During Human Trafficking Prevention Month Law Enforcement Implores the Public to Protect Your Children from Sex Traffickers and Other Predators

MIAMI – During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and our law enforcement partners reaffirm our commitment to combatting forced labor, domestic servitude, and sex trafficking of adults and the most vulnerable members of society, our children.  Our commitment does not end there.  We continue to prosecute human traffickers and child predators, empower victims, and prevent the proliferation of these abhorrent crimes.  But we need the public’s support to help us protect our children from exploitation. 

“Attentive and engaged parents, teachers, family and friends are our first-line defense against human traffickers and child predators,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As your U.S. Attorney and a concerned parent, I implore you to do your best to monitor your children’s on-line presence, social media communications, and use of electronic devices. Given how easy it is to access the internet and social media, I recognize how challenging it can be to protect those we love. But, hopefully, by talking to our children, educating them about internet safety and stranger danger, and keeping an eye on our youth, we can ward off the perils of human trafficking, sextortion, and other deviant means of child exploitation.” 

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is deeply committed to combating human trafficking and child exploitation through the strategic use of its extensive authorities, global presence, and strong collaborations with government and non-government entities. Our mission is to tirelessly pursue the safe recovery of victims, apprehend perpetrators, and safeguard our most vulnerable against criminal exploitation,” said Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Miami. “We urge parents to remain vigilant, engage in open conversations with their children, and educate them on the importance of personal safety. Together, we can create a shield of protection around our children and ensure their well-being.”

Anyone can become a victim. The Southern District of Florida strives to safeguard all children and vulnerable populations. To help protect your children from human traffickers and predators, law enforcement encourages the public to:

• Tell your children to avoid communicating with strangers online.
• Monitor your children’s chats, messages, and communications with people, particularly through gaming systems.
• Explain to your children that sometimes predators will offer them gifts in exchange for them taking and sending sexually explicit images or videos. Sometimes, the predators will make threats. Parents should explain to their children that these are strategies abusers use to get what they want, and if this happens, to not feel guilty and immediately tell a parent or other adult.
• To the extent possible, educate yourself about the internet tools your children use. For example, set up your child’s specific profile on cellphones, iPads, and computer devices to limit the websites and content your child can access, and have a weekly “usage” sheet sent to you for that profile. Make sure your children use privacy settings to restrict access to their online profiles.
• Check your children’s social media and gaming profiles and posts. Talk to your children about what is appropriate to say or share.
• Explain to your children that once images or comments post online, people can share them.
• Explain that everyone in the world can see what they publicly post on the internet, and they can never completely erase posted images and comments.
• Encourage children to choose appropriate screen names and create strong passwords. Parents should be aware of all passwords and discourage children from keeping their passwords a secret.
• Make it a rule with your children that they cannot arrange to meet up with someone they have met online without your knowledge and supervision.  
• Know your children’s friends and whereabouts. 
• Talk to your children about the dangers of talking to, meeting, and traveling with strangers.

We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website at www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alongside its law enforcement partners, to include FBI and HSI, have prosecuted many individuals in the Southern District of Florida who have used the internet to traffick and exploit children. Below are just a few examples:

• In April 2022, a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for enticing and coercing young girls, as young as 13 years old, into producing and transmitting sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. The defendant contacted his victims on social media, offered them money for the photos and videos, and threatened to post sharing nude images and videos with their family and friends if they did not comply with his demands. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/broward-man-sentenced-15-years-federal-prison-production-child-pornography.
• In November 2022, a man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking a minor and adult female. Evidence showed during trial that the defendant drove the victims from Atlanta to Miami to sell themselves for sex during Super Bowl LIV. The defendant also attempted to recruit other victims on social media. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/atlanta-sex-trafficker-sentenced-25-years-prison-offenses-during-super-bowl-liv-miami-0.
• In December 2022, a man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for extorting four minor females into producing sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and sending it to him over a social media application. The defendant threatened to post the sexually explicit material on social media and pornography websites if they did not continue to send more. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/opa-locka-man-sentenced-30-years-prison-producing-child-sexual-abuse-material.
• In December 2022, a former Florida Atlantic University student was sentenced to 24 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material of a 14-year-old girl. According to court records, the defendant used social media applications to entice nine minor females ranging in ages from 13 to 17 to create sexually explicit videos.  For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-florida-atlantic-university-student-sentenced-prison-producing-child-sexual.
• In December 2023, a man was sentenced to over 19 years in prison, after previously pleading guilty to enticing a minor victim to engage in criminal sexual activity. Among other criminal conduct, the defendant sent sexually explicit communications to the minor victim through the Snapchat messaging service. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/colorado-man-sentenced-more-19-years-prison-enticing-minor-engage-criminal-sexual.
• In November 2023, a man pled guilty to producing visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27. For more information regarding this case visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/lake-placid-man-pleads-guilty-producing-child-pornography.

“The protection of children is among our nation’s highest obligations. Within our district, the prosecution of those who sexually exploit, target, and engage in the trafficking of children continues to be the utmost priority,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Our Office, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to identify and bring to justice those individuals who carry out these heinous crimes against the most innocent among us - our children.”

To enhance awareness and educate the community about human trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that can be found at https://youtu.be/XKHVMKkvn2E.

To report suspected human trafficking or to obtain resources for victims, please call 1-888-373-7888; text “BeFree” (233733), or live chat at HumanTraffickingHotline.org. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Help is available in English, Spanish, Creole, or in more than 200 additional languages. The hotline is not managed by law enforcement, immigration, or an investigative agency. Correspondence is confidential and you may request assistance or report a tip anonymously. To learn more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking visit www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Many of our Office’s cases are brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate better, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, we encourage the public to please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

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