WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:02.759 Hudson River Radio dot com. 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:04.360 It beats listening to nothing. 3 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:10.359 My goodness, being Frank fright were The only way to 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:16.920 be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome to being Frank. 5 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:20.280 We're the only way to be is Frank. I'm your host, 6 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.879 Frank Lebuono, and I'd like to thank you for joining 7 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:27.000 us on what we like to call the Intelligent Conversation podcast, 8 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:30.960 where no conversation is out of bounds and all points 9 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:35.240 of view are welcome. Regular listeners will know our routine 10 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:37.640 is that we record live to tape and I give 11 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:40.399 you the date so you get some relevance. It is 12 00:00:40.439 --> 00:00:44.439 the seventh of January twenty twenty six, the first time 13 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:46.520 I got to say that, as this is the first 14 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.200 program of the new year. You know, every month of 15 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.039 the year is designated to raise awareness of a cause 16 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:57.119 or a situation that deserves our attention. January has been 17 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:01.000 declared Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and when you hear the 18 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:04.959 most recent statistics were regarding this deplorable act, you will 19 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.680 realize why our attention is so desperately needed. Here they 20 00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:11.519 are according to the most recent statistics that were compiled 21 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:15.480 in twenty twenty four. It is estimated that twenty four 22 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:19.200 thousand Americans fell victim to this heinous crime in twenty 23 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.760 twenty four. Seventy five percent of the victims were female, 24 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:29.079 forty percent were miners. Two thousand cases, probably a low estimate, 25 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:33.799 have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. All 26 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:39.920 fifty states were affected. Ten thousand arrests were made. The 27 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:44.159 global profit of one hundred and fifty billion dollars was 28 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:49.400 reported from human trafficking. It's extraordinary, and unfortunately, the bad 29 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:53.840 news about this abomination is increasing. However, there is also 30 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.079 light at the end of the tunnel. It has been 31 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:01.599 estimated that about five hundred nonprofit organizations are actively working 32 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:06.120 to address the scourge. Organizations like the Center for Safety 33 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:09.680 and Change in Rockland County, New York and representing for 34 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:14.000 our second visit here at Being Franks. Stephanie Ovallez Esquire 35 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:18.439 the Deputy Program Officer at the Center for Safety and Change, Inc. 36 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:22.719 Where she works with survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, 37 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:26.360 and sexual assault. Prior to that, she was the director 38 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.280 of Immigration and Human Trafficking Services. She is also the 39 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:34.680 chair of the Rockland County Anti Trafficking Task Force. In addition, 40 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.560 she is a Wonder Girls, mentor and supporter. She's a 41 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:41.719 graduate of Rutger's School of Law in Newark, where I 42 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.080 went to school, not to the law school, but undergraduate there, 43 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.240 so we got that in government, where she participated in 44 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:51.960 the Immigrant Rights Clinic, was a student teacher for Street Law, 45 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.639 and was the vice president of the Association of Latin 46 00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:59.280 American Law Students before joining the Center in twenty eighteen. 47 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:04.840 Extensive experience but representing both private and public clients. She's 48 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:07.120 currently a member of both the New Jersey and New 49 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:10.719 York Bar Stephaniel Vaulis, thank you so much for joining us. 50 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:13.840 Welcome back. This is a serious and important topic. So 51 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:14.479 we'll get to you. 52 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:16.879 Yes, thank you so much for having me, and I 53 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:19.240 will correct you. This is actually my third time on 54 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:21.000 the podcast, not the second. 55 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.639 Okay, you get if you make five, we get your jacket. 56 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:26.439 Like I said, I'm hoping for merch That's what I'm 57 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:26.960 hoping for. 58 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:29.680 You know, you're always welcome here. Of course, we hope 59 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.919 we're always increasingly better news. As I mentioned, as we 60 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.159 deal with this as a scourge, and it really is. 61 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:37.719 But before we kind of get into it again, even 62 00:03:37.759 --> 00:03:39.800 though you'd been on before, let's assume we have some 63 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:43.439 new listeners and we'll refresh the memory of those who've 64 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:46.360 listened before. Tell us a little about the Center for 65 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:47.120 Safety and Chain. 66 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.599 Yeah, So, the Center for Safety and Change is the 67 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:55.039 only victim service provider agency in Rocklin County that helps 68 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:59.280 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. 69 00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:02.159 I like to refer to us as a buffet of 70 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:06.319 services for victims in the sense that we're multidisciplinary and holistic. 71 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:08.520 So a person can come to the Center for Safety 72 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.319 and Change and say, I need shelter, I need legal intervention, 73 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:16.079 I need therapy, and I need supportive counseling when I 74 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:18.800 want to report this crime, and we literally have people 75 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:21.639 in the center that help with all of that. So 76 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:25.160 we have a shelter where we can help people stay 77 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:28.000 for a period of time when they're escaping a situation. 78 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:32.160 We have therapeutic services for both adults and children. We 79 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:36.480 have legal services to help victims get in order protection, 80 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:41.120 obtain a humanitarian visa, you know, any type of legal 81 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:45.120 get a divorce from your abuser, And we also have 82 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:51.160 a plethora of other programs that help on the prevention, intervention, 83 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:54.439 and healing side of a journey of a survivor. 84 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.680 You know, it's so interesting, Stephanie, because it is so holistic. 85 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.240 You know, one of the issues live in Nyak. We've 86 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:03.759 had the mayor on and other people talk about the 87 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:07.319 homeless situation here and how desperate it can become. But 88 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:11.800 often they only address single issues, sometimes just the homelessness, 89 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:15.040 not the mental health issues, the other support issues that 90 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.439 the education, the housing, all those other things. So I 91 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:22.639 think it's important that you deal with it from a 92 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:26.079 total aspect, if you speak a little to that, how 93 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:28.600 important that is to save people that way. 94 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:32.079 Yeah, And I think you know that's it's the only 95 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:34.800 fair way to see someone, right, because if you're only 96 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:38.120 thinking about them in this particular situation, oh I have 97 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:40.439 I'm a victim of domestic violence, or this one incident 98 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.600 of domestic violence, you're not addressing the bigger picture. And 99 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:45.839 you're also not making it so that they're in the 100 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:49.160 best position to actually heal and move forward in their lives. 101 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:53.000 And so if you're not addressing trauma, if you're not 102 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:55.800 addressing well, I was a victim of past sexual abuse, 103 00:05:55.800 --> 00:05:58.319 which made me then more susceptible to X, Y and 104 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:02.480 Z or I am undocumented and therefore I'm always going 105 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:04.920 to be vulnerable in this way because the threat of 106 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:07.759 deportation is something that can be used against me continuously. 107 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.199 Then you're not really sort of meeting people where they're at, 108 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.079 and you're also not really serving them in the way 109 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:20.120 that they need because if the threats of everything else 110 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:23.279 still persist and still continue, then you're putting a band 111 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:26.279 aida over a situation. Whereas we try to really sort 112 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:30.800 of mend the wound and empower people so that they 113 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:33.800 feel like they have the agency the autonomy to be 114 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:35.959 able to say, you know what I deserve better and 115 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:38.439 I'm not going to look for this in the next partner, 116 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:45.519 or I'm not going to, you know, try and repeat 117 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:48.000 maybe the same patterns that I was repeating, because now 118 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:50.680 I have I'm in therapy, Now I have more knowledge. 119 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.600 Now I'm able to sort of get past the situation 120 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:55.920 that I was in. 121 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.079 But in a sense, you're breaking the cycle of violence 122 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:00.279 that many of these people get caught up in. It's 123 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:02.680 almost like a whirlpool. You get in and it's so 124 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:08.680 difficult to get out. Yeah, let's do specifically and Human 125 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:11.879 Trafficking Awareness Month. Let's talk about it again we've had 126 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.199 in the past, but again assuming new new listeners, et cetera, 127 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:18.120 it needs to be said over and over again until 128 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:23.800 it's completely dealt with what constitutes human trafficking. What is 129 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:24.240 it about? 130 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:31.319 So it's essentially being exploited through force, fraud, or coercion 131 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:38.560 into either being labor trafficked or commercially sexually exploited for 132 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.680 someone else's game. And so we see that most commonly 133 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:48.720 on the sex trafficking front, through sex trafficking through sex 134 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:53.399 work and sometimes forced sex work through lover boy pimping, 135 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:59.639 which is oftentimes a man will coerce a female and 136 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.879 to thing that they're in a romantic relationship and then 137 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.680 will inevitably pimp that girl out so that she has 138 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:14.079 to do sex sexual things with other men for his 139 00:08:14.279 --> 00:08:19.040 own gain, whether that be money or otherwise. And then 140 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:23.319 on the labor trafficking front, we see so many industries 141 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.399 where people are exploited because they have they fall into 142 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:33.120 a particular marginalized group, and whether it's agriculture, construction, nail salon, spas, 143 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:38.840 they a trafficker can use that to then keep someone 144 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:43.759 in a indebtured servitude situation, a debt bondage situation, or 145 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:46.919 trapped in a situation through threats of violence where they 146 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:50.759 have to work for free or under for little money, 147 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:53.960 but with terrible underlying circumstances. 148 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:55.480 You know. 149 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.039 And I think people make the assumption that it's always 150 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:03.159 done by strangers, but that's not necessarily the case, is it, Stephanie. 151 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:06.759 It's often people who are closest to them who betray 152 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:08.879 them in a sense. Is that true? 153 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:09.960 Absolutely? 154 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:10.080 So. 155 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:12.519 I think that the movie Taken, right, I always sort 156 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:14.080 of bring this up in a lot of these, but 157 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:16.720 I think that the movie Taken is, Yeah, it has 158 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:19.159 skewed I think the perception in some ways of what 159 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:23.440 human trafficking looks like for people, because people assume that it's, oh, 160 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:25.720 you know, I'm going to end up in Paris and 161 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:32.960 airport right when I get to my Airbnb. And I'm 162 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:35.840 not saying that obviously, kidnappings don't happen. I'm not saying that, 163 00:09:36.679 --> 00:09:39.879 you know, what's called gorilla pimping doesn't happen where you're 164 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:43.320 put in a situation by force. But in like ninety 165 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:47.279 something percent of trafficking cases, you are trafficked by someone 166 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:49.360 that you know and someone that you trust. 167 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:54.200 Wow, ninety. Wow, that's extraordinary stuff. People have to know that. 168 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.159 I'm going to talk a little bit how we recognize 169 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:01.840 someone that's being trafficked and justice. But you also mentioned 170 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:06.720 in my intro I mentioned women, females who seem to 171 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:09.480 be the most affected. In seventy percent is the number. 172 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:11.879 I believe what other but you also mentioned there are 173 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:17.360 other vulnerable marginalized groups who are the most vulnerable people 174 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.440 in a situation like this. In addition to win so, 175 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:21.360 I mean, I think. 176 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:25.120 That there should be special considerations for young boys and 177 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:27.519 young men. I think that they're oftentimes not talked about 178 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.879 and not represented in when we talk about statistics related 179 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:33.559 to human trafficking because and that makes it so that 180 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:38.519 it's wildly underreported. I also think that you know, something 181 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:42.799 else to address is people who are undocumented are posing 182 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:46.799 a significant risk of being trafficked under this current political climate. 183 00:10:47.960 --> 00:10:52.360 Marginalized groups, people of color, Indigenous women, if you are 184 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.879 marginalized in any other facet of life, that is something 185 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:00.080 that can be used to exploit you in order to 186 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:04.639 traffic you something. Another special consideration is LGBTQ plus youth 187 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.360 oftentimes if they're not accepted at home based on their 188 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:12.440 sexual orientation or gender expression or gender identity, and they 189 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:16.480 run away. Right, you look at runaway youth and what 190 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:21.159 vulnerabilities they have, one for basic necessities, but also just 191 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.600 for love and acceptance, and if someone will give that 192 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:27.320 to them and also exploit that, then that creates sort 193 00:11:27.320 --> 00:11:30.639 of a perfect storm for human trafficking. So I think 194 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.840 that you know, there is a heavy focus on young 195 00:11:33.879 --> 00:11:36.799 women and girls, and there should be, because they do 196 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:39.759 make up the most of the statistics. But I think 197 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:43.320 that there's also one like an intersectionality of like, okay, well, 198 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:46.480 if it's an indigenous young girl, if it's a African 199 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.159 American young girl, if it's a Latina undocumented young girl, 200 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:56.399 those vulnerabilities obviously increase. But also we shouldn't shy away 201 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.919 from talking about young boys and men and how they 202 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:00.399 are also exploited this way. 203 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:02.879 You know, that's a great point. And I saw some 204 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:07.320 staggering statistics involving suicide with young men and we're getting ignored. 205 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.080 They really are a conversation for another day. But I 206 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:12.440 think an important point to make here, which brings us 207 00:12:12.519 --> 00:12:16.320 to our next how do we recognize when someone is 208 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:19.360 being trafficked? Is there a sign to look for. Often 209 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.519 there are normal situations out for dinner or whatever. Is 210 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:25.240 there anything in particular we can look for? 211 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:28.559 So, I mean, I think that it's important to note 212 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.399 that human trafficking can look different depending on the type 213 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:33.879 of trafficking, but also depending on the industry and depending 214 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:37.080 on the person. I think that it's not something that 215 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.720 you know you'll be at a restaurant and be like, 216 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:43.240 there's trafficking right there, right like, and it's I think 217 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.399 it's naive to think that you're going to spot it 218 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:47.879 in that way unless you're seeing someone being forcibly kidnapped, 219 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.360 like you see in the movie Taken as an example. 220 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.159 But I think that if you're a service provider, if 221 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:56.360 you're not just in the Center for Safety and Change, 222 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.759 but if you do any type of trauma informed work 223 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:02.720 at all, you know, maybe having some screening questions to 224 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:07.240 ask someone what's your living situation, like where do you work? 225 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:09.559 Do you feel like you're free to leave? Do you 226 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.919 feel like you're free to come and go as you wish? 227 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:18.120 You know, if someone is has tattoos and bruises that 228 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.840 they can't explain or can't quite sort of give an 229 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:24.399 answer to you for that's something to look out for. 230 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.440 It's not so much that like one particular thing will 231 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:30.960 immediately make something human trafficking, but it's oftentimes the totality 232 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:34.159 of the circumstances. And so something that I always tell 233 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:37.639 people is, you know, someone could be withdrawn, but that 234 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:39.879 can be human trafficking. That could be they're shy, that 235 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:42.399 could be you know. So it's important to also sort 236 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:46.919 of see other things to create a more holistic picture, 237 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:52.120 but also be a place where or a person where 238 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.720 people feel like they can trust you with disclosing because 239 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.759 oftentimes people don't self identify as a victim or a 240 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:02.840 survivor of human trafficking. It's usually when they're talking to someone, 241 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.200 usually a service provider, and we're able to say, do 242 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:09.360 you know that everything that you're describing sounds like this? 243 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:12.080 Do you feel like that's what happened to you? 244 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:12.279 You know? 245 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:13.960 And then we can kind of take it from there. 246 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.159 Good segue into my next question. If someone were to 247 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:24.440 find themselves in that situation and wanted to escape, are 248 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:26.799 there subtle signs? I mean, you've seen it sometimes on 249 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:33.480 social media, a hand signal, a certain sequence of words. 250 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:37.559 Is there anything like that that's considered a signal that 251 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:40.440 people can look for that someone might be giving. 252 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:43.480 I think, I mean, there is that signal with the 253 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:46.399 hands that I've seen sort of most popular on social media, 254 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:48.639 and I have seen it on human trafficking websites. But 255 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.720 I also think it's important to note that what escaping 256 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:54.720 and getting out looks like for everyone can vary, and 257 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:59.000 we want to ensure that victims and survivors are in 258 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.120 the safest position possible to get out whatever that looks 259 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:03.960 like for them, and it will be customized and it 260 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:08.679 will be personalized. And so, you know, there was a situation. 261 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:11.519 I can actually bring up a case example where a 262 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.039 client that I was working with was a victim of 263 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:18.240 sex trafficking and although she was moved around a lot, 264 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:23.720 her main hub was Corona, Queens And while in Corona Queens, 265 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:25.720 the one thing that she was able to do as 266 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:28.440 part of the trafficking scheme was send money back home 267 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.360 to her mom who was taking care of her children. 268 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:35.120 And it was like a Western Union type of money 269 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:39.039 sending place. And so she was oftentimes, you know, taken 270 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.080 there by the traffickers who would wait outside. She would 271 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:44.240 go inside and do whatever, and then they would escort 272 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:47.279 her out the person working at this Western Union type 273 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:50.200 place said, you know, I don't know what's going on 274 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:53.879 with you. I see strange men with you every single time. 275 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:57.159 You seem a little, you know, nervous all the time. 276 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:01.240 My brother is a detective with the Bring Valley Police Department. 277 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.360 Here's his business card, and if you ever feel the 278 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.159 need to do whatever, you hold onto it. And she 279 00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.360 held onto this card for seven months before she decided 280 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:13.279 to call the police and decided that that was the 281 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:15.720 time for her to be able to get out and escape. 282 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:17.440 And I think that what I want to highlight with 283 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:21.120 that story in particular is it takes very little right 284 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.440 to be able to at least spark the seed of 285 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:27.320 hope in a victim of or survivor in order to 286 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:31.799 get out. This guy wasn't trying to save her quote unquote, right, 287 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:35.440 He's not going around being like, you know, for you whatever, 288 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:38.879 But he is offering this gesture, and she took it 289 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:42.120 upon herself, however, many months later, when she felt ready 290 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:45.240 to be able to get out of her situation. And 291 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:47.080 so I think that that's important to really sort of 292 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:49.960 recognize that people are in control of when it is 293 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:53.000 that they want to get out well, they're not necessarily control, 294 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:55.080 but they should be the ones in control of when 295 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:56.960 it is that they feel like it's safe to get out. 296 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.320 Yeah. Love when it works out like this perfect say 297 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:03.960 into my next question, we as as this person with 298 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:07.119 the Western Union or the money Graham whatever sending the money, 299 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:11.880 realize something was up? When when? When we do? If 300 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.119 we have suspicions, what are some of the things we 301 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.359 can do to as you mentioned, at least get the 302 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:20.440 ball rolling? What are those things? 303 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:20.559 So? 304 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.960 I mean, if you are local to Rockland County, I 305 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:25.480 think giving them information about the Center for Safety and 306 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:29.880 Change is great. Right, Hey, there's a agency that helps 307 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:33.200 victims and survivors of crimes. Maybe you should look into this. Right, 308 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:36.000 they help human trafficking because again, most people don't know 309 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.720 to self identify. So it's also important to note that 310 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.759 if you're somewhere, if you're in North Dakota and it's 311 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:45.039 and you're seeing something happening that's off, there is the 312 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:49.400 human trafficking hotline that people can call, and so that 313 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:51.640 the human trafficking hotline is great, which you mentioned in 314 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:54.559 your statistics earlier based on how many calls and tips 315 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:58.119 that they got. But that's great because it connects people 316 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:01.960 to the most local of this provider that can help them. 317 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.720 And so that's why you know, it's something I always 318 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:07.119 plug in addition to the Center for Safety and Change 319 00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:10.519 as a resource, because you could be in a situation 320 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.680 where you're in you know, the middle of nowhere, but 321 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:15.559 you're seeing something that's off and you're like, well, I 322 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.400 can't give them the Central for Safety and Changes number, 323 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:18.799 what are they going to do with that from here? 324 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:22.440 But you can give them this National Trafficking hotline and 325 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:24.359 they'll be able to connect them to resources. 326 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.599 And we'll be giving all that information a little bit 327 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:32.559 later on in the program. Two part question. You know 328 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:39.400 social media factors into everything we do, Yes, everything, good, bad, 329 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:42.640 and different. The good enabled me to contact you through 330 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:46.720 the safety through social media. The bad is some of 331 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:48.559 the things we're going to talk about the role that 332 00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:53.680 it plays in sex trafficking and with a particular word, uh, 333 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:57.359 sex stortion. And you had a particular example of something 334 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:00.200 that happened right here where where our broadcast m and 335 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:04.119 from here in Rockland County. So in stages if you 336 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:07.119 will a little bit about how social media has changed everything, 337 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:12.319 how sextortion plays a role within that and the story 338 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:15.200 itself as an example of how dangerous it can be 339 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:15.839 and harmful. 340 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:19.119 Please sure, So I think it's important to note that, 341 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:23.640 let's say, for the most recent generations that we're talking about, 342 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:28.640 you know, gen z Jen Alfa, they don't know a 343 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:32.920 life before the Internet. True, they are also getting cell 344 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:37.519 phones at five, six, seven years old, and you know, 345 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.480 you see the damage that it does to adults who 346 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:44.440 grew up without the Internet and are susceptible to falling 347 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:48.440 victim to scams or anything like that on social media. 348 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:53.039 And so imagine being an impressionable child with quite literally 349 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:55.119 all of the information of the world in the palm 350 00:19:55.160 --> 00:19:59.480 of your hands that you can search, and having Instagram, 351 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:05.799 snap Chat, every TikTok, on every single gaming app you 352 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:10.359 can imagine. And while that's great for their sense of 353 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:13.559 community building and entertaining and all of that, and obviously 354 00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:16.359 social media has its its benefits, the dangerous side of 355 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:20.200 social media is that now predators know that kids are 356 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:24.440 on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, these gaming apps, and they will 357 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.920 use that to exploit them. 358 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:27.119 Right. 359 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:31.119 So, we've seen situations where let's say someone is on 360 00:20:31.359 --> 00:20:35.279 roadblocks and they are pulled into some group chat randomly 361 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:38.119 and they're like, okay, accept because we're playing a game, 362 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:41.039 and then out of nowhere, you know, the person on 363 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:44.039 the other end says, well, we actually have all of 364 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.559 your information. We know where you go to school, we 365 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:49.759 know your address, we know how to get in contact 366 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:52.559 with your mother, your father, we know where your little 367 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:57.200 sister plays volleyball. And if you don't send us insert 368 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:01.640 request here, whether it's oftentimes it's sexually explicit material in 369 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:03.680 the form of pictures and videos. But if you don't 370 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.720 send us this, then we'll go after your sister. Well 371 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.920 you know, we'll harass your mom, your dad, will put 372 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:14.160 your information up on the school website. And so children, 373 00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:19.519 being naturally afraid, will submit and give the person or 374 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:23.039 the people this sexually explicit material. And then now they 375 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:27.000 can use that to not just get more sexually explicit material, 376 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:32.480 but continue on with threats and then keep a hold 377 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.240 of these children who don't know that there is a 378 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:39.160 way out and that there's help. And we saw that 379 00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:44.480 most recently at a local middle school where a fellow 380 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:47.279 student was doing that to his classmates. 381 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:50.559 Well not even an adult, it's fellow student. Wow. 382 00:21:51.799 --> 00:21:55.680 And so we see financial extortion and a sextortion where 383 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:58.720 you know someone is trying to get money out of 384 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:01.920 you with gift cards, you know, cash, appell whatever, in 385 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:06.319 order to not submit or not publish sexually explicit material 386 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:09.279 that you've sent before. But we also see it just 387 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:13.160 for the purposes of getting more and more sexually explicit material. 388 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:16.119 And while that in and of itself is not human trafficking, 389 00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:19.480 we recognize that whatever can make you vulnerable to a 390 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:25.799 trafficker includes past sexual abuse, trauma, et cetera. So it 391 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.640 can lead to a more dangerous trafficking scheme. And it's already, 392 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:33.480 you know, on the rise among our youth ever since 393 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:34.119 the pandemic. 394 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:39.160 In our discussions to prepare for today, one of the 395 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.559 things you mentioned that didn't come up in my head. 396 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:45.359 Of course, we shared some like mindedness. Of course, what 397 00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:48.400 was the World Cup and what role the World Cup? 398 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.039 It's coming to New York, the New York area, et cetera, 399 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.759 And you said it plays a role. Explained if you would. 400 00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:59.839 Yeah, So sporting events are actually huge hubs of human 401 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:03.519