Online sex as i had of the super bowl. Thank you very much, and thank you very much for the invitation to be part of this next session. We are very lucky to have greg brooker the key feature of each introduction is to know the persons name. The u. S. Attorney and the head prosecutor of the district of minnesota. Minnesota has been a key part of the department of justices efforts, and i hope we can build on the work of the last and all give you some very specific and useful information about all of the terrific work they are doing there. Greg has been a longtime prosecutor and served over a year now as ahead prosecutor in minnesota as the United States attorney. Minnesota is also as we heard, one of the districts that team focused on Human Trafficking in the district. And now, i would like to turn it over to u. S. Attorney brooker. Thank youey brooker for having me today. It was negative seven degrees in minneapolis, and it is a little warmer out right here. Thank you, richard for the introduction, and thank you all for participating in this important segment sponsored by br attorney general. Ioo am pleased here to talk about an issue that my office, the u. S. Attorneys office for the district of minnesota, is deeply committed to. As the department of justice has ed such a priority on prosecuting Human Trafficking. It is timely that this summit comes at the end of human , twoicking Awareness Month days away from the super bowl in my home state of minnesota. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight trends in prosecutions in my district, as well as discuss some of the proactive work that is being done by minnesotans, in preparation for the super bowl on sunday. As we all know in this room, sex trafficking is big enterprisea and data shows that major sporting events like a super bowl can bring about an increase in online sec sex adds on craigslist, act page. Com and other websites. Know from recent Research Studies that commercial sex is not confined to 1 am a graphic group. According to a recent survey of heaven hundred 50 men in most of them are men between the ages of 30 years old and asked the years old secs are there nearly markets, more than half are married and many of them make 50,000 or more per year. A recent assessment from the human smuggling and Trafficking Center concludes that highprofile events with large crowd like the super bowl, can be attractive targets for sex traffickers. In reparation for the super bowl in minneapolis, and antisex Trafficking Team with representatives from over 40 organizations was created, to map out strategies to crack down on secs trafficking from all angles across the entire state. The team was led by the ramsey a county attorney judge, and hennepin county, where minneapolis lies. Our office is also a vital player in that team. The team also includes some important nonprofit organizations such as the carlton family foundation, and the Womens Foundation and minutes vote up, long involved in these issues. The team as a mentioned, has representatives from nonprofits, hospitals, private possesses, and Law Enforcement throughout the state, and has been supported by the National Foot allleague. Football league. So what has this team been up to the last 19 months . We have developed a plan which includes additional Emergency Shelter beds, increased street outreach and a hotline to report links tips related to Law Enforcement. We have greeted a 24 hour policestaffed hotline to ensure the victims can immediately find shelter, and worked with governmental entities to relax zoning requirements during the timeframe of the super bowl, to ensure that no victim will be denied space in a very cold month in minnesota. What is especially unique however, about this particular team, is that it not only brought together public and private stakeholders, but also key voices of sex trafficking survivors. Multiplealso designed Public Awareness campaigns, specifically for the super bowl, ncluding the dont buy it campaign designed to educate men and boys about sex trafficking. This campaign focuses on the demand side. Here is a short clip of the dont buy it Public Service announcement now running in minnesota and online. He told me that he loved me, it was only for a little while, and then we would start a new life together. Dont buy it. Guys acts like being a real man means dominating women. Dont buy it. They changed my name. I was thousands of miles away and sold for six and. Dont buy it. People are not product. Men are more than consumers. Learn more at dont buy it project. Org. Theattorney brooker antisex Trafficking Team also created a campaign aimed at preventing at risk youth from being trafficked. Here toward youth between the ages of eight years old and 12 years old, and the teams sought input from youth who are trafficking survivors to develop this specific part of the campaign. These campaign ads are currently running at malls and minnesota, on bus shelters and billboards. ,here is also a 32nd video spot and they are being featured on all of the social apps that i quite frankly, do not even begin to understand. Facebook, snapshot, youtube. From the i am priceless video running in minnesota. I am not alone. Respect. Hy of i am my own hero. My buddy belongs to me. I am priceless. There is a way out of sexual exploitation. For help, call or text the number on your screen, or visit the website. U. S attorney brooker in the months leading up to the super bowl, bus drivers, Hotel Workers in all 10,000 super bowl volunteers received specific training on how to identifys next trafficking when these yet, and where to reported. In addition, major Banking Institutions in the twin cities own the lead to train their internal investigators, and analysts to identify trends and red flags that may be Human Trafficking indicators. The team is reporting such indicators to Law Enforcement. In addition, a Collaborative Team of dozens of local Police Departments in minnesota and the federal agencies led primarily by Homeland Security investigations and the fbi, are all currently executing targeted things in and out of the twin cities area trafficking stings in the area and many arrests have been made since this began last week. This is all very important works, isnt it . But Human Trafficking of course, is not limited to such large hill event like the super bowl. These crimes against human rights occur through hundred 65 occur 365 days a year. Human trafficking shows its face in many disturbing ways and yet it often remains hidden write in plain sight. Nonsuper bowl year, many people would not think of minnesota as a crime location eight prime location for Human Trafficking. However, the fbi has identified the twin cities as the nations 13th largest location for child sex trafficking. It is unique because of its geography, population and major industries. The twin cities represents a large metropolitan area home to 500ns of fortune operations, a Major International airport and the largest Shopping Mall in the United States, as well as Major League Sports teams and event venues. Share our northern border of course, with canada, and we have a very busy International Shipping port in duluth. Throughout our interstate corridors, we are directly connected to other large midwestern cities, chicago, st. Louis, milwaukee. Has 11te federallyrecognized indian tribes, and is home to many immigrant groups including somali if european and iberian communities. Minnesota pretty much has everything. However, the things that make my state unique are the things that represent Human Trafficking vulnerabilities. This is why the fight against Human Trafficking is a crucial mission that none of us can afford to ignore or to only emphasize on the super bowl comes to town. In 2016, the district of minnesota was only one of federal districts, designated as an antitrafficking Coordination Team or act team location. It is a collaborative initiative, as he mentioned this morning. Fbi, theice, the department of Homeland Security and the department of labor. Through this initiative, we focus on develop high impact trafficking prosecution. And investigation. As well as developing strong partnerships with Victim Service providers, and state and local Law Enforcement partners. I am very proud of the death of the work of our office, in conjunction with tribal, state, local Law Enforcement. We have investigated together internationalle asfficking cases, as well cases involving an individual trafficker who targeted migrant children. As caseswe know that as people go t their busy lives, usually we are not paying attention to the indicators of Human Trafficking. These crimes often occur as has been noted, right before our eyes, in plain sight. That is why through our federal and state Law Enforcement task forces, not just during the super bowl but throughout the year, are focused on training efforts on employees who work in hotels, airports, casinos, and other hospitality and entertainment occupations. We are reaching out to teachers, administrators and schools, banking and transportation workers and health care providers, and the faith community. These trainees throughout minnesota have resulted in actionable tips into our office fbi andf ei and hsi hsi. You have also collaborated with an Organization CalledClub Operators against sex trafficking to provide education and training to owners and employees of Adult Entertainment clubs throughout minnesota. They may be the most likely once to encounter signs of a sec sex trafficking victim, and this cannot be ignored. So, what cases have we investigated and prosecuted in my district here are a few examples. Oneuld like to start with that deals with labor trafficking, because what is lost sometimes in this conversation about sex trafficking are forced labor cases. Last year in a wealthy suburb paul, 2 local Police Officers encountered a woman wandering the streets at night, bloody, beat up and frail. China, she could see the airplanes moving toward our international airport, and was walking in the direction of the airport, many miles away. Officers stopped her and spoke to her, and this is key, because of their recent training in Human Trafficking issues, they were quickly recognizing this woman as a victim of Human Trafficking, who had escaped her trafficker. The officers were able to andopriately refer her provided the resources necessary, and they involved Homeland Security agents from the outset. The subsequent investigation revealed that the woman entered endured horrific abuse at the hands of the defendant. Addition,ant in holding this person against her will, in her home, forced her to work up to 18 hours per day, and the victim was kicked, punched, grabbed by the hair and threatened with knives. The victim told Law Enforcement clumps ofat she hid her own hair under her mattress, so that the defendant once forced her because the defendant once forced her to eat the hair. My office work handinhand with local and state partners to achieve a successful prosecution of the defendant in this labor trafficking case. The defendant was sentenced to more than one year in custody, after which she agreed to be deported to china. Ordered to pay over 100,000 in restitution to the victim, and to the third party Victim Services which provided services to the victim. And, she was required to four feet her home, worth approximately 400,000. The second case i would like to discuss with you, involved an all too common Human Trafficking scenario. Minor children. 14 four teenage a federalified at trial against a trafficker who had sold them for sex in the twin cities. The investigation began when a concerned mother reached out to her local Sheriffs Office to report that a man by the name of recruitingrles was her 17yearold daughter to engage in sexual acts and prostitution. In his facebook messages, to the thendant, excusing, to victim, he described how the girl could make money, and promised a trip to vegas. He indicated that her life, which was not all that wonderful, would be smooth sailing from here on out. He told her he would provide condoms and protect her from the clients. The defendant also instructed the young girl to save his phone number, under the name daddy. Of theitial report victims mother to the Sheriffs Office, led Law Enforcement to identify several additional juvenile victims. A 14yearold girl told Law Enforcement that the same defendant had requested sexually explicit images of her. Sent 2endant also pornographic images of an adult female and instructed the 14yearold victim to send pictures of herself in a miller poses in similar poses. The defendant trafficked another minor child who was 14 years old , and used her to produce sexually explicit images. He asked the victim to make a video of herself engaged in very specific sexual acts, and while recruiting this 14yearold, the defendant asked you will make lots of money you will indeed make lots of money. When she asked what he meant, he replied, you will make much that from the sexual acts i want you to perform. Knowing that she was 14 years old, the defendant responded in one text, you are kind of young, but we can make a lot of money from young. Was 17 yearsctim defendant sent messages to her about making quick money and promising her a better life. After picking the victim up in the minneapolis suburb, posted socalled escort photograph on backpage. Com he then made a Hotel Reservation using an alias and paid cash for the room. For the next several days, the defendant sold the him for commercials secs and kept all the money the victim received as theesult of the sects acts sex acts she was forced to engage in. This happened,t the defendant was a registered sex offender based on this prior conviction for soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct. The case went to trial. And thewas served victims important testimony at federal trial led to his best conviction and a 36 year sentence in federal prison. The final case i would like to highlight, is one of the largest sex trafficking prosecutions in the nation. This particular case is truly remarkable because of the collaborative efforts of multiple Law Enforcement partners. Victim Service Providers and Industry Partners across many jurisdictions in our country. Sex trafficking prosecutions in the nation. This particular case is truly the investigation started through good oldfashioned police work. Federal agent with Homeland Security investigations, it received a report from her hsi colleagues down in arizona that women were being trafficked in arizona and that the operation was moving some women up to minnesota. Our office immediately commenced an investigation with our local Law Enforcement partners, and eventually other federal state and local jurisdictions from around the country. We worked with multiple u. S. Hsi, stateficers, and local enforcement across the country, the u. S. Department of here as well as components at the doj, including the Human Trafficking prosecution unit, and very importantly, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery section. Through good surveillance, a review of records and receipts, and other techniques, our agents hai victimst the t were being trafficked in almost every major city in the country under the watchful eye of a mess this criminal organization. Massive criminal organization. And it was a massive criminal organization. The enterprise was responsible for trafficking hundreds of impoverished women from bangkok, thailand to cities throughout minneapolis, los angeles, chicago, atlanta, phoenix, las vegas, houston, dallas, austin, seattle minneaps angeles, chicago, atlanta, phoenix, las at and right here at the nations capital. Putting the pieces together required close coordination with international, national and state local partners. Trips toe several thailand by federal Law Enforcement officials including trip to the former u. S. Attorney, andy luger, from minnesota. Our current prosecution is the result of more than four years of work. It is fortunately it has fortunately dismantled a highly profitable operation, that to 24ed millions, up million, that we have come it does far, through a highly sophisticated secs trafficking scheme. Sex trafficking scheme. The victims typically came from very poor backgrounds and spoke very little english. Vulnerabilities of course, that the traffickers exploited. The women were promised a better life in the united dates, but with that promise came a large bondage that, of anywhere between 40000 and 60,000. The women were told that after they worked off their debt, they would become u. S. Citizens, their recruiters who met with them in thailand were friendly, helpful and made their future in the United States sound bright. Brought brought them to a photography studios in bangkok, to take professionalquality, escortstyle photographs which ultimately were sent to traffickers here in the u. S. They were used to advertise the victims for secs online four sex online. The traffickers encouraged the make themselves more appealing to men in the United States. The cost of the cousin medic surgery of course, was added to the rims bondage that. When the women arrived in the unit is dates, everything changed. They were essentially held in prostitution houses and only allowed to leave if accompanied by an employee or the Organization Employee of the organization. They were forced to have sex when theygers, even were abusive. The traffickers and short that the women remained isolated in the u. S. , they had very little money, no freedom of movement and no interaction with the outside world. The structure of this secs Trafficking Organization was very higher sex Trafficking Organization was very hierarchical. Launderers, facilitators and runners, each of these players with a clearly defined role and keeping this criminal organization profitable. At the top of the organization were the traffickers, in both the United States and in thailand who were responsible for recruiting the victims and controlling their bondage that. Bondage debt. They learned everything he could about the women and the information of teen was an important piece of this scheme. Information, the traffickers threatened anyone who wanted to escape, including threats to their family back in thailand, who would be harmed if the woman did not do everything they were told. Determinedkers also where in the United States the women would be sent. But first they had to get the women into the united dates. The traffickers did this by engaging in widespread visa fraud, including arranging sham marriages and lying on visa applications in order to facilitate the travel of the women from thailand to our country. Once in the United States, the women were sent to one of the many houses of prostitution. Next came the house bosses who reported to the traffickers and were responsible for the daytoday operations of the houses. They advertised the women, usually on websites like backpage. Com, scheduled sex buyers, and ensured the cash earned by the victims was routed back to the trafficker with the house boss taking her cut. Little money was left for the victim to pay off her bondage debt. Next, the facilitators assisted in Money Laundering and other activities of the organization. They helped lease apartments in other locations used as houses of prostitution. They booked travel, advertised the women, and scheduled commercial sex acts. And they were the ones primarily responsible for laundering and routing millions of dollars generated through the commercial sex trade. And finally, there were the runners. The Trafficking Organizations feared the women would try to escape, so the runners accompanied them when they left the house, the apartment, or hotel room. The runners were also responsible for bringing them to and from the airport. The organization regularly moved women to different cities throughout our country so the women did not develop local connections. Runners also took them to the banks where the victims would deposit their payments and individual accounts, which was part of the Money Laundering scheme. The runners were typically men and were often paid at least in part in sex with the victims. The prosecution of this case was a major undertaking. To date, we have publicly indicted 38 defendants. 17 so far have pled guilty, and a trial date is set for early may for the rest. Hundreds of victims have been identified. Millions of dollars have already been seized, which will go forward to a muchdeserved Restitution Fund for the victims. Weapons were also confiscated when the houses of prostitution were closed. This has been a victimcentered prosecution, and our prosecutors and agents have helped provide the victims with a sense of hope and a sense of justice. As noted, the Organization Made millions of dollars annually. And the Prosecution Team is working to secure that money for victim restitution. The d. O. J. Money laundering and Asset Coverage section is playing a major role in this aspect of the case. They have documented more than 25 million in proceeds from commercial sex acts that have been laundered back to traffickers. When dealing with this level of organized crime, we know that we can only shut down a sophisticated sex Trafficking Organization when we take away their money. Very importantly, our office collaborated with an organization in los angeles called the Thai Community development center, a d. O. J. Grantee. They specialize in working with the thai population to help victims access culturally sensitive and language specific services. Today, some of the victims in our case have learned english. Some are taking vocational courses, and many are living independently. We must take seriously the department of justices directive to take a victimcentered approach to Human Trafficking cases. Thankfully, we have some you need resources that provided services to stabilize and support victims throughout the cases long investigation and prosecution. In conclusion, i would like to make the following observation. Although the increased awareness that an event like the super bowl can bring to our nations problem with Human Trafficking is very important, if we really want to get to the problem of Human Trafficking and get it under control, awareness and enforcement efforts must be nurtured, must be supported, and most importantly, must be sustained long after the big game is over. Thank you. [applause] we have reserved a few minutes before the lunch break for discussion. Is toe would like to do give you a more interactive part for the remainder of our session here. U. S. Attorney booker, i was very interested in your characterization of the sophistication and hierarchical nature of the organization you are prosecuting. Can you give us a sense of how you have had to evolve in terms of investigation and prosecution tactics as a result of facing an organization like that in this context . Right. As you can imagine, i dont know if i am on, i will yell. As you can imagine, if your office is used to prosecuting traffickers who maybe are trafficking three or four minor girls with not a lot of sophistication and organization, to tackle this level of what i would submit is a mafiastyle organization with very detailed roles that a large number of folks play, you have to leverage your resources, and you have to have a game plan. Right . We have had superseding indictments. The indictments have come in waves, as is typical when you prosecute a large organization. The outreach to the appropriate Victim Service organizations was crucial from day one. That can be very crucial in a small Human Trafficking case of course, but can you imagine the scale with hundreds of victims spread throughout the country . It took the work of a large Organization Called the department of justice to make this prosecution work. And for all of you u. S. Attorney folks, those are important resources to leverage as you tackle larger Human Trafficking cases. I was intrigued by her by your comments about the use of Money Laundering as an investigative technique. How do you see this playing out as we go forward . In this particular case, because there were folks who were specifically given the duty to launder the money, those folks have been indicted when we can find them. As you can imagine, some are offshore. A lot of them are on the west coast, fortunately, and we were able to indict. When you have a specific indictment against a money launderer and they come in to plead guilty, then you say open up your books and start writing checks out to us as part of the plea. As you know, restitution is ordered at the time of sentencing on the backend, but a good prosecutor and agent begin to think about the money on the front end. That is crucial in all of these types of cases. Unfortunately, as you know, a small Human Trafficking case involving maybe three or four minor women within state boundaries, that defendant may not have any resources. And so, that can be a frustrating piece of the prosecution. Here with this international sophistication of an organization, we could go after directly as part of the prosecution the money launderers and thus the money. I would add from where i sit in the Criminal Division in our Money Laundering and Asset Recovery section, we are firmly committed to working with the u. S. Attorneys office is across the country and have dedicated attorney purely to look at Money Laundering and Asset Recovery in the context of Human Trafficking cases. We have also tried to expand our training to make sure we have that ability and consciousness to use this as a tool, because i agree, it is a very powerful thing. When it comes to the International Aspect that we heard the attorney general mention the successful extradition from mexico of several people involved in Human Trafficking into the United States, do you have any further thoughts on how the International Part of the problem makes our lives more difficult or perhaps gives us opportunities . Obviously, you need to coordinate in any International Case and seek the cooperation of folks who probably have a totally different Justice System than ours, different from ours. Some of those trips to thailand that the former u. S. Attorney took with the fed had an official from Homeland Security were very helpful. It is just an added layer to the prosecution. The prosecutors have to keep focused on the folks they are indicting. Fortunately, the department and the state department have resources that can focus on that International Peace somewhat so the prosecutor can remain busy doing his or her job prosecuting the defendants and continuing the investigation within the United States. Maybe i will drop a footnote here as well. One other aspect of the departments efforts is to train foreign Law Enforcement so they will be able to do their part of the case when it involves this kind of transport. We have invested a fair bit of money in the International Training in countries like the philippines or nepal, the balkans, all of these trainings have happened in the last year. One other aspect, and i think we can wrap up with this, i have heard you mention advertising through back page twice in your speech. Certainly from the perspective of the Child Exploitation section, we have seen numerous cases and sting operations through online advertising. How do you see the advertising platforms playing into the problem . Does that create investigative opportunities as well . Well, as we have found in many Human Trafficking cases involving sex, many roads lead to online webbased advertisements. They are the modern version of the old truly back page of whatever rag was being printed in the local city. It has increased the volume we are seeing. It is just part of the challenge of prosecuting these cases. But there is evidence that one can use from those sites, right . And of course, good agents are capturing screenshots as we speak right now, investigating their Human Trafficking cases. When the media changes, and remember, i did not know much about some of the social apps i talked about earlier, you have to be nimble as a prosecutor to view that as a positive way to get evidence, but it is very much a presence in our society now, and we are going to have a challenge tackling that. And that is probably all i should say about backpage. Com. Thank you. Certainly, i think the fact that a lot of advertising can be focused in a particular set of online locations may present an opportunity for deterrence as well if we can attack the problem in that way, in a way that perhaps before the advent of advertising online there was not that sort of opportunity. We are out of time. We appreciate your attention. Thank you again for a very interesting and powerful presentation. [applause] next, a look at services and Resources Available for Human Trafficking the ms. This is just over an hour. Here they come. The task of introducing our panelists will fall to paul read. I have the honor of introducing her. She is a lawyer turned journalist covering Legal Affairs for cbs news. She has spent the last four years in cbss washington bureau, covering the department of justice, fbi, and Supreme Court for the network. She regularly appears on s