The recent surge of undocumented children entering the United States has brought up several issues, one of which is human trafficking. With so many minors coming in unaccompanied, many are worried that the children will become victims of this growing problem. Although slavery seems to be a thing of the past, the number of trafficked humans is much larger than it was centuries ago and continues to rapidly increase worldwide. Part of the problem is lack of awareness and the disbelief that slavery could occur, especially in the Western world. “No country is immune,” warns the United Nations, “whether as a source, a destination or a transit point for victims of human trafficking.”
Trafficking Worldwide
Although the exact number of victims is unknown, researchers estimate the amount of trafficked people to be between 12.3-25 million worldwide. Some are forced into unpaid labor, working in dangerous conditions for little to no pay. Others become victims of sexual exploitation, forced to become prostitutes and earn money for a pimp. Unsurprisingly, the biggest motive for trafficking humans is money. According to experts, the total market value of human trafficking is $32 billion, with nearly a third of that amount coming from the actual sale of victims (United Nations).
Trafficking in the United States
Despite the official abolishing of slavery in 1865, thousands of people are still trafficked within the United State’s borders. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 300,000 children become victims of sexual exploitation alone. Many of them are runaways or were abducted from their homes. One in three teens are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home (National Runaway Hotline). And once a child or teenager is trafficked, especially across country or state borders, it can become much more difficult to find them .
Even though the outlook seems grim, many non-profit organizations and government agencies have begun to battle this epidemic. Recently, the FBI rescued nearly 170 child victims of sex trafficking and arrested 281 pimps (CBS News). Many of these children were never even reported missing, and could very well still be on the streets if not for the FBI’s crackdown. The Bureau’s Innocence Lost program has identified and recovered almost 3,600 children who were victims of sexual exploitation since its start in 2003.
Hiring a Private Investigator
Despite the efforts of the FBI and other agencies, around 2,300 people still go missing in the United States each day (Crime Library). Because the amount of missing persons cases is so high, many families choose to look for outside help. A private investigator will work with the family and friends of a missing person and help generate leads for law enforcement. Private eyes have the time and resources to focus on a specific case, and those that have experience finding missing children know what signs to look for. “What is the PI going to do that the police won’t? He is going to keep on searching,” says Jerrie Dean of Missing Persons of America. “He is getting paid to find the person, not the reason they left.”
According to Dean, hiring a private investigator can help even if the person isn’t found right away. “He brings that information back to the family, the family tells the media, the media reports it and then the police are renewed and following a new lead to [the victim],” says Dean. Part of the problem with missing persons cases is publicity. Too often, the media only broadcasts photos of missing people that will gain the most viewers, and eventually the attention peters out. Keeping a case alive can be the driving force in finding a missing person.
The day after Valentine’s Day of 2013, national news reports indicated a spike in new online dating memberships. Once somewhat frowned upon, looking for love online has become more socially acceptable within the last ten years.
Ann Friedman, a politics columnist for New York’s website, reported in her article Cupid’s Cursor, that one-third of America’s 90 million singles have used online dating services. While some find love, get married, living happily ever after, some have met with tragedy.
Robyn Gardner - Still Missing
Tragedies
Robyn Gardner, who I wrote about August 25, 2011 in an article Missing Persons Advocacy Network, remains missing after meeting Gary V. Giordano online. They met each other on an online dating site, and saw each other a couple times a month. Robyn considered Giordano a friend and agreed to take a vacation to Aruba where she vanished. Her family is still desperately searching for answers. After her disappearance, Giordano attempted to sue American Express for a $3.5 million insurance policy he took our on Robyn prior to their trip to Aruba.
Gary Giordano arrest photo. Courtesy of AP.
Robyn Gardner is just one of many people who have fell victim to an online predator. November 30, 2012, Michigan law enforcement announced the body of Leigh Swanson had been found in the woods, approximately 10 miles northwest of Midland. Her cause of death was a fatal gunshot.
Swanson, 45 years old, had met a man on an online dating site according to her mother, Beverly Kane. Kane said her daughter had expressed that she had a bad feeling prior to going on the date but made a call to her mother on November 18, 2012 from the man’s home indicating everything was fine and she would be home soon. She never arrived and no one knew whom she had gone on the date with.
Leigh Swanson
After Swanson was reported missing, authorities traced the call to a house in Edenville Township, and dispatched deputies to the location. When the deputies approached the front door, they heard a gunshot from inside and ordered anyone inside to come out with their hands over their heads. A man exited the home holding a cell phone in his hand. The man had been on the phone with 911 reporting his son had just shot himself. A search ensued, and police found Swanson’s body in a wooded area on a neighboring property.
While the positive stories about online dating far outnumber the bad, the harsh reality is that online dating can also put people at risk. Following are some tips that can help keep you safe. Remember you can never take too much precaution when it comes to your personal safety.
Protect Yourself
1. Always meet in a public place. Never invite the individual to pick you up from your home or accept an invitation to theirs.
2. Use the online dating site email system to communicate. Remember, the more information you give out the easier you are to find. Even providing a private email address gives someone enough information to find out who you are and where you live.
3. If you decide to meet personally, attempt to obtain as much verifiable information about the person prior to the meeting, such as name and phone number.
4. Make sure you let someone close to you know who you are meeting, where you are meeting, and as much information about the person as possible. You can even have your friend call you during the date. This gives your friends and family peace of mind but also sends a clear message to the individual you are with that others know where you are.
5. Do your homework. It is not unreasonable to conduct a background investigation on a potential mate and could lessen the danger to yourself and those you love.
6. No matter how comfortable you feel with the person, never leave your food or drink unattended.
While I am not discouraging anyone from online dating, I do encourage you to take every precaution necessary to protect yourself. We must not permit tragedies or the lives of victims to be in vain.
About the Author: Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s missing Children Organization in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults in 2000. She served as CEO until January 2010. Kym is recognized as an expert in the field of missing persons, and has spent 20 years working with families of missing persons and homicide victims, government officials, advocates, and national media. She is also a contributor to Lauth Investigations International and the Missing Persons Advocacy Network.
Founder of National Center for Missing Adults and Contributor to Lauth Investigations International and our sponsored site Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Kym L. Pasqualini
SUMMARY
Kym L. Pasqualini is founder of the Nation’s Missing Children Organization, Inc., in 1994 and the National Center for Missing Adults (NCMA), in 2000. Pasqualini served as CEO until January 2010.
Kym has spent nearly 20 years working with government entities pioneering national services for missing adults and their families. Working with national media and law enforcement she has advocated for victims of crime.
Kym has been selected and served on several Advisory Boards and Task Forces; the United States Attorney General Missing Person Task Force, the President Bush DNA Advisory Board, the International Homicide Investigator’s Association – Unidentified Dead Task Force, and the Ethics Committee for the Association of Missing & Exploited Children’s Organizations. Responsibilities have included advising on scope of national problem; media relations; development of state and federal legislation; development of model policy for law enforcement agencies; development of DNA collection kits; development of training curriculum and facilitation of first national law enforcement training program funded through the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, facilitating training and work groups for law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
Kym has received special recognition from the Office of Victims of Crime at the US Department of Justice, members of Congress, and special award for Leadership presented by Arizona Attorney General, Terry Goddard, for her unwavering commitment to improve the lives of victims of crime.
Kym also founded Life Corrections in 2005, and has dedicated much of her time assisting women inmates by sharing her personal story about overcoming adversity. Whether sharing her perspective on life with prisoners or the mainstream public, Kym’s’ poignant life story continues to touch the lives of many.
SPECIALTIES
Victim advocacy, missing adults, program development, media relations, government relations, nonprofit management, law enforcement training development, training and meeting facilitator, and public speaking, and now freelance writing with focus on Criminal Justice, investigations, missing person, and cold cases.
With nearly 20-yrs experience, Kym has worked with television and print media throughout the country to include expert appearances on CNN, MSNBC, FOX National, The John Walsh Show, Lifetime Television, and the Montel Williams Show, and Anderson Cooper Live.
EXPERIENCE
Founder of the Nation’s Missing Children Organization (NMCO) in 1994. In 1995, Kym identified missing persons over the age of eighteen, to include the family members impacted by the disappearance of their loved ones as a segment of the victim population with minimal resources and expanded charter to assist law enforcement and families of missing adults. In 2000, President Clinton appropriated funding to enable Kym to formally establish a Congressional funded national clearinghouse for missing adults. The National Center for Missing Adults was created, through a grant from the United stated Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Having served 20 years as a community leader and advocate for under-served victim populations throughout the country, Kym has had the opportunity to work with individuals from a variety of vocations within the government and private sector. Working with local, state and federal agencies within the criminal justice community has also provided a wide-range of field based experience. Follow @Lauthinv
Meet the Owner of LII. Thomas Lauth is the owner and lead investigator of Lauth Investigations International, Inc. Founded in 1993, Lauth has 20 years of experience in criminal, insurance, personal, corporate, and attorney investigations, to include specializing in missing person and unsolved homicide investigations.
Thomas Lauth, owner of LII
Owner and Criminal Investigator, 1993-Present.Thomas currently serves as a Referral Investigator for various attorneys, defendants, insurance companies and the public in conducting criminal investigations and death investigations within Indiana.
Senior Criminal Investigator, Marion County Public Defender Agency
Conducted detailed criminal investigations for the representation of indigent defendants.
Worked cooperatively with various State and Federal law enforcement agencies such as INTERPOL, FBI, US State Department, various foreign embassies, and parents nationwide on missing person’s cases.
Appointed numerous times by State and Federal Courts to conduct independent investigations of homicides, robbery, and serious felony matters.
Served as both a prosecution and defense witness on numerous missing persons and homicide, both at the Federal and the State levels.
Advisory for the Nation’s Missing Children Organization & National Center for Missing Adults, working with founder Kym L. Pasqualini from 1996-2010. Pasqualini remains an advocate for missing persons and recognized expert in the field.
Continuing to work with with Kym L. Pasqualini, LII also sponsors the Missing Persons Advocacy Network.
,” says Jerrie Dean of Missing Persons of America. “He is getting paid to find the person, not the reason they left.”
