Baltimore

“It happens all the time:” Human trafficking in Baltimore
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“It happens all the time:” Human trafficking in Baltimore

It usually doesn’t happen the way it does in the movies. The dramatic kidnapping scenes we learn to fear as kids – that’s not how human trafficking typically goes down. “The van’s not gonna pull up and yank you into the back of the van. The stuff you see in “taken” is extremely, extremely rare,…

Roblox faces a new class action lawsuit alleging it facilitates child gambling
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Roblox faces a new class action lawsuit alleging it facilitates child gambling

In a new class action lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California this week, two parents accuse Roblox of illegally facilitating child gambling.  While gambling is not allowed on the platform, which hosts millions of virtual games that cater to children and teens, the lawsuit points to third-party gambling sites that invite users to play…

Tarrant County 5 Stones May 2023 Meeting
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Tarrant County 5 Stones May 2023 Meeting

Here is our recorded meeting link and chat notes for our May 2023 TC 5 Stones meeting! Our 5 Stones meeting this May consisted of some law enforcement updates and a presentation by Special Agent John Kochan with Homeland Security Investigations as he discussed the successes and challenges of working human trafficking cases. Here is the link to…

How Baltimore-based groups fight human trafficking in Maryland and across the U.S.
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How Baltimore-based groups fight human trafficking in Maryland and across the U.S.

A young Colombian woman was told being an au pair was a “wonderful opportunity” in the United States — she could take classes and improve her English skills while working as a live-in nanny for an American family. However, after being matched with a family in Prince George’s County, the couple forced her to work…

Virginia Prosecutor’s Human Trafficking Toolkit
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Virginia Prosecutor’s Human Trafficking Toolkit

Download Toolkit PDF here Since 2007, over 3,500 trafficking victims have been identified in the Commonwealth of Virginia, resulting in 1,689 cases of human trafficking. Victims in these cases ranged from minors to adults, males to females, and victims of both labor and sex trafficking. This toolkit is intended to be a resource to help…

A bright and healthy future for Harford County and the state | COMMENTARY – Baltimore Sun
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A bright and healthy future for Harford County and the state | COMMENTARY – Baltimore Sun

As member of the Maryland General Assembly’s Health and Government Operations Committee, I consider and support legislative bills that uphold the best interests of my constituents.  This session, I will be working on 13 total bills — four of which will be highlighted in detail. My priority has been to initiate a series of bills…

Why one woman plants crops to fight oppression
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Why one woman plants crops to fight oppression

Eva Dickerson has spent her life thinking about food. Not just about what to eat, but more specifically what it means to have access to food, to groceries and space to grow crops. “Food access might ask why there isn’t a grocery store in someone’s neighborhood,” Dickerson, 26, said, “but food apartheid might ask who…

AG Platkin Launches New Unit to Prosecute Human Trafficking – Insider NJ
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AG Platkin Launches New Unit to Prosecute Human Trafficking – Insider NJ

As crimes involving forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation continue to grow nationwide, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced a new unit within the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) that will focus exclusively on investigating and prosecuting these types of human trafficking crimes in New Jersey. The newly established Human Trafficking Unit will spearhead…

Joint DHS-Montclair State program will aid law enforcement with human-trafficking cases
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Joint DHS-Montclair State program will aid law enforcement with human-trafficking cases

From left, HSI-Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel and Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell. The Global Center on Human Trafficking (GCHT) at Montclair State University and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark office signed a Memorandum of Understanding Jan. 25 for the development of a web-based application and website to…