Missing-Black-Girls: January is Human Trafficking Month
Dr. J. Ester Davis
Maybe a good place to start this article is by stating penalty. In Texas, 15 new criminal human trafficking cases were filed in federal courts in 2021. Thirty-two (32) defendants were convicted. Texas federal courts order nine out of 30 convicted criminal human trafficking defendants to pay restitution to their victims.
This is really not much, but ‘much’ is coming. Texas is getting serious. Citizens want serious result. There is now some ‘teeth’ being put in human trafficking by legislation. More hot line are now set up for Human Trafficking victims and reporting. Under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, those found guilty of human trafficking can receive penalties up to life in prison. A second degree felony in Texas has penalties between two and 20 years and a fine of up to $10,000. The penalties rise to a first-degree felony if a victim is a minor or dies due to instances resulting from being trafficked. The penalties for a first degree felony in Texas are between five and 99 years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine. If you have a trafficking charge against you, you are likely in serious trouble, whether or not you are guilty. You will need to hire a criminal defense attorney immediately.
Right here. Right now. If you are a victim of human trafficking call the Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-3737-888. A good one to memorize in case your phone is taken and thrown out of the ‘white van’ as reported to me by a witness eight months ago.
While trafficking occurs all over the nation, all roads lead to Texas. Texas has romeo/boyfriend “pimp” trafficking, commercial front brothel trafficking and hotel trafficking. Interesting enough more “pimp” arrest across Texas have been monitored by media. Texas has one of the largest state highway systems in the country, allowing it to be a huge transit site for domestic trafficking. At least 20% of the national trafficking victims travel through Texas at some point. Texas is a state that has every type of trafficking across both sex and labor trafficking in many service industries. But crossing that state line adds years to your prison sentence.
The courts are advising us now that the federal laws are similar to state laws, in that when it comes to trafficking the two are first cousins. Where state and federal law align is in the penalties. Cases of child trafficking are considered maximum offenses, with a minimum of 10 years of prison time, up to a life sentence.
Last year we placed high profile emphasis on the crisis of missing black girls. The shock came when we reported the FBI statistic of 100,000 black girls missing in 2020. Dallas’ black media took reign went on the warpath with awareness. Black women face a particularly high risk of being killed at the hands of a man. According to the FBI, at least four black women were murdered per day in 2020. Staggeringly and shamefully, that number maybe an undercount, because so many of our crimes go unreported or are reported days later. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Report on Human Trafficking in a two-year study of human trafficking incidents across the country, 40% of sex trafficking victims were identified as black women. I plan to request an updated report.
