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Yes, here in the Rochester region!

 
Human trafficking is in the City, suburbs, and rural areas in the Rochester region
 
The numbers:

 

In Monroe County, from January 2014 through February 2015, there were 120 youth referred as possible victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children:

  • 67 (56%) received services

  • 53 (44%) verbally declined or were referred only for identification purposes

 

Of those 120 youth,

  • 12 were identified as Tier 1 (Law Enforcement identified)

  • 18 as Tier 2 (Community or Agency identified) 

  • 90 as Tier 3 (Community or Agency referral)

 

Of the 90 Tier 3 youth,

  • 26 youth (29%) had 15 or more indicators of trafficking (i.e. engaging in commercial sex acts, over-sexualized behavior, Shows evidence of mental, physical, or sexual abuse, History of homelessness or throwaway youth.)

  • 28 youth (31%) had 10 or more

  • 64 youth (71%) had 3 or more 

 

(the youth with 15 or more indicators are included in all 3 categories, the youth with 10 or more are also included in the 3 or more category)

 

RRCAHT is proud to announce that:

  • Mayor Lovely Warren of the City of Rochester proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month

  • The Council of the City of Rochester proclaimed January 11, 2017 as a day to raise awareness of the important work done by and graciously thank the Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking

  • Monroe County Executive Cheryl DiNolfo proclaimed January 11, 2017 as the International Day Against Human Trafficking in Monroe County

  • Photos of the Proclamation Event are on our Events Photos page

  • The Democrat and Chronicle published "Raising awareness to end human trafficking", an Opinion column by Dr. Celia McIntosh, RRCAHT chair, on January 14, 2017. 

  • Two RTS buses are on the streets of Monroe County with our Yes, Here posters! For more information, see below.

See media coverage of our January 11 Proclamation Event on

WROC-TV8

WXXI-1370AM

Time-Warner Cable News

Yes, Human Trafficking In Monroe County
 
View WXXI's
Need To Know Special‬

On Sep 25, 2014, WXXI Host Hélène Biandudi Hofer was joined by U.S. Attorney William Hochul Jr., Jennifer Wolfley, Paper Bag Ladies' trafficking outreach director, and Rochester police officer Moses Robinson for a Need to Know special on human trafficking.

 

We aren’t focusing on the issue overseas or throughout other parts of the United States. We’re taking a look at trafficking in our own backyard—right here in Monroe County. Believe it or not, modern slavery is taking place in the form of forced labor and sexual exploitation in our community. What you need to know about the issue and what you can do to help.

Labor Exploitation in our Region
View the July 9, 2015 WXXI Need to Know program 
 

They work on farms, in restaurants, hotels and on construction sites. They may appear to be your everyday workers, but what you don’t know is that some may be victims of labor trafficking. On this edition, Need to Know looks at how this is happening and what labor industries in particular can do about it.

Safe Harbour videos about Human Trafficking in our Community
 

The Monroe County Safe Harbour Program released two videos on July 2, 2014, to spread an important message about the sex trafficking of children in our community - yes, there is sex trafficking in our community.

 

Local Labor Trafficking

 

According to Police Union president Mike Mazzeo, labor trafficking "is right here in our neighborhoods.”  He went to say that “it is right here in downtown. We are next door to it and we need to raise awareness and work on it.” 

 

Western New York U.S. Attorney William Hochul says there have been three labor trafficking

cases in our region, and restaurant worker cases are the biggest in Rochester. 

 

To learn more about local labor trafficking read these articles:

Clausen: Modern-day slavery a troubling reality

Democrat and Chronicle - April 30, 2015

 

Raising awareness about local labor trafficking

WHAM-13, Rochester - April 29, 2015

 

 
Local Sex Trafficking

 

​​

Federal Jury Convicts Rochester Man Of Sex Trafficking

U.S. Attorney for the Western District, New York - November 15, 2018

Irondequoit sex trafficker John Spencer sentenced to 17 to 21 years in prison

Democrat and Chronicle - April 20, 2018

Sex trafficker John Spencer convicted of trafficking, promoting prostitution, assault

Democrat and Chronicle - March 13, 2018

Human Trafficking as close as next door

Democrat and Chronicle - February 2, 2018

Dozens of Rochester kids acknowledge they've been sold for sex

Democrat and Chronicle - February 3, 2018

Violent sex trafficker Stephen Jones sentenced to 25 years in federal prison​

Democrat and Chronicle - December 21, 2017

Slaughter pledges $600k to fight human trafficking​

Rochester Business Journal - October 11, 2017

Husband And Wife Plead Guilty To Sex Trafficking​

U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of NY - August 2, 2017

Man sentenced for sex trafficking of girl

Democrat and Chronicle - November 23, 2016

Battle rages over human trafficking - Courts, nonprofits help local

victims recover and thrive​

Democrat and Chronicle - November 22, 2016

Police: Massage parlor a front for prostitution

Democrat and Chronicle - November 3, 2016

Sex trafficker suspected in new crime

Democrat and Chronicle - August 26, 2016

Man sentenced for sex trafficking of girl

Democrat and Chronicle - November 23, 2016

Battle rages over human trafficking - Courts, nonprofits help local victims recover and thrive​

Democrat and Chronicle - November 23, 2016

Police: Massage parlor a front for prostitution

Democrat and Chronicle - November 3, 2016

Sex trafficker suspected in new crime

Democrat and Chronicle - August 26, 2016

City man sentenced for sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - May 19, 2016

 

Couple charged with sex trafficking minors

Democrat and Chronicle - May 13, 2016

 

Man admits teen sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - April 2, 2016

 

Rochester Woman Sentenced In Sex Trafficking Case

U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of New York - March 7, 2016

 

Man pleads guilty to sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - February 16, 2016

 

Tanck sentenced for sex trafficking teen

Democrat and Chronicle - January 26, 2016

 

Rochester man sentenced for sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - January 14, 2016

 

Fourth Lyons man arrested in sex trafficking case

Democrat and Chronicle - December 29, 2015

 

3 arrested in Wayne County sex trafficking case

Democrat and Chronicle - December 24, 2015

 

D.A.: Lyons man got teen addicted to crack, forced her into prostitution

WHAM-13, Rochester - December 21, 2015

 

Two men charged with sex trafficking minors

WHAM-13, Rochester - September 25, 2015

 

City men face charges of sex trafficking of minors

Democrat and Chronicle - September 26, 2015

 

Rochester man pleads guilty to sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - August 7, 2015

Alleged sex trafficker wanted girl murdered

Democrat and Chronicle - February 10, 2015

In February 2015 seven people in Rochester were arrested on sex-trafficking charges after investigators broke up a state-wide human trafficking ring. There were nine victims of the ring in our area, seven of them minors as young as 14-years old. You can get more information in these articles:

 

Rochester woman pleads guilty to sex trafficking

Democrat and Chronicle - August 13, 2015

Sex trafficking victim shares her story

WHAM-13, Rochester - February 19, 2015

 

Seven face sex-trafficking charges

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - February 19, 2015

 

Seven Arrested for Sex Trafficking Ring in Rochester

WROC-8, Rochester - February 18, 2015

 

Victim of human trafficking shares experiences after bust in Rochester-area

WHEC-10, Rochester - February 18, 2015

Seven Arrested for Sex Trafficking Ring in Rochester

Rochesterfirst.com - February 18, 2015

 

 

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