Local NGOs Speak Out Against Human Trafficking

Deborah Sigmund founded Innocents at Risk, a nonprofit organization established to fight the exploitation and trafficking of women and children worldwide, in 2005.

In 2009, she was on a personal trip to Florida when she noticed a young boy accompanied by an adult at the airline gate. They were boarding late and seemed to be having communication problems with the attendant who never looked at the child. The child seemed unaware of his surroundings, and the man he was with did not allow him any opportunities to wander off or interact with other passangers. Sigmund decided to investigate further. Once they were on the plane, she made eye contact with the child and asked him if he was going to Disney World. The child responded that he was going to South Carolina. The man whispered West Palm Beach in the child's ear. Then Sigmund made eye contact with the man and asked him if they were a family. He said he was just a friend. At this point, several red flags had gone up, and Sigmund decided to get permission from the pilot to call the human trafficking hotline run by the Polaris Project. The plane was mapped by the FBI, and upon landing, local police separated the man from the boy and began an investigation. Sigmund followed up on the case, and it turned out, she had acted on the right instict.

Sigmund shared this story at a . The event was attended by parents, middle, high school and college students, as well as by members of the Upper Montgomery County chapter of Soroptimist International, which helped sponsor the evening's programming.

Sigmund stressed that human trafficking happens in small towns and called it the most serious issue of the 21st century.

Her organization, Innocents at Risk, has partnered with the Department of State, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Custom Border Patrol and non-governmental organizations like Soroptimist, Courtney's House and the Polaris Project to combat human trafficking by raising awareness and facilitating victim rehabilitation.

In 2008, Innocents at Risk launched the Flight Attendant Initiative, which distributes brochures and bracelets with the Polaris hotline number to flight attendants worldwide.

"There 90,000 flight attendants, and they are our first line of defense," said Sigmund, while also emphasizing that anyone can report a suspicious case.

After showing an Innocents at Risk educational video, which features scenes from the 2008 film Taken and advocates against human trafficking, such as Rep. Christopher Smith of New Jersey, Laura Bush, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Ricky Martin, Sigmund shared common warning signs of child trafficking.

"It's normal to see a family traveling together, even if the children are not speaking to the parents, but sometimes children get on planes without proper clothing, without juice boxes, backpacks or gameboys. Sometimes they look afraid or drugged and don't know where to go," she explained.

Sigmund warned young members in the audience to be wary of being invited to a party by a nice-looking boy they do not know and cited parks, playgrounds and shopping malls as common sites of human trafficking.

Detective Thomas Stack of the Montgomery County Police VICE Section picked up where Sigmund left off and discussed juveline prostitution in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

"Prostitution is a terrible life. It's not Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, and pimps are predators, not happy-go-lucky guys," said Stack addressing the younger members of the audience.

"I used to have the old stigma of thinking prostitution was illegal but ultimately a victimless crime. Then I saw the abuse," continued the detective who regrets the number of police units across the country who have not come around to this point of view.

He emphasized that victims could come from any ethnic or economic background, with runaways being the focus of his taskforce.

According to Stack, popular recruiting grounds include bus, train and METRO stations, shelters, concerts, shopping malls, juvenile court and social networking websites.

"Pimps know school schedules better than the parents do," warned Stack. Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg has been the site of several of his investigations.

Stack illustrated several rescue cases - from going undercover online to the rescue and placement with a service provider like Courtney's House - including a 16-year old IB student from Bethesda and a Virginia teenager who returned to prostitution shortly after being placed in a halfway house.

He delved into the psychology of pimps, portraying them as master manipulators who promise glamorous lifestyles and love to their victims. Often victims fall in love with their pimps, but according to Stack, 92 percent of the teenagers his taskforce encounters, ultimately "want out."

According to the FBI and a San Franciso study that Stack cited, the average age of a child entering prostitution is 13. The life expectancy of someone who has entered prostution is only seven years after he/she gets involved.

Detective Stack has worked with the D.C. Taskforce, the FBI and the Maryland Child Exploitation Taskforce, using the internet to identify missing children and matching them to pictures posted on adult advertisting sites. He cited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is based in Alexandria, VA, as a great local resource.

Stack also provided data on state and federal law dealing with the trafficking of a minor. In Maryland, it is considered a felony and is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, but a first-time offender gets away with 3 years in prison. Federal law punishes trafficking of a minor with 10 years to life in prison, and the same applies to crossing state lines with a minor. At the federal level, perpetrators generally serve the full sentence.

Soroptimist President Myrtis Brame provided closing remarks and presented a $500 donation to Innocents at Risk Founder Deborah Sigmund.

"We want to continue getting the word out because it is happening right here in our neighborhood," said Brame.

Soroptimist and Innocents at Risk rely heavily on the support of volunteers, and both organizations are looking to expand their volunteer base.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline run by Polaris is: 1-888-373-7888.