I just spoke with Lena, KF's Aunt who is trying to find this poor child. The whole human traffic thing caught her off guard a few days ago. Cajun Net has really been speculating about this and fear it's what may have happened. The Aunt that was in jail, along with the cousin, they have lawyered up and are not talking. LWJ is still in custody, however he is not speaking either. They feel that LWJ's brother really didn't and doesn't know anything about what is going on with KF. The day she went missing, she was last seen with LWJ, and did not want to go. The Aunt who was in prison reported her as a runaway that evening, we know the rest. I am beginning to believe Cajun Net is on to something and your story is right on target! Strange how human trafficking is such a big business. I never thought I would see it in Louisiana, but it's here...
That's been my concern from the beginning. The family members lying about Keiosha being missing is what led me to the possibility. It's the third largest criminal enterprise in the world, and I think it's been bumped up. Houston has an enormous problem with human sex trafficking, and yes, it has spread into Louisiana.
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/p...ent-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_traffickingSince 2006, the Louisiana Human Trafficking Task Force, which has law enforcement, training, and victim services components, has focused its law enforcement and victim rescue efforts on the Interstate 10 corridor from the Texas border on the west to the Mississippi border on the east. This corridor, the basic northern border of the hurricane-ravaged areas of Louisiana, long has served as a major avenue of illegal immigration efforts. The I-10 corridor also is the main avenue for individuals participating in human trafficking to supply the labor needs in the hurricane-damaged areas of the state.
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/p...ent-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking
It happens right under our noses, and most people don't realize it's going on. It's generally believed to be a problem with immigrants, but the statistics say otherwise. At risk teens, like Keiosha, are exceptionally vulnerable. The majority of minors who are held as sex slaves enter the trade by way of adults who sell the children to traffickers.
The age of the youngest confirmed victim of sex trafficking in Baton Rouge, LA is 6 years old (Rescue and Restore Coalition of Louisiana)
- The current number of beds available in Louisiana designated for human trafficking victims is 0.
- According to Shared Hope International, Baton Rouge is among the top 10 cities in the U.S. for human trafficking (February 5, 2010. Wafb.com. http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11940245
http://www.traffickinghope.org/human-trafficking-stats.phpPosted: Feb 05, 2010 11:57 AM CST
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - According to Shared Hope International, Baton Rouge is among the top 10 cities in the U.S. for human trafficking. In 2006, the group estimated there were 100 victims of domestic sex trafficking in the Baton Rouge-New Orleans area under 18 years old. That same year, the Baton Rouge shelter, Youth Oasis, reported 57% of its visitors were victims of sexual abuse. Records by the Office of Community show 35 confirmed cases in Louisiana where a parent was directly involved of the prostitution of their child
http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=11940245
This is from a 2008 report.
1. DMST is Occurring in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans AreaConservative estimates from various state and nonprofi t agencies interviewed on the number of DMSTvictims they served totaled over 100 victims in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area since 2006. Staff at Youth Oasis, a Baton Rouge shelter, reviewed their computer records and reported that 57% of the 157 youth who came to the shelter in 2006 qualified as DMST victims, though they were not identified at the time. The Offi ce of Community Services (OCS) reported 35 confi rmed instances in Louisiana of a parent or caretaker directly involved in the prostitution of their child since 2006. There are many more DMST victims who are misidentifi ed and not counted.
A lack of awareness of the TVPA and the Louisiana anti-trafficking statute, coupled with a lack of victim
identification, has allowed traffickers/pimps free range to recruit, groom, and exploit children in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area. The various state and federal laws available to charge a trafficker/pimp can carry extremely different penalties. When pimps are not identified, charged and convicted as human traffickers, the sentencing falls dramatically and serves as little punishment for the crime committed.
http://www.sharedhope.org/Portals/0/Documents/BatonRouge-NewOrleans_PrinterFriendly.pdf
http://www.polarisproject.org/state-map/louisiana