecting a sex education program to be taught in part by students themselves. Their daring new initiative is called the Sense Project. “That’s ’sense’ as in sensuality,” explains the group’s health Animator, Adriana. “Also, it’s important to be sexually informed and able to make sensible decisions. Plus, we believe our approach to sex-ed makes sense. So there’s a triple meaning.”

Wednesday November 14, 2007 Catching up with runaways: County agencies urge public to show concern for stray teens (Salinas) “I was a couch surfer, and I slept on a slide once,” she said, recalling events that occurred about a year ago in late 2006. “I always had a place to sleep, though.” Bowman is one of a rising number of young people in Monterey County termed runaways or, in her case, throwaways - minors who can’t remain at home because a parent or guardian is unwilling or unable to let them stay.

Friday, November 9, 2007 Drop boxes made for ‘harm reduction’ (Regina) Regina is taking a shot at collecting used needles in drop boxes. “We’ve been working really closely with the police to find spots that will work for everybody,” said Kathy Lloyd, the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region’s supervisor of Communicable Diseases and Sexual Health programs. “We started with three boxes on a trial run…”

Wednesday, November 07, 2007 Jill Porter | ‘Hooker Judge’ is not denied, but justice is . . . (Philadelphia) The furor over Deni’s ruling, which made national news and spurred denouncements on the Internet from as far away as Australia, couldn’t penetrate the public apathy about judicial retention elections. But her Oct. 4 ruling had a profound impact on one person for sure: the victim. She’s a 19-year-old woman who struggles to support herself and her infant daughter - while she cares for her sick mother. “I’m a single parent by myself and I go through so much - it’s so hard,” she told me this week.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 For Clues on Teenage Sex, Experts Look to Hip-Hop (New York) Hip-hop, with its suggestive lyrics, videos and dance moves, has long been criticized by public health experts and parents, who fear that it leads to risky sexual behavior among teenagers…“There’s definitely a popular opinion that hip-hop is music that is bad for you and makes people do crazy things,” said Miguel A. Muñoz-Laboy, an assistant professor in the department of sociomedical sciences at Columbia. “We need to try to see how youth understand their own culture without imposing our own adult judgments.”

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 Rewriting Rap to Empower Teens (Atlanta) A group of high school girls in Atlanta got tired of taunts and catcalls from men in the street. So they decided to rap about it:
Imma give you yo number back
Cause I don’t like you and yo game is whack
You see these boys just don’t know how to act
I try to walk away but they talk smack
Take it to the streets

Thursday, November 1, 2007 Program helps youths in foster care adjust to independence (Pembroke Pines) “I’m excited. I’m ready. I can’t wait,” Mullings said Wednesday. She was preparing to sign the lease that would allow her to move into a 42-bed housing complex for young adults in transition between foster care and independent living. By Friday, 15 former foster kids will be settling in, with another dozen expected during the next few weeks.

Wednesday October 31, 2007 The Struggles of Homeless Trans Youth (Chicago) …Another aspect of providing safe housing is transforming the way the shelter systems categorize youth. Hollendoner said, “I think that so often our shelter programs are based on a binary gender system and I think that throughout the youth community you see that binary gender systems aren’t the way in which youth describe their bodies and that there’s a fluidity around gender now and I think that the shelter programs are now just beginning to understand that.” Sol Flores, executive director of La Casa Norte, explained how the Solid Ground Supportive Housing Program, a project-based housing unit specifically serving male youth aged 16-21 that is part of La Casa Norte, is approaching housing transitioning youth: “We created eligibility guidelines in the transgender area that say if you identify and are living currently as a male you can come into the program, because it is a male intentional program…we could have someone who is going through the transition as long as he is identifying as and living as a male.” Solid Ground’s private room system also provides privacy for its residents, which Flores believes has a positive impact allowing for privacy that many sheltered youth don’t receive.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1 in 10 schools are ‘dropout factories’ (Washington DC) It’s a nickname no principal could be proud of: “Dropout Factory,” a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That dubious distinction applies to more than one in 10 high schools across America….There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That’s 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either.

Monday October 29, 2007 Prosecutor asks to shield young prostitutes (Bridgeport) A federal prosecutor is asking that the names of underage females recruited for a prostitution ring be kept from the public in court documents and testimony during the upcoming trial of the alleged pimp. Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel invoked a section of the U.S. Code and cited several rulings in making the request of U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall for the December trial of Corey Davis on 16 federal charges. Davis, 35, of Queens, N.Y., is accused of recruiting females, one as young as 12 years old, to work for him as dancers and prostitutes in strip bars — particularly Pleasant Moments on William Street and Bishop’s Corner Caf on Boston Avenue. Some also worked at the Track in Queens, N.Y., and at stag parties.The five, unnamed females involved were identified in the indictment only by their ages: 12, 15, 17, 18 and 19. The indictment alleges each was required to earn a specific amount of money every night or face psychological or physical assault.

Wednesday October 24, 2007 Teen Closet almost ready to open its doors (Spokane) Teen Closet has been a major undertaking for many people over the past year and is one step closer to being a reality when it held an open house Wednesday morning. The Teen Closet…is a place where teenagers in the foster care system can come to shop for quality trendy clothing for free.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Mom pleads guilty to making daughters hookers (Texas) A woman who sold her teen daughters into prostitution so she could buy drugs pleaded guilty Tuesday. Nelsi Latuda, 35, got 20 years in prison for forcing her 14- and 16-year-old daughters to have sex for money. Her boyfriend, 21-year-old Pedro Espinoza Escama, who is also accused in the crime, remains at large.

Tuesday October 23, 2007 Plan would limit King Middle School birth control access (Portland) The committee’s 7-2 vote last week would make King the first middle school in Maine to offer a full range of contraception in grades 6 to 8, when students are 11 to 15 years old, school officials said.

Sunday October 21, 2007 Foster youths exercise their voices at leadership summit (Washington) Help us be like normal teenagers. That was the theme of the messages shared by dozens of foster kids who met at this weekend’s second annual Foster Youth and Alumni Leadership Summit, designed to give voice to current and former foster children. The participants — all between 14 and 24 years old — heard speakers and worked with facilitators to come up with recommendations for legislators and other state policy-makers.

Thursday, October 18, 2007 Former Brooklyn Park resident pleads guilty to operating prostitution ring (Minnesota) A former Brooklyn Park resident pleaded guilty in federal court this week to operating a prostitution ring that involved transporting women and underage girls between the Twin Cities and Las Vegas. Darryl Taylor, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of possessing documents in furtherance of sex trafficking.

Tuesday October 16, 2007 Teen accused of forcing sister into sex trade (Winnipeg) An 18-year-old Winnipeg woman is accused of forcing her 16-year-old sister to work in the city’s sex trade for more than a year and then pocketing the money she made, the Free Press has learned.

Monday October 15, 2007 Man charged with running prostitution ring goes to trial (Iowa City) Opening arguments are expected to begin Tuesday in the ongoing criminal conduct trial of a man whose son kidnapped a 13-year-old Minneapolis girl and forced her into prostitution in Iowa. Jury selection began today in the trial of Robert A. Sallis, Sr. Police say Sallis, 49, helped operate the prostitution ring in Johnson, Linn, Iowa and Clayton counties from fall 2004 through spring 2005 and employed the girl - whom his son, Demont Bowie, kidnapped - for three weeks.

Friday, October 12, 2007 A life cut short leaves many questions (Georgia) By the time she was 17, Jennifer Chambers had already made a lifetime’s worth of mistakes. Unlike most kids, she will never have the opportunity to undo them.… Jennifer, petite at 5 feet 4 inches and about 100 pounds, was found dead Sept. 5 in a wooded area off Freeman Road. Rotella said someone killed her, dumped the body and set it afire, nearly consuming it. There are no suspects. Investigators hope her friends and acquaintances will come forward with information that will lead to an arrest.

Friday, October 12, 2007 Feds jail man for being a child pimp (Texas) Back in 2001, Jermaine Carlos Diaz faced Judge Kenneth Hoyt in the United States Federal Courthouse and was convicted of transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. He apparently didn’t learn his lesson behind bars, because he is accused of putting young girls out on the streets again. He was arrested Thursday night in Sugar Land.

Thursday October 11, 2007 New Details in Teenage Prostitution Case (Tennessee) New details are coming out about a prostitution case in Dayton, Tennessee involving two teenage girls and the woman who police say is behind it all.

Wednesday October 10, 2007 Man accused of prostituting Tazewell County girl pleads guilty to child sex crimes (Virginia) A man who convinced a Tazewell County girl to leave her home, travel to W. Va. and engage in prostitution pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child and conspiracy to transport a minor for the purpose of prostitution. Erik Lee Larson, 26, of Pompano Beach, Fla. Was living in Bluefield W. Va. In Nov. 2006 when he contacted the child through the Internet and convinced her to leave her home and travel to Bluefield.

Wednesday October 10, 2007 Woman charged with pandering (Maryland) A Carroll County woman has been charged with multiple counts in a juvenile prostitution case that extends to Massachusetts and other states, according to court documents and the Maryland State Police. Deborah Gail Frock, 38, who had a bail review hearing in Carroll County District Court yesterday, was returned to the county detention center, where she was being held on drug charges. She has been charged with six counts of pandering and six counts of contributing to the delinquent condition of a child, according to court records.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 DA recommends seven years in prison (Wisconsin) District Attorney Dan Steffen recommended last week that a 37-year-old rural Osceola man be put in prison for seven years, followed by 13 years of probation. Daniel E. Owens pleaded no contest to the felonies of supplying methamphetamine to a minor and soliciting a child for prostitution.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007 Connecting with others can prevent suicide (South Dakota) After her friend’s death, Ginny, a senior at Central High School, admits that she considered suicide. A conversation with another girl, who also felt suicidal, helped her work through those thoughts, she says. They may not have realized it at the time, but sharing their sorrows and pain likely saved the girls lives. “To reach out to each other is the way you save your friends,” says Dr. Mark Garry, a psychiatrist at Rapid City Regional Behavioral Health Center and Sioux San Hospital.

Wednesday October 3, 2007 Tax Attorney Colliton admits Statutory Rape (New York) Prominent former tax attorney James P. Colliton of Poughkeepsie, formerly associated with the prestigious law firm of Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP of Manhattan, has admitted to statutory rape and patronizing a prostitute in a plea deal….Colliton had been indicted on 43 charges including third degree rape, third degree sodomy and patronizing a prostitute for allegedly using teenage girls as prostitutes…The mother of two teenage daughters allowed the girls, aged 13 and 15 at the time, to have sex with Colliton in exchange for payment of the mother’s living expenses.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007 Legislators try to help homeless youth: Estimates vary widely about exact numbers (Indiana) As they try to decide what, if anything, to do about youth homelessness, state lawmakers got an earful Tuesday from a formerly homeless Indiana teen….Wildly varying figures have frustrated lawmakers; at a previous meeting, they heard an estimate of 10,000. One advocate testified Tuesday that the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 2 percent of the total youth population are homeless or “unattached.” If true, the number of such children in Indiana could be as high as 35,000

Wednesday October 3, 2007 DPD: Couple Arrested For Sexually Exploiting Teen (Dallas) Prostitutes are easy to find on the internet, and police try to stop it as much as the can. But when they saw an advertisement for an underage girl, they decided to go undercover.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007 Vancouver safe-injection site can operate until June under six-month extension (Vancouver) Ottawa’s six-month reprieve for Vancouver’s safe injection site simply allows the government to shelve the issue until after a possible fall election, leaving a suffering community in limbo, supporters of the site said Tuesday….The studies examining the centre have included results showing drug addicts who used the program were more likely to enroll in detox programs, more likely to start methadone replacement programs and reduce their number of monthly visits to shoot up.

Thursday September 27, 2007 Portland’s ‘drug free zone’ laws to end October 1st (Oregon) Portland’s mayor, the City Council and the chief of police say they are going to let a long-standing “exclusion zone” law lapse and concentrate on drug treatment for those arrested in the areas.

Thursday September 27, 2007 How pregnancy is tied to violence (Oklahoma) At age 14, the girl was routinely choked when she refused to have sex with the boy she was dating. By age 15, she was pregnant by a 24-year-old man who claimed to be 20. Another 15 year old girl has classmates at an Oklahoma City high school who brought guns to school just for protection. “It’s too much. We’re kids. We don’t need to see all this,” she said. “Gangs. Violence. Dudes beating up on females. It’s all too much.” A year ago, the same girl lost a friend to gun violence. Her young friend was shot dead while standing next to her. Now, at age 15, the girl is seven months pregnant. Researchers say there is a direct link between exposure to violence and teen pregnancy.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007 Man allegedly forced girl into prostitution (California) A federal sex-trafficking trial started Tuesday with a former Elk Grove resident accused of coercing a 12-year-old neighbor into prostitution and forcing her to work strolls in Sacramento, Los Angeles and Seattle. Prosecutors allege that the girl initially refused when Deonte Santos, 28, asked her to be his prostitute, but he hit her in the head, punched her in the stomach and forced her to have sex with him in May 2006. The case has also sparked the indictment of two alleged pimps in Washington state who allegedly played roles in forcing the girl to work a stroll in the Puget Sound area, according to documents filed in federal court in Seattle.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Deputies bust man who picked up teen prostitute (Seattle) King County sheriff’s deputies on Monday said they arrested a man after they caught him having sex with a suspected prostitute who was just 15 years old.

Tuesday September 25, 2007 Report Cites San Diego as Link in Larger Teen Prostitution Circuit (San Diego) Child trafficking and teen prostitution aren’t confined to other countries. A new study from the San Diego Association of Governments shows this kind of exploitation exists right here at home. KPBS reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story. SANDAG researchers interviewed 200 homeless and runaway children in San Diego County. One in three children said they’d been sexually exploited. Two in five who’d been exploited have left the county to engage in prostitution.

Saturday September 22, 2007 Sexual predator gets prison in rape of teen: Troubled girl forced into having sex for money by Schenectady resident (New York) For three weeks, the 14-year-old runaway girl was coerced into becoming the man’s sex worker. He’s headed to state prison to serve a sentence of 7 to 14 years. His victim, now 16 and living back at home with her mom and dad and siblings…

Friday, September 21, 2007 Friends May Help Teens Date Safely (Massachusetts) When teenage girls date, their circle of friends may help them keep those dating relationships safe, a new study shows. But if a teenage girl withdraws from her social circle while dating, she may miss out on the circle’s support and guidance, which could put her in a riskier dating situation. That’s according to researcher Sharyl Toscano, PhD, RN, FNP, of the University of Vermont’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Male Day Laborers Turn to Prostitution (Los Angeles) Their faces reflect how uncomfortable it is for them to talk about. On street corners where day laborers congregate, it’s no longer as easy to find work – but there are plenty of offers of sex for money. There is also a high incidence of workers being drugged and raped, something suffered by many, and hidden by all out of shame. “The situation is happening more frequently. It happens more on the unorganized corners than in day labor centers, but the problem itself is widespread. It’s like a well-known secret that everyone knows and has experienced, but no one talks about,” explained Pablo Alvarado, national coordinator of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Police: Woman sold teenage relative for sex in exchange for drugs (New York) A Rochester woman has been accused of selling a teenage family member for sex in exchange for drugs. Authorities say 31-year-old Carmen Montero has been charged with prostitution and Lamar Nelson is charged with rape in connection with the case involving a 13-year-old girl.

Wednesday September 19, 2007 Detectives looking at murdered girl’s troubled past (Georgia) Detectives are considering everyone as a “person of interest,” in the murder of a 17-year-old Jonesboro girl, and are investigating every theory — from an angry boyfriend to the possibility of a serial killer. Clayton County Police identified the 17-year-old, who had been killed, badly burned and dumped in a wooded area near Shamrock Lake, as Jennifer Lee Chambers. Her body was found there, partially covered by a multi-colored poncho, on Sept. 5. She was reported missing by her mother nine days later.

Wednesday September 19, 2007 Craigslist ads land on detectives’ radar (Oregon) When a team of Beaverton detectives helped rescue a teen runaway who had been forced into prostitution out of a Los Angeles motel room last month, they decided to set their sights on Craigslist. The 15-year-old Beaverton runaway had been forced into prostitution by a 25-year-old Aloha man who had posted the girl’s photograph on LA’s Craiglist in an advertisement for sex, according to police. The case got the detectives wondering if the site was being used to exploit other minors.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Girl Testifies In Capitol Police Officer Child Porn Trial (Maryland) The U.S. Capitol police officer accused in a child sex and porn case took the stand Wednesday, as did his alleged victim. Sgt. Michael Malloy, 35, was charged in connection with videotaped sexual encounters of a minor. Because the victim is 16 years old, her initials were used instead of her name in court. The girl testified that when she was 14 and shortly after her 15th birthday she had sex with Malloy and another man in the basement of Malloy’s Charles County home.

Wednesday September 19, 2007 Man charged in child prostitution ring pleads not guilty (Washington) A man accused of forcing teenage girls into prostitution and beating those who resisted pleaded not guilty Wednesday to all charges. Christopher Hutton has been charged with kidnapping, rape, and multiple counts of promoting prostitution. A judge set his bail at $750,000. A nine-month undercover sting led police to Hutton.

Sunday, September 16, 2007 Prostitution rings snare Wichita kids (Kansas) Detectives are investigating seven child prostitution rings in Wichita, but that’s only a partial count, Wichita Police Lt. T.K. Bridges says. “I’m sure that there’s more groups out there that we’re not aware of,” Bridges said in a recent interview with The Eagle. The operations are difficult to detect and hard to prosecute.

Saturday September 15, 2007 Men sentenced to jail for trafficking juvenile (Missouri) A St. Louis man was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday in a case in which federal prosecutors have said a child was essentially bought and sold for crack cocaine. Darrill Gray, 51, pleaded guilty April 26 to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a juvenile. Co-defendant John Geiler Jr., 36, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on Aug. 17 on the same charge.

Friday September 14, 2007 Teen sentenced for running underage prostitution ring (Minneapolis) A 19-year-old Eagan woman has pleaded guilty to a federal charge related to the advertisement of high-school-age prostitutes on the popular Internet bulletin board Craigslist.org.

Thursday September 13, 2007 Teen Fights for Mom and Dad (Seattle) It’s the ultimate power of the state - to decide whether parents are fit to parent. Each year in Washington State, a couple thousand kids are taken from their parents and put in foster care. Now a new law allows kids to appeal that decision, and get their parents back. KPLU’s Chana Joffe-Walt has the story of the first kid to try:

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Plight of needy teens studied (Indiana) They’re called “throwaways” or “pushouts” — homeless runaway teenagers who either don’t have a safe home to return to or who aren’t welcome back in the household. They may end up in foster care or the juvenile justice system, but once they reach age 18, they may be out on the street again — without the education or job skills to live independently. A summer study committee of state legislators is taking an in-depth look at the problems of Indiana’s homeless adolescents and young adults.

Sunday September 9, 2007 American Girls’ Suicide Rates Spike (Atlanta) The suicide rate among preteen and young teen girls spiked dramatically in a disturbing shift that federal health officials say they can’t fully explain. For all young people between ages 10 to 24, the suicide rate rose 8 percent from 2003 to 2004 — the biggest single-year bump in 15 years — in what one official called “a dramatic and huge increase.”

Sunday September 9, 2007 Youth Alliance videos helping teens cope (Connecticut) For the longest time, a picture of Christinya Standburry — then 8 and standing close to her father — was hidden away in a box. It was too hard for Standburry, now 17, to look at it without crying. Now she can. She even used the tattered, creased photo as a centerpiece in a video she made as part of a Connecticut Youth Alliance project. The assignment was to share a bit about herself as a teenager aging out of the state’s foster care system.

Saturday September 8, 2007 Teenage prostitution ring said halted in N. Andover, Woman held; police cite alert from girl (Massachusetts) Police first heard of the alleged prostitution ring on Elm Street last Sunday, when a teenage runaway walked into police headquarters to report that she had been working as a prostitute there for just over a month. Yesterday, after five days of surveillance, North Andover police arrested a 32-year-old woman on charges that she recruited four teenage girls to work in a prostitution ring that she operated out of her apartment and in local hotels.

Friday, September 7, 2007 Homeless teens say goodbye to rats, cramped quarters, hello to clean showers (Sacramento) Instead of broken chairs, homeless teenagers at WIND Youth Center have new, colorful plastic ones. They’ve traded in a solitary grungy bathroom for four sparkling clean ones. There are no rats anywhere. After a series of political and financial setbacks, Sacramento’s principal haven for homeless teens has finally found a new home on Dixieanne Avenue, off Del Paso Boulevard.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 Multiple killers suspected in deaths of sex-trade workers (Winnepeg) Winnipeg police say they are dealing with several possible killers, not a single serial killer, after a second sex-trade worker was found dead in a field in the city’s northwest. Seventeen-year-old Fonasa Lynn Bruyere went missing in August.

Tuesday September 4, 2007 Girls say they were strip-searched, harassed at detention center (Ohio) Three girls given a cautionary tour of the local juvenile lockup are suing officials, saying they got more than they bargained for, including a humiliating strip search.

Monday September 3, 2007 Disney Employee Accused Of Having Child, Baby Porn (Florida) Federal agents handcuffed an employee outside his Disney-MGM Studios workplace, accusing him of having and sending child pornography, including images of infants. Tony Guerra, 21, was put on unpaid administrative leave, Disney said in a statement released Friday.

Thursday, August 30, 2007 Teen Sexual Activity and Birth Control Use in New York City (NYC) Nearly half of public high school students in New York City (NYC) and nationwide say they have had sex. About 1 in 3 are currently sexually active (had sex in the last 3 months). Encouraging adolescents to delay sex—or, if sexually active, to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)—requires education, support, and services. Without access to birth control, sexual activity during adolescence poses health, social, and economic risks including pregnancy and STIs.

Thursday August 30, 2007 Complicity with evil or social-justice response? Scientists, Catholic ethicists wrestle with funding of safe-injection sites (Canada) An evangelical Christian scientist, with the support of 134 scientists and public-health officials, has challenged the Canadian government to either continue funding a safe-injection site for drug addicts or admit ideology and not science is behind its decision to close down a three-year-old facility.

Wednesday August 29, 2007 Sticking point: Mayor Gavin Newsom has ignored proposals for safe syringe collection (San Francisco) The Homeless Youth Alliance (HYA) has quietly operated a drop-in center and needle exchange program in the Haight for the last 10 years. Until last month, very few people besides their clients even knew they existed. Then the San Francisco Chronicle ran a series of overheated articles about used syringes littering Golden Gate Park. One of the pieces singled out HYA for handing out drug needles “by the double handful.”

Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Woman is suspected of prostituting runaway, 14 (Texas) A 32-year-old woman was behind bars Monday, accused of going from door to door at an east Fort Worth complex to try to pimp a 14-year-old runaway girl. Debra Flores Castillo faces a charge of compelling prostitution.

Tuesday August 28, 2007 Man forced women into prostitution, prosecutors say: He told them he was a modeling, casting agent (Georgia) Just after his federal trial began Monday, a 31-year-old Stone Mountain man admitted that he had lured eight young women — including two minors — into prostitution, ferrying them state to state and using violence to force them to have sex and pay him hundreds of dollars weekly. Jimmie Lee Jones pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in sex trafficking and transporting women across state lines for purposes of prostitution. A sentencing date has not been set, but Jones faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

Monday August 27, 2007 Prosecutors rest case against man accused of killing escort, 16 (Michigan) Prosecutors rested their case today in the trial of a Dearborn Heights man accused of killing a 16-year-old girl who police say worked for an escort service. Epigmenio Gomez, 24, is accused of stabbing, beating and strangling Cathleen Jassmine Hahn of Southfield inside his apartment on Feb. 3.

Saturday, August 25, 2007 Group strives to provide voice for foster care (Iowa) Little more than a year ago, 13-year-old Kaisa Rush was escorted from her school room in the middle of a school day and driven to a residential shelter by a social worker. “It was scary because I was taken away from my friends and family and I was afraid to leave my brother,” she told a group of about a dozen Tuesday at a meeting for prospective foster parents. Rush had no say — no “voice” — in the decision, and it’s her hope things will be different for other kids who are removed from their homes.

Monday August 20, 2007 Not like it used to be: teens rally for ‘hood (Brooklyn) A Brooklyn youth group protests gentrification in Bushwick - and offers ideas for slowing down the changes. More than 100 young people marched up Grove Street in Bushwick last week to protest the transformation they feel is pushing them out of their neighborhood. They rallied outside what they view as a worrisome symbol of gentrification: A 14-story condo tower at 358 Grove, standing more than twice as tall as any building in sight and containing apartments many of the young people consider out of reach for themselves and their families.

Monday August 20, 2007 Who are homeless youth? Study tries to find out (NYC) A survey in the works seems to be the first comprehensive look at young people sleeping on couches, in shelters and on the street. When the results come in from New York City’s first survey of homeless youth, service providers hope finally to understand who these elusive teenagers and young adults are, how many they number, and how to intervene before chronic homelessness becomes an accepted – or inevitable – part of their identities.

Friday, August 17, 2007 Local man allegedly tried to pay teenage girls to perform sex acts (Wisconsin) A man’s alleged repeated attempts to give teenage girls money in exchange for sex acts has netted him two felony charges. Gary S. Sutton, 32, is charged with two counts of soliciting a child for prostitution. If convicted, he could face up to $200,000 in fines and 50 years imprisonment.

Thursday August 16, 2007 Man sought in Suffolk striptease shooting (Virginia) Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with a striptease that ended in gunfire. The incident began when a 15-year-old girl and two women went to a downtown auto service station Saturday night to dance for an employee, said Lt. D.J. George, a police spokeswoman.

Thursday, August 16, 2007 Former Lieutenant Faces Child Porn Charges (Connecticut) A former Waterbury police lieutenant is facing more charges in connection with a case involving an underage boy….Kennedy’s May arrest stemmed from a prostitution ring involving a 15-year-old boy. In that case, the teen told police that Kennedy forced him to have sex in a police cruiser and at the officer’s home, according to police.

Wednesday August 15, 2007 Teen charged in slaying won’t be tried as adult (Oklahoma) A 14-year-old girl who had been charged as an adult in the fatal stabbing of a Cushing woman will be tried instead as a youthful offender on a first-degree murder charge, a judge ruled Tuesday… “This defendant has been on the street alone to fend for herself since she was 10 or 11 years old. She has a fifth-grade education. She was kicked out of school for fighting. She had sexual relations at age 10 or 11 to subsidize her drug and alcohol use…”

Wednesday August 15, 2007 Man representing self at sentencing hearing (Illinois) An Urbana man convicted of child pornography and weapons-related offenses is now representing himself. John Haywood’s sentencing hearing, which began Tuesday, was continued to Sept. 10 by Judge Tom Difanis to allow Haywood time to line up witnesses on his behalf.

Sunday, August 12, 2007 Man charged in pimping girl he met on MySpace (California) A Richmond man with a violent past was charged Friday with pimping a 16-year-old girl in San Rafael he met through MySpace.com, authorities said. Melvin Charles Parker Jr., 32, was booked into Marin County Jail…The girl, a runaway from Washington State, told police that she arrived in the Bay Area on Aug. 3 to see a man she had met on MySpace.com…There was no mention of prostitution until after she arrived.

Thursday August 9, 2007 9 Guatemalans charged in sex trafficking case in L.A. (California) Nine Guatemalans were indicted for their roles in an alleged sex trafficking ring that lured young women to the United States with promises of good jobs and then forced them into prostitution, according to federal court papers unsealed Thursday.

Thursday, August 9, 2007 Taylor woman to be sentenced in child-for-sex case (Michigan) A Taylor woman has pleaded no contest to charges she offered her seven-year-old daughter to an undercover investigator for sex. Prosecutors say she will be sentenced August 16th.

Tuesday August 7, 2007 Girl, 13, to be tried as juvenile for killing father (Pennsylvania) The girl’s father, Matthew Booth, 34, was found shot to death on July 30 at his home in Elizabeth Township. The girl at first told police her father was shot by an intruder, but was charged with criminal homicide when she later confessed to shooting him in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun. Her attorney says she was physically and sexually abused for years.

Tuesday August 7, 2007 Maryland police to control evidence in cases involving city officers (Maryland) State police officials said Monday they will handle evidence in future cases brought against Baltimore officers, after forensic material went missing in the trial of a city detective accused of raping a teen.

Saturday August 4, 2007 Let’s get real about sex education (Texas) We come from The Kinkaid School, Lamar High School, and Carnegie Vanguard High School, and we’ve all seen and heard the bad results of abstinence only education. At both Lamar and Carnegie, there is no real sex education in health classes; we are taught about drugs, drinking and a few of the basic sexually transmitted diseases, and nothing else. At Kinkaid, students are given a brief handout about a few methods of birth control (no pictures or diagrams, just words) and then the discussion quickly moves on to how sex will lead to STDs and that abstinence is the one and only way to protect yourself. While some parts may be true, what our schools are teaching fails to discuss in detail the various other ways we can protect ourselves.

Thursday, August 2, 2007 Reaching teens in need (Missouri) Homeless teens typically don’t live on park benches or beg for money downtown. Instead, the teens go unnoticed, often living in abandoned buildings or sleeping at friends’ houses. They roam without families, addresses or phone numbers, and they often turn to drugs or prostitution to survive, said Lana Jacobs, a member of the St. Francis Community, which offers housing and food to homeless men and women.

Thursday, August 2, 2007 Girl says she was prostituted by suspect (California) A 13-year-old girl who investigators say was prostituted over a three-month period last summer testified Wednesday that the man accused of prostituting her drove her to about 40 “dates” and she had sex with 30 men. The girl also testified that she had sex with her alleged pimp, Brian Earl Boykins, several times.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Singer R Kelly to be tried for child pornography (Chicago) Grammy Award-winning R&B singer R Kelly will go on trial Sept. 17 on child pornography charges, five years after the accusations were first made, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Kelly, 40, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Program puts runaways first: Care for girls becomes foster parents’ only job (Milwaukee) One girl ran away four times in a day. Another disappeared for months at a time. Some ran to boyfriends. Some to their birth mothers. And others to a hand-to-mouth existence on the streets. Faced with increasing numbers of teenage girls running away from multiple foster homes, Milwaukee County Children’s Court officials are seeking creative solutions. One new step they are taking this year: starting a “professional foster parent” program for chronic runaway girls.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Woman gets 6 years in prison (Illinois) Calling her “a parent’s worst nightmare,” a Champaign County judge Monday sentenced an Urbana woman to six years in prison for trying to lure a girl into prostitution. Pearl Bigham, 27, who listed an address in the 1100 block of Lanore Drive, last Thursday withdrew a plea she had previously made in June to child pornography and instead pleaded guilty to soliciting for a juvenile prostitute. The latter charge carried the possibility of probation.

Monday, July 23, 2007 Homophobia in Shelters Scare Homeless Gay Youths Away (Boston) British advocates for the homeless have noted a trend in young homeless men bartering a place to sleep for sexual favors. According to a story posted today at the web site for Inside Housing, young gay men have turned to the Internet to make contacts with men who can provide them sleeping accommodations in exchange for sex, because the young homeless men in question fear that they will be treated poorly by shelters.

Friday, July 20, 2007 St. Paul woman charged in forcing teen into prostitution (Minnesota) A St. Paul woman accused of pimping out a 17-year-old girl on the Internet now faces three felony counts. The Ramsey County attorney charged Jessica Elizabeth Lopez, 22, Friday with promoting, soliciting and receiving profits from prostitution.

Friday, July 20, 2007 Mother gets 15 years in sex case (South Carolina) A Lexington woman was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to forcing a teenage daughter into prostitution for money and drugs. Lexington County sheriff’s detective Sam Gunter said during the hearing that in 2006 and early this year, the 45-year-old woman made her daughters, then 14 and 15, have sex with men on “numerous” occasions.

Friday, July 20, 2007 St. Paul woman charged in forcing teen into prostitution (Minnesota) A St. Paul woman accused of pimping out a 17-year-old girl on the Internet now faces three felony counts. The Ramsey County attorney charged Jessica Elizabeth Lopez, 22, Friday with promoting, soliciting and receiving profits from prostitution.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Evidence missing in case of police officer accused of raping teen (Baltimore) Clothing confiscated from a police officer accused of sexually assaulting a teenager at a precinct house has gone missing from the police department’s evidence control unit…She had been taken to the Southeastern District after being arrested by city officers on a Baltimore County warrant for prostitution. According to court documents that include an account the girl gave after the alleged incident, Welch was alone with her in the police interview room.

Monday, July 16, 2007 Bay Area Prostitution Sting Nets 131 Arrests (Oakland) The FBI and police in the Bay Area arrested 131 people in a prostitution and child exploitation sting conducted between July 6 and July 12, according to authorities who made the announcement Monday. “Operation Strike Out” was held in conjunction with the Major League Baseball All-Star game in San Francisco…

Saturday, July 14, 2007 Man Accused of Pimping Teen (Mobile) The young girl looks into the camera, talking in a sexually-explicit manner. In another video clip, you can see the name “DWeave” tattooed on the girl’s shoulder, a sign of ownership…Weaver faces a three-count indictment accusing him of the Sex Trafficking of a Child. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Wilcox Swift said Weaver took a 13-year-old girl off the streets and took her to big cities around the country, prostituting her for months on end.

Friday, July 13, 2007 Phoenix police break up child prostitution operation (Phoenix) Phoenix police have made two arrests in a months-long investigation of a suspected child prostitution operation that involved at least three teenage girls, one of whom the main suspect branded. Vice detectives served a search warrant late Wednesday - a day after they arrested 40-year-old Shawn Lamar Bailey and 22-year-old Charmaine Lee.

Thursday, July 12, 2007 Positive Trends Recorded in U.S. Data on Teenagers (Washington DC) Fewer high school students were having sex and more were using condoms in 2005, according to the latest government report on the well-being of the nation’s children. The teenage birthrate hit a record low. More young people were finishing high school, and more tots were being read to. It is good news on a number of crucial indicators of health, experts said about the report.