Found Safe TN - SLP, 14, Madisonville, Monroe County, 13 Jan 2019 #5 *ARRESTS*

[oviedo]

Took a break from this case for a week. Wow, just wow. Both men think they were so clever but we all see right thru them. I hope someone can help SP get her social security card. Here’s why: The first time you apply, you use your birth certificate. If the adoption was a fraud / verbal/ nothing in writing, then she can change her public profile immediately. That will help remove the notoriety of her adoptive name. I mention this because my name was changed without an adoption decree. My mother remarried & we moved to a new state within months. She didn’t want anyone to ask questions. I was registered in school under the new name. When I turned 15, I applied for my SS card in my birth name, then got my drivers permit. I hope its as simple for SP and it will go a long way in helping her build a positive future.

In my state, SS cards are issued at birth - perhaps hers was already with her birth father's name? Not sure what state she was born in. I sure hope the county she is in has outstanding child protection services and they don't make any mistakes. Great information on the social security card - thanks.

 

[MsBetsy]

SBM
I really wish you would stop saying this. I have already directed you to a link showing you it is incorrect. You are spreading misinformation about sex trafficking, and creating false perceptions about what it means. This makes it more difficult for victims of trafficking to be heard and get help, especially those who have not been transported anywhere.
See #2 &3
Myths & Misconceptions

Reiterated here:
Human Trafficking Myths and Facts

View attachment 169174

In this case the term "trafficking" is being used to describe Taking a Minor across state lines for Sexual Purposes. It is not to imply that the intent was for slavery or selling that person for sex.
Trafficking can include taking a person across state lines for improper purposes, such as sexual exploitation, or other sexual reasons. This can include taking advantage of someone, or using them in some way to benefit themselves.
I don't think it is being implied that she was forced into prostitution, or slavery, although that would also fall into the category of Trafficking. "Sexual Purposes" is a general term. We don't yet know all the details, just that the Assistant US Attorney announced the intent to charge him with it. Imo

 

[PayrollNerd]

In my state, SS cards are issued at birth - perhaps hers was already with her birth father's name? Not sure what state she was born in. I sure hope the county she is in has outstanding child protection services and they don't make any mistakes. Great information on the social security card - thanks.

My two kids were born in TN, in the mid 90s and I was given the SS card app in the hospital after we named them. I’m hoping SPs original social security number/card exists but if not, I hope she can apply soon to get a head start on building her future.

 

[gitana1]

SBM
I really wish you would stop saying this. I have already directed you to a link showing you it is incorrect. You are spreading misinformation about sex trafficking, and creating false perceptions about what it means. This makes it more difficult for victims of trafficking to be heard and get help, especially those who have not been transported anywhere.
See #2 &3
Myths & Misconceptions

Reiterated here:
Human Trafficking Myths and Facts

View attachment 169174

I feel your pain. But don't misunderstand! I fully understand the myths and hysteria involving sex trafficking. People think it means that there are these sinister rings out there preying on little middle class white children or women and snatching them off the street to sell to the highest bidder ala the movie Taken.

It's nonsense. In every case "trafficking" is brought up. Total nonsense.

But in this case, the actual charge would indeed be a sex trafficking charge.

It would be the same federal charge that Tad Cummings was charged with and pled guilty to:
18 U.S. Code§ 2423.
Transportation of minors
Transporting a minor with intent of engaging in sexual activities.
18 U.S. Code § 2423 - Transportation of minors

It is indeed, a sex trafficking offense.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43597.pdf

Trafficking doesn't have to have a "commercial" component, although that is the more typical use of the term. In other words, transporting a teen over state lines so you can rape her is also under the trafficking umbrella:

The Mann Act outlaws prostitution and unlawful sexual activities that involve interstate or foreign travel. It consists of three principal substantive sections.

Section 2421 proscribes the interstate or foreign transportation of someone for purposes of prostitution or unlawful sexual activity; misconduct which is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years.

Section 2422 condemns coercing or enticing another person to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution or unlawful sexual activity, or using interstate communications to coerce or entice a child to engage in such conduct. The communications offense is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 years; the travel offense by imprisonment for not more than 20 years.

Section 2423 outlaws four distinct offenses: (1) §2423(a)—transportation of a child in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of prostitution or unlawful sexual purposes; (2) §2423(b)—interstate or foreign travel for purposes of unlawful sexual abuse of a child; (3) §2423(c)—foreign travel and subsequent unlawful sexual abuse of a child; and (4) §2423(d)— arranging, for profit, the travel outlawed in any of these offenses. The first is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 years, each of the others by imprisonment for not more than 30 years.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43597.pdf

 

[gitana1]

I don't feel that it's worse, but I do feel that it's very sad in both cases. I chose not to read the first complaint, partly because I feel she needs more privacy. Whether I read it or not, RP will be tried and convicted. So I chose to be one less person who knows the terrible details.

Yeah, I'm with ya'. I read the complaint because so many people sent it to me. I would've been very happy not to. And I do wish her privacy could be protected in the process.

I fully appreciate the necessity for open trials. But the privacy rights of a victim should also be upheld. I'm not sure how both can be assured at the same time.

I think our national social and political history value transperancy and due process more highly than almost anything. It stems from an era in which the powers that be could do whatever they wanted to citizens and be as corrupt as can be, without consequence. Liberty from tyranny is just such a cornerstone of American legal principles and values.

 

[gitana1]

In this case the term "trafficking" is being used to describe Taking a Minor across state lines for Sexual Purposes. It is not to imply that the intent was for slavery or selling that person for sex.
Trafficking can include taking a person across state lines for improper purposes, such as sexual exploitation, or other sexual reasons. This can include taking advantage of someone, or using them in some way to benefit themselves.
I don't think it is being implied that she was forced into prostitution, or slavery, although that would also fall into the category of Trafficking. "Sexual Purposes" is a general term. We don't yet know all the details, just that the Assistant US Attorney announced the intent to charge him with it. Imo

Yes. It's a specific trafficking charge without a commercial element. It can get confusing and I appreciate the OP's concern as fears of sex trafficking have become such hysterical garbage in this country. It's annoying. It also has, IMO, and based on my research as a law student and American studies undergrad, a political tinge and purposefully induced fear of the "other" quality. As well as some misogynistic features.

The history of the Mann Act is an interesting one.

 

[gitana1]

If he is charged with this - is that not considered human trafficking? I'm trying to understand this as it relates to the federal criminal code
18 U.S. Code § 2423 - Transportation of minors

BBM
Transportation With Intent To Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity.—
A person who knowingly transports an individual who has not attained the age of 18 years in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, with intent that the individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life.

It is.

 

[gitana1]

Different crime. Human trafficking has nothing to do with transporting.
ETA: I believe the confusion lies in the word "trafficking", which has connotations of vehicles, moving, etc. It is an unfortunate conflation. Perhaps it would be easier to understand by the term "slavery". MOO.

That's your misunderstanding though, respectfully, of the law. Human trafficking indeed includes transporting a minor across state lines for non-commercial but illegal sex. It's part of the Mann Act.

 

[oviedo]

Yeah, I'm with ya'. I read the complaint because so many people sent it to me. I would've been very happy not to. And I do wish her privacy could be protected in the process.

I fully appreciate the necessity for open trials. But the privacy rights of a victim should also be upheld. I'm not sure how both can be assured at the same time.

I think our national social and political history value transperancy and due process more highly than almost anything. It stems from an era in which the powers that be could do whatever they wanted to citizens and be as corrupt as can be, without consequence. Liberty from tyranny is just such a cornerstone of American legal principles and values.

I do as well - I do wish that the Sheriff had been able to stick with his original position that RP was arrested without providing specifics. Something made him name the victim I just don't know why. And I think they could have redacted the complaint - didn't we see that in the JC complaint? It's too late now of course but perhaps for future LE situations - maybe they could learn from this. I'm just not sure they would listen or if the law would allow it.

WKRN News
snipped
It is not clear how this may be connected to the teen's disappearance.

The sheriff's office is not providing any other details, including the circumstance of the arrest or whether ****** has been found.
ETA: removed the direct link because I could not remove the child's name

 

[gitana1]

Ok - is there a U.S. criminal code for this ? I guess I will go google it - I thought you had to transport someone from one location to another but I guess if they stay put it still is human trafficking. hmmm.

Sex trafficking typically includes an interstate travel component per the Mann Act but trafficking can also just include a commercial component. If you grab a kid off the street and prostitute them in the same town it's also trafficking.

ETA: Sorry - 18 USC 2421 -2424.

 

[margarita25]

I still can’t get Nicole Lovell out of my head. While her case is different in the sense that she was not fleeing an abusive home (al though she was being bullied at school), there are some similarities which I think are worth noting.

“Sometime in the middle of the night, the 13-year-old had climbed out of her bedroom window taking along her phone and her favorite blue cartoon blanket.“

Snip

“Like millions of teens, Nicole spent a lot of her social time online. So Weeks feared she might have left to see someone she'd met on the internet.“

Snip

“Nicole's social media posts reveal a sadly typical teenage story: so lonely she'd had suicidal thoughts, longing for love and convinced nobody cared about her.“

Snip

“Weeks says Nicole not only had trouble fitting in, she also had a difficult relationship with her father, David Lovell. He did prison time on a drug charge and he's had other problems with the law.
"She wanted his attention," Weeks said. "She wanted his love."“

Snip

“But Nicole was leading an unsupervised life online through the social media apps on her smartphone.
"It's like a loaded gun," said Pamela Casey, a district attorney in Blount County, Ala., who is on a national crusade warning people about the dangers of social media.
"This is the new crime of our time," she said.
Pamela Casey PSA: If you pick up your child's phone and you don't know the password, that's a problem. If you don't know…
Casey began speaking out long before Nicole Lovell disappeared in Virginia. Her online safety videos have been seen by millions across the country.
Pamela Casey PSA: I can actually go live on Periscope and post updates to you guys… if I can do that live sitting in my office, then your child can do that live in their bedroom.
"Years ago, you had to worry about your kid getting snatched. Parents don't realize that essentially your kid could get snatched -- their life taken by somebody they meet in their own bedroom," said Casey.“

Snip

“FBI computer forensics experts traced Nicole's account information and quickly established that she'd regularly used Kik – a popular chat app attractive to teens, in part, because they can communicate anonymously without their parents knowing.”

Snip

“So the FBI put in what they call an emergency disclosure request to Kik. They wanted to see Nicole's personal account, and they make a startling discovery. It turns out that in the last two days of her life, she'd been messaging with a person who had a chilling username: "Dr_Tombstone."
Using an IP address provided by Kik, investigators traced the Dr_Tombstone screen name to David Eisenhauser, 18, a freshman engineering student at Virginia Tech.”

Snip

District Attorney Pamela Casey said Eisenhauer and Keepers may represent a new kind of predator.
"Sometimes it's usually the people we least expect," Casey warned.
"They could be your next door neighbor," she said. "…they can stay behind their phone and hide behind their phone -- just like your child is doin'."
Casey said criminals often use apps like Kik. Why? Because it's where kids hang out online. In fact, Kik -- a Canadian company -- claims that millions of American teens use their app every month.
"You can be anybody…" said a convicted predator we'll call "Steve."
He should know. "Steve," 38, said he used the Internet to groom kids and spent 10 years in prison for molestation. He told "48 Hours" he now feels a new urge to sound the alarm about anonymous chat apps like Kik.
"Kik … is a predator's paradise," he said.
"Pedophiles, do they go on Kik, pose as a 13, 14, 15-year-old in order to hopefully strike up a relationship with a child?" Van Sant asked.
"Yes, that's quite common on there," "Steve" replied.
"Steve" demonstrated just how easy it is for an adult to use the Kik app to begin a conversation with a child.”

Snip

“My message is: 'I'm sad and lonely,'" said "Steve".
After hitting send, it took just 44 seconds for the first response to arrive. Another girl, apparently a teenager, responded less than three minutes later.
"In two days max, I could have her sending me nude pictures," "Steve" said. "Once you make 'em happy, you got their heart, once you got their heart, everything else follows."”

Snip

“But her parents did become suspicious when Elizabeth, then 15, suddenly started acting strangely.
"She would be going to bed earlier than normal," her father said.
Elizabeth seemed distracted -- less interested in family activities, in church, and even in friends. Her parents took her smartphone away and asked to see her social media accounts. She refused.
"At that point you're like, 'OK, something's really wrong here,'" said Brandy Syrotchen.
They were stunned to learn just how wrong.“

Snip

“Elizabeth was angry and evasive, but her parents finally got her passwords and soon discovered the truth. She had been communicating with a stranger: a 30-year-old Seattle-area man named Jason.“

Snip

“ "This guy's evil. She's fooled. She's lured in," said Branden Syrotchen.”

Snip

“The horror continued as the Syrotchens realized that within hours, Jason would be driving the 280 miles from Seattle to Spokane to pick up their daughter. They locked Elizabeth in her room with no phone or Internet access and called police.
"'This guy wants to kidnap my daughter tonight. He's planning to kidnap my daughter tonight,'" said Branden Syrotchen.”

Snip

“Gritting her teeth, Brandy Syrotchen went online -- impersonating her own daughter.
"For seven hours, I sat there and listened to him, 'Oh baby I can't wait to see you … I can't wait to get you in my arms …lay in the same bed together, wake up in the morning,'" she said in tears. "And for seven hours I communicated back, 'Oh baby, I love you too …I can't wait.'"“

Snip

“District Attorney Pamela Casey says far too many internet predators are turning to apps like Kik, and their alleged crimes are making headlines across the U.S.—more crimes than Facebook and Instagram users combined.”

Snip

“"Kids are going to use a messenger. If we were to shut down Kik tomorrow, there'll be 10 right behind it," said Livingston.“

Snip

“Nicole Lovell's death is a dark reminder of how social media has profoundly changed society.
"I hope … everybody learns from this. Hold their kids tight. 'Cause it can happen to you," said Weeks.
Today, our children have a host of new ways to live… and new ways to die as well.“

Killer App
JUNE 4, 2017 / CBS NEWS

 

[MsBetsy]

Yes. It's a specific trafficking charge without a commercial element. It can get confusing and I appreciate the OP's concern as fears of sex trafficking have become such hysterical garbage in this country. It's annoying. It also has, IMO, and based on my research as a law student and American studies undergrad, a political tinge and purposefully induced fear of the "other" quality. As well as some misogynistic features.

The history of the Mann Act is an interesting one.

Yes, well when I first read the charges I had to look it up and read it a few times before I understood it. When you hear "human trafficking" you tend to equate it to "sex slave, or prostitution." Imo

 

[GoneGoldfishin']

That's your misunderstanding though, respectfully, of the law. Human trafficking indeed includes transporting a minor across state lines for non-commercial but illegal sex. It's part of the Mann Act.

I (and every trafficking rescue organization I have cited) am not misunderstanding the law. Yes it can INVOLVE crossing state lines, but is not LIMITED to crossing any state or county lines. That is why I felt your posts needed addressing, because you stated crossing state lines as a definition of sex trafficking, which is incorrect. In this case, transportation is a factor; it is not in all cases.

 

[gitana1]

Yes you can be transported to be sold, but it is not necessary. It can happen in your own home or neighborhood.

And you don't have to be sold or enslaved for it to be trafficking.

 

[gitana1]

I (and every trafficking rescue organization I have cited) am not misunderstanding the law. Yes it can INVOLVE crossing state lines, but is not LIMITED to crossing any state or county lines. That is why I felt your posts needed addressing, because you stated crossing state lines as a definition of sex trafficking, which is incorrect. In this case, transportation is a factor; it is not in all cases.

Oh I understand what you mean. I should have said "sex trafficking includes.." not "is".

It wasn't clear to me from your post what the problem was. And you referenced another post and link that I never saw.

Also, your language is confusing. You said human tracking has "nothing" to do with transporting. And it does indeed. The original Acts had everything to do with travel. That's a huge component of most of the code sections. Not all but most. So your statement is misleading.
Hence the confusion, I think.

 

[margarita25]

Another thing about Nicole Lovell’s case, her perp killed her because she was a liability, she was going to expose their relationship.

How long was BR going to continue holding SP if the cops wouldn’t have shown up? Was he going to just let her go once RP was arrested? At some point she becomes a liability, kidnapping, sex charges, etc. Then what?
Maybe he’s not a killer and would have let her go at some point, as Kibby did with AH, or maybe he wouldn’t have.

And if he didn’t, and she was never found, well perhaps RP would’ve taken the fall for murder.

 

[oviedo]

Today I have been educated about human trafficking, encrypted messaging applications on computers, children lured by predators posing as other kids in gaming and messaging applications, protocol for assault exams by medical and legal personnel and transparency necessary for due process in our court system. I have also learned that a Sheriff can withhold information and then turn around and release it - but am not sure this is against any laws. I am thankful my family members have made it through life so far without being compromised on their phones and now know some new ways to help them prevent this. WS is quite the education and I for one, appreciate the many posters who take the time to share this.

 

[GoneGoldfishin']

Oh I understand what you mean. I should have said "sex trafficking includes.." not "is".

It wasn't clear to me from your post what the problem was. And you referenced another post and link that I never saw. Hence the confusion, I think.

Thank you.
It seems we are both saying (if I am understanding you correctly), human trafficking exists in many shapes and forms, not just some extreme cartel or dramatic international scenario. It can and does happen anywhere, in any neighborhood, right under our noses. Which means we have the power and ability to do something about it. MOO.

 

[Sillybilly]

This post lands at random.

Websleuths is a crime sleuthing forum where membership is comprised of a vast array of personalities from around the world; those personalities with their individual experience, knowledge and posting styles can run the gamut ... from brashness, clinical, peace, legal, love, factual, sweetness, light, etc. While not all personalities mix well all of the time, everyone is here because they care deeply about the cases that are discussed.

Each member brings their own unique personality and posting style to the discussion. We cannot mold each and every WS member into a specific, generic posting style.

"Principles above personalities" folks. The discussion needs each and every one of you. If necessary you can scroll & roll, or use the Ignore feature, and/or Report the post to let WS staff review it and handle it. The thread is to discuss the case itself, not other members.

"If everyone were perfect, we would forfeit our right to be an individual".
~author unknown~

 

[Sincerely]

While I don’t want to go off topic here, I do think this is a great platform to mention that Roblox is well known to be a breeding ground for predators. IMO. *Parents can control interaction level.* I am a mental health screener and was assessing a young girl one day and what she told me happened on this game was highly disturbing and she didn’t see it as a problem. It was normal behavior to her. This cannot become the norm for our children. I won’t go into details, but the following link describes a lot of what happens. I don’t buy that this 31-year-old educated man did not know what Roblox is about...IMO. My kids have known for years that the game has high potential for this type of behavior. Disclaimer: I’m not knocking the game because everyone on there does not engage in this, I’m just saying it’s known to have high potential for sexual predators. I’m curious if any virtual activity happened between this guy and SP, and if so, can those activities be recovered?

“A user-generated online gaming community marketed to children and teens is horrifying parents who say the app allows strangers to initiate lewd conversations and virtual sex acts with its young players.”

Roblox: Alarm over 'sickening' virtual sex acts in app for kids