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Proper right here in Tampa Bay, ladies and kids are being branded like cattle, and bought into intercourse trafficking. The ABC Motion Information I-Group performed a 9-month lengthy investigation to be taught extra about this surprising follow.
I-Group Investigator Kylie McGivern spoke with regulation enforcement and sufferer advocacy teams. “It is like branding cattle,” stated Cpl. Alan Wilkett, who leads Pasco County’s human trafficking job pressure. “It is an possession mark. Branding is when anyone — a pimp or a trafficker — will put his mark or his image or his signal on his victims via some type of tattoo.”
Wilkett described a few of the markings that they’ve seen just lately that point out intercourse trafficking.
“Among the issues we’re seeing are photos — perhaps a lion’s head or it might be the road title of the pimp who’s working a road observe,” stated Wilkett. “It could possibly be numbers. Utilizing sure numbers, like 16 as a result of ‘P’ is the 16th letter of the alphabet — it means I am being pimped.”
He even describes seeing ladies marked with bar codes that scan utilizing smartphone apps and present their “charge.”
“Her response to that was that is what I am price. I’m price $30,” stated Wilkett.
Natasha Nascimento, the founding government director of Redefining Refuge, says that the Tampa Bay tattoo neighborhood must work with regulation enforcement to report these circumstances.
“Take into consideration that. Youngsters in a primary world nation in america of America being branded like cattle,” stated Nascimento. “That is what’s taking place and it is taking place at this time.”
For extra on the story, take heed to the podcast of our interview with Kylie McGivern and take a look at the ABC Motion Information report beneath.
Photograph courtesy of Getty Photographs.
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