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DISPEL THE  MYTHS ABOUT 

MODERN DAY SLAVERY  
AND THE LOCAL 
HUMAN TRAFFICKING 
PROBLEM
Last revised 10/20/05

This page includes

Myths relating to local slavery
Misconceptions about, particularly local area, slavery
Be alert to signs within patterns
Profiles of victims and environments

Also see

Factors, Gaps & Other Impediments

Myths relating to local slavery

Members of the community need to try to understand the role they may be inadvertently playing in the dynamics that allows such horror to develop in the first place, right under our noses, and that allows it to continue and grow:

• In not wanting to "air dirty laundry" > >

  • The perpetrators of this situation are hometown people with whom we've worked, socialized, talked, at our business, in social gatherings, or possibly with whom we've associated some other way. From 02/15/03 - Avoiding the Clutches of Small Favors [modified] :

    The dynamics of a situation we quite possibly have here is not that of a "mob" that moved in from some big city somewhere. Rather, it is an inside job. The players may primarily be people with whom many of us have been acquainted for a long time, perhaps even from high school, perhaps even considered friends, whose integrity, yes, adherence to moral and ethical principles, may just be considerably less than that for which we'd always given them credit ( no, I'm not saying that any of us are perfect! ) And in joining together, sparked by and eventually addicted to more money than they ever dreamed they would have, fueled by a rapidly growing combined markets demand, they went the route of many a small gang: they got into things they never would have thought to do before and never would have had the wherewithal to do individually.

• In being silent > >

  • The perpetrators were taunting, "Go ahead. Call in the FBI. No one's going to talk. No one's going to tell them anything. They won't find out a thing!"  This should be seen as a clear indication of the importance that anyone who knows ANYTHING about these activities needs to talk about them, and those who don't know anything about these activities should become aware of them.  But keep in mind that those aware of these activities may have been led to believe that both victims and those working for the perpetrators are engaging in these activities of their own free will.

• In "going along with things" > >

  • Members of the community need to question why they are being asked to do a "favor" for someone, or being just simply told to do something, along the lines of "just do it." They need to be aware that, especially now, even the slightest "quirky" thing that someone asks or tells them to do may be tied to something very sinister. The situation that is the focus of this communication developed to its current horror because people "went along" with the perpetrators, most probably often not having any idea what was behind that with which they were participating. Most likely, many of these people were then possibly "blackmailed" into continuing to go along with things by having already implicated themselves. Their initial involvement may have been possibly through something even so innocent as being encouraged to do something that they would ordinarily, from time to time, have reason to do in the course of carrying out their legitimate business.

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Misconceptions about, particularly local area, slavery

1. Thinking that trafficking does not include men, as well. > 

In our area, men may actually represent the largest percentage of the victims taken more recently. A good part of this is geared to a growing “gay” market, both local and tourist. What needs to be emphasized as this is addressed is as said in at least of the emails on the website:

• Partying is one thing. Keeping or helping to keep someone in slavery so that he can be horribly abused to make the party "more fun" is another thing.

• Prostitution's one thing. Keeping someone from his freedom and forcing him to do it, especially when it is often very painful and dangerous to him, is another. . . . .

• Willfully and consciously breaking the law is one thing. Forcing people to do it through threat of harm to them, to help keep them under your control through blackmail, is another. 

• The infrastructure turning a blind eye to wrongs that are being committed - because there are so many and "you can't change the world" is one thing.  Preventing rescue in a situation like this and actually protecting the culprits through attitudes and practices in place, regardless of how long, is another. 

• Doing drugs is one thing. Using them to take people into slavery and keep them there is another.

• Gay is one thing. Forcing someone to perform as gay is another.

• Being cool is one thing. Being part of something in which someone if forcefully tortured for the fun of others, guarding someone to and at a party, and/or drugging him, so he can't escape, is another.

2. That the reason victims can’t escape the situation in which they are, particularly the forced prostitution, is “just because of something in their head” or “a mind thing.” > 

There is strong reason to believe that these victims are heavily, painfully, sadistically “disciplined” for any deviation from the orders of their captors. There are also reports that victims are often kept heavily drugged “all of the time.”

3. That it involves the “fun” type of prostitution, not pain nor suffering > 

In particularly, David’s prostitution, other activities is which he is forced to engage, and the conditions under which it appears he is often kept, are extremely sadistic and painful. There have also been possible indications of encouragement of sadism as a “fad” among younger “party-ers,” that it’s a “cool thing,” which would probably be to help build market demand for higher services, higher priced party attendance fees, if that is one of the ways revenue is acquired.

From Human Trafficking: A Growing Criminal Market in the U.S., a report by by James O. Finckenauer and Jennifer Schrock, International Center, National Institute of Justice, The Research, Development and Evaluation Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, United Nations Activities:

Many [victims] in "safe houses" are subjected to horrible treatment including death threats, beatings and rapes in front of others, or while on the phone with their families. Some police raids have discovered sickly and beaten captives shackled to prevent them from escaping (Chin, 1999).

4. Only street drugs are being used > 

This does not appear to be true.

Sodium Pentothal 

For example, there is evidence of the use of “truth serum,” i.e., thiopental sodium; it is also called Sodium Pentothal, a trademark of Abbott Laboratories. This particular drug has four effects that may be used by traffickers. From Truth Serum (Pentothal Sodium):

1. Sodium Pentothal is commonly used as an anesthetic during surgery. The patient is unconscious within 30 to 60 seconds after the drug administration to the veins. The duration of the anesthesia is very short; it only causes a few minutes of sedation.

2. Veterinarians also use Sodium Pentothal. When an animal is injured and needs an examination, a quick dose of the drug by tranquilizer dart gives few minutes to the veterinarian to do the examination. It can also be used to calm down a large animal that needs to be shipped from one place to another. Sodium Pentothal slows the metabolism and minimizes the stress and excitement.

3. This drug produces the state of full relaxation and makes patients more susceptible to suggestion,

4. allowing the psychiatrists to uncover the repressed feelings or memories.

The FBI polygraphists reportedly also use Sodium Pentothal.

There is a possibility that these people have access to substances that would be found in pharmaceutical companies, possibly even “germs.”

 There is also evidence and/or strong suspicion that these substances are used on victims and patrons as well as those posing a possible threat to these criminal operations. There is also a chance that this usage may account for recent motor vehicle accidents and deaths from heart attacks and “overdoses.” In other words, use of these substances may make it easier to mask murders and attempted murders.

5. Involves “typical unintelligent criminals” and “blue collar” criminals > 

The degree of sophistication and organization of this gang and possible syndicate, particularly in areas dealing with technology, appears to be possibly highly underestimated. In addition, the “players” appear to be often taken from “higher levels” of population profiles, as well as “average working class” and “unskilled” and/or unemployed.

6. All “players” are loyal to the crime > 

There is evidence of many very much unwillingly “going along” and only due to heavy coercion. That may be:

• Threats of harm to family members 

• Repeated sexual and physical assaults 

• Threats to livelihood, particular threats of job loss

7. “Just” involves illegal aliens > 

From Human Trafficking: A Growing Criminal Market in the U.S., the report by by James O. Finckenauer and Jennifer Schrock, International Center, National Institute of Justice, The Research, Development and Evaluation Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, United Nations Activities:

A review of cases since 1990 found that traffickers in the U.S. tended to be smaller crime groups and trafficking rings, gangs, loosely organized criminal networks, entrepreneurs and corrupt individuals who were victimizing their own nationals (Richard, 1999).

Of the at least four victims who are friends of mine, three are U.S. nationals.

8. Not happening here, “not on my shift”, no infiltrators here, that indications would be very obvious > 

Although this attitude may be seen as an indication of denial and/or the “ostrich” syndrome, it may also be due to the fact that trafficking, as it is being carried out locally, is very heavily masked. For one thing, in most cases, it is probably even unknown to the owners of the establishments in which activities are taking place. Similarly, other department members may not be aware that an infiltrator, for example, may be working in their department.

From 07/31/03 - yeah, nice - but this is the reality, an email from the archives on this web site:

“Any one else have the experience of calling a local police department on a matter not having anything to do with the records department and having this happen: As you're waiting for the call to be transferred, someone picks up the phone and you learn that it's, say, the "new person" in records. As you assure the person that this call is not for her, she's insisting that the call's been turned over to her and is demanding that you tell her why you've called and that, if you don't tell her, your call is not going to be handled. She probably later tells other personnel that she handled the call or lets them believe that you "just hung up - will call again if it is really something important" etc.. There's been a definite pattern of this "phenomena" and has even happened in my own town.”

The “sales pitch” described in a recent email not on the web site and not included in “general” circulation, outlines some of the methods that appear to be employed by the people, who may be primarily women, who appear to be the ones pimping these men and possibly other victims, as well.

 9. That if someone were in an abduction situation, he should “come to” authorities and report it > 

At this point in time, such a response by “authorities” evidences an almost criminal ignorance of the aspects of this major threat to the community

10. Victims are only the “down and out” > 

This is not true. ANYONE can be taken and, as conditions become easier and easier for traffickers to do so unchallenged, that becomes even more true. Why else would so many in the community be evidencing the “uncharacteristic behavior” that often is a sign that they have somehow been threatened? In addition, traffickers will take men, women and children, young and old, fat or skinny, sick or healthy. And looks may not mean that much, either.

11. If someone is being “trafficked,” his friends or at least his family would know > 

One of the methods used by traffickers to help mask a victim’s custody is to allow victims to maintain the normal contact they had with their family, for example. In addition, there are varying levels of “custody” or, as I think it the U.S. Dept. of State, says, "voluntariness." These are also findings of federal agencies and mentioned in the links at the end of this communication.   From What do we know about human trafficking victims in the United States?, U.S. Dept of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (VAWO):

It is believed that most victims who are trafficked are isolated and remain undetected by the public because 1) the strategies used by the perpetrators isolate victims and prevent them from coming forward, and 2) the public and the victim service providers have only recently become aware of this issue and may not be familiar with how to recognize or respond to trafficking victims.

12. If someone has been taken a victim, its up to the victim’s family to get him freed > 

Until we have a better system in place to address this challenge, evidently a victim’s family will run into the same obstacles that I’ve encountered over the last year

13. Can’t let anyone know that an investigation is in progress > 

How can authorities be so unaware of the additional anguish and anxiety such a practice would cause? In addition, it prevents those with possibly important information from having anyone to whom they may provide it.

(See the U.S. "Patriot's Act"-hr3162)

14. Talking or otherwise publicizing it is “bad for tourism” > 

Is this another reason why, and another way that, this type of thing is being so heavily masked, just as colleges were doing about the increase in sexual assaults occurring on their campuses? 

Not publicizing the existence and prevalence of this type of crime not only makes it more difficult for victims to be freed, and causes additional suffering for the loves ones of victims, but also leaves the public more vulnerable to both being taken victim and for people to be aware enough to be able to “decipher” that someone may be in need of help escaping from a situation like this.

15. Talking or otherwise publicizing it is an embarrassment to victims and their families > 

If doing so is the only way that a victim may be freed from what may possibly even be a life threatening situation, possible embarrassment must take a much lower priority.

16. It’s someone else’s problem, i.e., the “passing of the buck” to federal authorities or to another town > 

This tremendous challenge requires a concerted effort, starting locally, involving law enforcement as well as other members of the community, as many as possible.

17. “Let us think about it.” > 

Drastic change is needed immediately. Our community, in particular, cannot meet this growing challenge if authorities are bureaucratically slow in acting, if they, indeed, decide to act at all.

It is inhumane, and a violation of human rights, to allow slavery victims to continue to be subjected to the conditions of their situation until all other complexities are resolved.  For example, merely allocating effective resources for services if a victim has the freedom to approach a service provider, and/or after a victim is freed, does not address the U.S. slavery problem and is a sham.   Slavery victims have to be rescued, need assistance in getting freed, in order to be able to benefit from the funds and resources that are currently being allocated for their welfare.

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Be alert to signs within patterns

Please be aware of possible patterns that may indicate a very different and tremendously more serious situation than what sexual crisis or school counselors, etc., may ordinarily suspect. A pattern of harassment of people, youths as well as adults, may be the first stages of gang activity that is supporting something that is now the fastest growing crime in the world, including the U.S..  A pattern of frustration and/or anger may accompany this situation.

What may be seen as "merely" a growing pattern of harassment, physical assaults and rapes, including rapes of males, may actually be victims being primed into submitting to control and/or a community beginning to be terrorized into supporting gang/organized crime operations, in one way or another.

This growing crime epidemic involves victims being forced into prostitution through threats and violence against them and or threats of harm to their loved ones. These are victims for whom such activities are often repugnant. In one way or another, they are being physically and sexually abused, often to the point of torture. Their situation and the activities surrounding their captivity and forced services are highly masked. 

These are activities taking place here, in the U.S., and possibly right under our very nose. This crime is also called "modern-day slavery" and the victims, in addition to that defined in U.S. Code, are often literally slaves in every sense of the word. It is also called "human trafficking" and "sex slavery." Many victims have been forced into sex services, but they may be forced to perform other types of work. The crime falls under 18 USC CHAPTER 77 - PEONAGE AND SLAVERY that is now possibly entitled Peonage, Slavery and Human Trafficking. ( Although often not the most recent version, it is available at www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title18/parti_chapter77_.htm )

There are indications that our area may actually be a "hot spot" for such activity, possibly due to the fact that what are probably the two largest gambling casinos in the world have sprung up in our, otherwise, "small town" relatively unsophisticated area in just a little more than the last ten years. Government reports substantiate the suspicion that where there is gambling, there is prostitution and where there is prostitution, slavery is often also found.

Children being sexually exploited as part of this crime also fall under the definition of 18 USC CHAPTER 77 - PEONAGE AND SLAVERY. This may include school age children, as well as even younger children.

However, even in the case of adult victims, often even family members and close friends of victims may be unaware of the victim's actual situation. The schemes and tactics used by perpetrators are meant to prevent victims from being identified as such or be able to clearly communicate their actual situation to those who may help them get freed from it. 

The epidemic proportions this crime has achieved is an indication of the effectiveness of such schemes and tactics. Part of this is due to the fact that, although this crime is currently the fastest growing crime in the world, as well as here in the U.S., because it has not been publicized people, including U.S. national children in the U.S., have been left particularly vulnerable to becoming, and possibly being taken as, a victim. For the same reason, victims have been left unable to be rescued, mostly because those who may help are unable to identify them as such because they are unable to recognize these victim's actual situation.

In our area, many of the victims are U.S. nationals, local people, who have been taken under the control of traffickers here, in our local area. Based on reports including what I've personally received from two of the victims, this ring is also active in surrounding states and other parts of Connecticut. There have been reports of this group engaging in sex tours to and in other areas. There may be reports that victims are being moved from one place to another as frequently as every few days. Within any one area, it may be from day to day. Although, particularly due to recent tightened border patrolling, it is most likely that these other areas are parts of the U.S., this operation also most probably has the means of taking victims out of the country without going through customs. But it may also be that victims are in the local area but still "buried deep."

Counselors, teachers, school administrators, etc. should also become active in not only publicizing the aspects of this epidemic crime, but should also be able to recognize people who may have possibly fallen victim. They should also encourage youths, as well as adults, to form coalitions to help prevent additional victimization, and also to possibly identify those peers who may be victims. As you are probably aware, there may be some aspects of that world of youth from which we adults are barred. Encouraging such coalition among youth may help offset the impediments in fighting this crime that such a barrier may present.

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Profiles of Victims and Environments

Of the four "possible" victims included here [as of the beginning of 2003, before other victims became known to me], three men and one woman, one is my "significant other" who is not a U.S. national and who may be enduring some particularly horrifying atrocities in this. The other three are native born Americans whose families have been in this country for at least a few generations. Of the three Americans, one is a local person whose young daughter lives in the area.

These "possible" victims are people who have possibly been taken into the forced custody of a gang of local people, not necessarily "young hoods," and, in turn, may have been forced into prostitution, in the case of the men, primarily gay prostitution. But services may be to patrons of either sex and the solicitation geared to either homosexual or heterosexual. They are most probably solicited at after hour parties, and/or in services geared to wealthy and/or casino patrons. There is reason to believe that they are also sexually exploited in using them to "liven up" parties, "evenings out", cruises, etc.. It is possible that they are often seen around marinas.

From my association with each of these four people I would say that : All four are bright, hard-working, responsible individuals of very high integrity. None of these people is homosexual. Prior to this possible control, none of them were previously part of a "sex" underworld, in fact, not even promiscuous. None of these four people were drug users, other than possibly "social" drugs, if at all, although they may be heavily drugged now as part of their possible current situation.  

They may appear in public, particularly for the purposes of solicitation, but also to try to curb the suspicion of people like myself. When they do appear, there probably is most often someone either with them or in the immediate area who is to make sure the "possible victim" does nothing to disclose his or her possibly actual situation.  During these times, at one point they may appear "very drunk" and close to unconsciousness, particularly just before they are to be transported to another location.

It is highly probable that these would not be the only victims so far. The level and amount of cover-up that seem to involve authorities and the level of fear that appears to be permeating the community suggests that they aren't.   There are other indications, as well.  As long as we allow all that's involved in what may be happening here to continue, it will only expand and snare other victims, especially with the increased demand for them created by the casinos and other marketing venues, as well as the rewards these activities bring. And the longer it would be allowed to continue, the more money would accumulate through the exploitation of these victims and possibly other illicit activities. That money, in turn, can be used to make it even more difficult to "reach" these victims, and allow the people exploiting them to expand their operations, increase the demand for more victims and pay for additional cover-up.

Over the last year, it's been proven that mechanisms that we all thought were in place, both through local law enforcement and federal authorities,  to protect people against such horrors as David and possibly three other friends of mine, three U.S. nationals, are experiencing, aren't really there or, if some are, they don't work. The services that we thought we'd been supporting in taxes are merely "lip services"; the elaborate judicial system that we thought was in place is merely a facade.  The integrity and commitment to justice that we would expect from members of our government and public service was merely an illusion.  Perhaps it's just that, although they can display that integrity and commitment to justice in situations such as motor vehicle and marijuana infractions, when the crimes get tough, they don't want to risk challenging the perpetrators and, instead, have been shown to be actually supporting them.  Human trafficking is difficult to detect and combat.  But, as a result of the dysfunctionality of the infrastructure, it is even easier for "people of low integrity" to get away with such a heinous crime as human trafficking, i.e., taking away the freedom of other human beings, including fellow countryman, including "friends," and forcing them to do often painful and despicable things so that the perpetrators can make money from the slavery of these victims.  

If only through just following the experiences in the situation of David and of possibly three other friends of mine who appear to have also fallen victim to this despicable crime, the community has realized that calling 911 for something like this not only does not work, but may actually "bury" victims deeper and cause additional harm to come to them, as well as create additional hardships for those who report it and/or are trying to otherwise help victims get freed.  Because of this, threats of abduction carry even more weight in getting cooperation in gang activities, including preventing investigation.  It’s been suggested that members of the community will not be willing to cooperate in an investigation regarding the gang involved in Dave’s situation if they don’t believe that these people will be prosecuted.   Most likely, this is because of fear of retaliation for doing so if these people are still free to carry on their same activities afterward.

In the course of trying to learn what may be going on, hopefully, people may also, as I did, come to the the realization that there are members of the community who are probably frightened, who may be afraid to talk about certain things, afraid to admit that they've seen, heard, read or thought certain things. Most important, who may be afraid not to do what certain people tell them they must do. Hopefully, they will also realize what effect all this would be having on the possible fate of my friends and other possible current and future victims. They will most probably see that our community is, basically, possibly being terrorized by a "gang" of people doing very, very bad things to other people and, most possibly, coercing others to go along with those activities because those other people may feel that, unless they go along with this "gang", that gang will retaliate by doing the same bad things to them or a loved one of theirs.

Members of the public need to realize that, unless they help in this, there may eventually come a time when they, themselves, "decipher" that their niece or nephew, or son or daughter, or fiancé or spouse - someone very, very dear to them . . . just as in the situation here - has also now become a victim of something like this, and even perhaps now with whom they are not able to associate nor even see, as is this case with me and at least one of the other "possible" victim's loved one, while knowing, or worse, not knowing what danger that person is in nor how much they may be suffering. There may possibly come a time when they may be deciphering many others who have possibly fallen victim to similar situations. But they will have no way to bring any of those victims to safety and "actual" freedom because there are no effective mechanisms in place to do so and there may be so much money and power, building as we speak, supporting these activities.

There is no more time for either "lip service," excuses nor cover-up activities by authorities. The proof's in the PUDDING!! These people are still being held against their will, forcefully prostituted, technically serving as slaves, possibly additionally tortured and enduring additional inhumane conditions, and being terrorized into doing and saying things to help mask their own horrible situation.

Believe it or not, "authorities" may use the situation they've created because they haven't done anything to help in this and, rather, have done so much that actually helps cover it up and protects the perpetrators, as a reason for not doing anything now, that locate and rescue attempt and/or investigation is not a priority because the situation "has gone on for so long".

These are people's lives!   Over a year has gone by since David was wrenched involuntarily from my life and has been living in utter horror!   Please help in pressuring officials to take action and giving them the support and information they need for that action to be effective in finally freeing these victims. 

ANYONE RECEIVING THREATS, WHETHER FROM THE SPG OR ANYONE ELSE, SHOULD TELL OTHERS AND/OR REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY!!!

Also see Factors, Gaps & Other Impediments

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