GUILTY MO - Cassidy Rainwater, 33, *GRAPHIC CONTENT* nude & caged in photos, Buffalo, 15 July 2021

[Bit of hope]

Not to get off topic, but I wonder if there's information available to store owners and employees on how to spot signs of human trafficking? Here's an informational site for convenience store workers published by the US government Dept of Homeland Security

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/blue_campaign_convenience_store_guide_508.pdf

This is not OT at all. This "" is among us...and we should all be alert for the signs...Thank you for sharing....X

 

[Betty P]

This is not OT at all. This "****" is among us...and we should all be alert for the signs...Thank you for sharing....X

Agree. I was wondering if the general topic needed it's own thread somewhere here at WS.

 

[?!?]

Agree. I was wondering if the general topic needed it's own thread somewhere here at WS.

You've got MY vote!

 

[CocoChanel]

I happened to stop by this thread and saw the recent discussion about having a separate more general discussion about human trafficking. There is already a thread in the CHAT section of the private forums titled Define Trafficking. It only has one post that asks a question that could certainly be the starting point of what needs to be revealed about this horrible crime that is not well-known. Take a look at that thread and see if it could be the place we could use for this much-needed discussion and education. We could change the title of the thread if so desired.

Since this very discussion is veering off from Cassidy’s thread, please let me hear your comments about this potential side thread about the bigger picture of human trafficking IN THE THREAD I am suggesting, NOT here on Cassidy’s thread. Click on the highlighted links in this message to take you there.

THANKS!
CocoChanel
Administrator/Moderator

 

[LunaInvidia]

I happened to stop by this thread and saw the recent discussion about having a separate more general discussion about human trafficking. There is already a thread in the CHAT section of the private forums titled Define Trafficking. It only has one post that asks a question that could certainly be the starting point of what needs to be revealed about this horrible crime that is not well-known. Take a look at that thread and see if it could be the place we could use for this much-needed discussion and education. We could change the title of the thread if so desired.

Since this very discussion is veering off from Cassidy’s thread, please let me hear your comments about this potential side thread about the bigger picture of human trafficking IN THE THREAD I am suggesting, NOT here on Cassidy’s thread. Click on the highlighted links in this message to take you there.

THANKS!
CocoChanel
Administrator/Moderator

Whoop, thank you much! I definitely have some comments and I will go post them there now.

 

[Betty P]

I happened to stop by this thread and saw the recent discussion about having a separate more general discussion about human trafficking. There is already a thread in the CHAT section of the private forums titled Define Trafficking. It only has one post that asks a question that could certainly be the starting point of what needs to be revealed about this horrible crime that is not well-known. Take a look at that thread and see if it could be the place we could use for this much-needed discussion and education. We could change the title of the thread if so desired.

Since this very discussion is veering off from Cassidy’s thread, please let me hear your comments about this potential side thread about the bigger picture of human trafficking IN THE THREAD I am suggesting, NOT here on Cassidy’s thread. Click on the highlighted links in this message to take you there.

THANKS!
CocoChanel
Administrator/Moderator

Thanks, @CocoChanel. That's a great idea. We seem to be reading more about this problem.

 

[Bit of hope]

Agree. I was wondering if the general topic needed it's own thread somewhere here at WS.

I'm not sure if there is general topic....I've brought up this issue up in many of the threads I follow...and also on my FB page. Also..I'm very selective and cautious about calling a case human trafficking....sometimes the signs are written all over the case, sometimes they are "simply" not. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this issue...for one it's a real big problem and people who don't dig into the issue have lot's of false presumptions around it.

 

[Cryptic]

Looking for CR updates, so far this morning I have found THREE other (no obvious tie to CR) stories regarding some form of sexual/violence perversion involving the Springfield/Lebanon area. And I can't shake the idea that tiny Lebanon has THREE "lingerie" shops (as discussed here).

Yes, its disturbing. I keep emphasizing that Lebanon is not a big town.

This area is also the "buckle of the Bible Belt", so there's an emphasis on sweeping these problems under the rug.

Good research on the disproportionate number of "lingerie" ansd Betty's emphasis that the town is small. As a side note, though there may have been some sweeping, some problems can be very difficult to solve.

For example, "lingerie" shops are fundamentally legal and depending on what products that are being sold and where the store is located, they may not need licenses to operate.

Likewise, another very difficult problem to solve is freedom of residency. I once lived in a rural area of Socal that had a bad reputation for disproportionate criminality going back, well decades.

The area's isolation but close proximity to an interstate connecting it with coastal cities made it popular for meth labs. These then attracted meth users as it was more readily available in the area.

Likewise, as it was still part of the urban county, people on probation for various offenses drifted in as they could comply with court probation rules in a more lenient setting. Jobs were scarce in the area, so it was easier to avoid work- yet still remain on social services.

Making a long story short.... easy access to welfare, drugs, and laxly enforced probationary rules concentrated a large number of unsavory types into a small rural area. Over the years, some put down roots and started to raise families with... "Apples falling close to trees"

The end result was alot of problems that were not easy to solve.....

 

[notaname]

Good research on the disproportionate number of "lingerie" ansd Betty's emphasis that the town is small. As a side note, though there may have been some sweeping, some problems can be very difficult to solve.

For example, "lingerie" shops are fundamentally legal and depending on what products that are being sold and where the store is located, they may not need licenses to operate.

Likewise, another very difficult problem to solve is freedom of residency. I once lived in a rural area of Socal that had a bad reputation for disproportionate criminality going back, well decades.

The area's isolation but close proximity to an interstate connecting it with coastal cities made it popular for meth labs. These then attracted meth users as it was more readily available in the area.

Likewise, as it was still part of the urban county, people on probation for various offenses drifted in as they could comply with court probation rules in a more lenient setting. Jobs were scarce in the area, so it was easier to avoid work- yet still remain on social services.

Making a long story short.... easy access to welfare, drugs, and laxly enforced probationary rules concentrated a large number of unsavory types into a small rural area. Over the years, some put down roots and started to raise families with... "Apples falling close to trees"

The end result was alot of problems that were not easy to solve.....

This is an important point. Lebanon is a small town with a large number of manufacturing facilities (mostly boats, trailers, air conditioning compressors and wine barrels). It's a bit of a "hub" in a largely rural area, and it draws people from miles around for work. Also, it's located on I-44, a major trucking route located less than an hour from one of the largest trucking hubs in the midwest, Springfield, MO. So, I think using the population as a ruler to base demand is a little misleading. For what it's worth, I live 50 miles down the road at another "hub" and we've got 2 "adult stores". I often wonder why they exist, as I rarely see cars in the parking lots. Perhaps I don't keep the same hours as their clients..

 

[LunaInvidia]

I still can't find which three shops people are referring to in Lebanon. Springfield is a different story but everywhere I've looked has turned up just the one.

(Also re: hours, I don't know if every store is like mine but our sales are always busiest about 45 minutes before we close, regardless of when we close. )

 

[?!?]

This is an important point. Lebanon is a small town with a large number of manufacturing facilities (mostly boats, trailers, air conditioning compressors and wine barrels). It's a bit of a "hub" in a largely rural area, and it draws people from miles around for work. Also, it's located on I-44, a major trucking route located less than an hour from one of the largest trucking hubs in the midwest, Springfield, MO. So, I think using the population as a ruler to base demand is a little misleading. For what it's worth, I live 50 miles down the road at another "hub" and we've got 2 "adult stores". I often wonder why they exist, as I rarely see cars in the parking lots. Perhaps I don't keep the same hours as their clients..

And perhaps they sell a few things that are not advertised.

 

[Filly]

I still can't find which three shops people are referring to in Lebanon. Springfield is a different story but everywhere I've looked has turned up just the one.

(Also re: hours, I don't know if every store is like mine but our sales are always busiest about 45 minutes before we close, regardless of when we close. )

Chica, allow me to try again.

Don't trust my "Sometimers". Sometimes I remember and sometimes I forget.

O/T I live in Philly. I can bet Dallas is beating New England from the amount of crap outside my windows going on. Please bare with me. No gunshots heard though.

 

[LunaInvidia]

Chica, allow me to try again.

Don't trust my "Sometimers". Sometimes I remember and sometimes I forget.

O/T I live in Philly. I can bet Dallas is beating New England from the amount of crap outside my windows going on. Please bare with me. No gunshots heard though.

Oh, no shade at you and your observations! Just commenting on how people sometimes wonder how we stay afloat too, and the answer is I can go hours without seeing a soul and then suddenly I start thinking about closing duties early and I get 18 people in 40 minutes spending $200 each.

 

[Cryptic]

Lebanon is a small town with a large number of manufacturing facilities. It's a bit of a "hub" in a largely rural area, and it draws people from miles around for work. Also, it's located on I-44, a major trucking route. So, I think using the population as a ruler to base demand is a little misleading. For what it's worth,

I live 50 miles down the road at another "hub" and we've got 2 "adult stores". I often wonder why they exist, as I rarely see cars in the parking lots. Perhaps I don't keep the same hours as their clients..

I think that is a very good analysis regarding the possibility of people from more rural areas using Lebanon for "stocking up" (whether its groceries, less expensive alcohol, or well, porn) before getting back on the road or going home to more rural areas.

I wondered the same about a adult shop in my town- never saw any customers. Then when working for a Temporary Servie, I found myself dismantling theater seats with the owner of the local umm.... "emprioum"

As she (semi retired stripper) was talkative and pragmatic, I asked her about safety and business. She told me that:

- She always "Backed the Blue" at town events and charities- hmmm....and may in other ways too? Anyways, the local police all knew her and responded very quickly to any call she made- even minor ones.

- She had low operating expenses. She owned the small lot / building, so no rent. Her then trucker boyfriend was also an employee when in town and a source of income. She bought generic lingerie and "marital aids" cheap and in bulk at a twice yearly trade show in NOLA- that she liked to visit anyways.

- Finally..... strippers from near and far trusted her decades long expertise regarding selected specialized costumes- and paid very well for crowd pleasers. Thus, her shop was also a magnet for a small number of bigger spenders.

 

[Filly]

Oh, no shade at you and your observations! Just commenting on how people sometimes wonder how we stay afloat too, and the answer is I can go hours without seeing a soul and then suddenly I start thinking about closing duties early and I get 18 people in 40 minutes spending $200 each.

No offense taken.

Got you!

Appreciating your help. Questioning where are the dang three sites I found.

It's all good.

 

[LunaInvidia]

I could probably do some math based on how much our overhead costs are vs a small town, if anyone is interested.

 

[notaname]

Oh, no shade at you and your observations! Just commenting on how people sometimes wonder how we stay afloat too, and the answer is I can go hours without seeing a soul and then suddenly I start thinking about closing duties early and I get 18 people in 40 minutes spending $200 each.

This is a real possibility. I don't stay up past 8pm, much less be out driving around. If they close at 10 or 11, it's a real possibility.

 

[Sunny Texas]

I still can't find which three shops people are referring to in Lebanon. Springfield is a different story but everywhere I've looked has turned up just the one.

(Also re: hours, I don't know if every store is like mine but our sales are always busiest about 45 minutes before we close, regardless of when we close. )

Luna, I posted about 2 of them here. From the outside currently, it is not obvious that either of them sells lingerie or any other adult products. They are in a commercial downtown area near the post office, courthouse, and police station--not really where you would expect them to be. The B&B store doesn't look one bit like a clothing or adult products store. It looks like an automotive or pawn shop...and often has a guy out front selling tacos. The door does have B&B painted on it, but it is not easily visible.

 

[LunaInvidia]

Luna, I posted about 2 of them here. From the outside currently, it is not obvious that either of them sells lingerie or any other adult products. They are in a commercial downtown area near the post office, courthouse, and police station--not really where you would expect them to be. The B&B store doesn't look one bit like a clothing or adult products store. It looks like an automotive or pawn shop...and often has a guy out front selling tacos. The door does have B&B painted on it, but it is not easily visible.

Your link takes me to a Groupon for a media transfer service...? Possibly a mispaste?

 

[LunaInvidia]

Apologies for the double post, but it's my lunch break and I've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole, so here are my thoughts on B&B. I'd commented upthread about them being an A/C business at least per Google, I'm aware of some seemingly outdated Yelp/etc review sites that list it as a lingerie shop but wasn't able to find any of their online presence that indicated such, as you mentioned. I did find a STL Today article about a previous case- I think maybe linked earlier?- from November of 2010 quoting a Richard Parker, owner of B&B Boutique, "the town's only lingerie shop." His wife is unnamed in the article, but in the results for Richard is a 2018 obituary for a wife of the correct age, survived by husband and two sons.

The Google images for the B&B business currently online today list a Facebook page, which was established in late 2020 and posts often about serving as a food bank and the plans that the owner has for the business going forward, as well as apologizing for not being particularly good at social media. In the comments on the posts, he's addressed by the name of one of the sons from the obituary, with people saying they're proud of him. (There's also an exterior website for his company that is a little more polished and is focused on the air conditioning. It also lists Richard Parker as his father.)

now, I don't really have any evidence of this but I'm occams-razoring it: I don't think it's a lingerie shop any more at all. I think it used to be, and after the wife passed on, the building went to the son, who sounds a smidge directionless but very earnest. I could be wrong! But the tone of the posts and the general messiness of many of the local business's web presence seems to me to indicate someone who isn't comfortable enough online to polish the pre-existing business data off the internet but also doesn't have enough new content to bury it. So I think the lingerie shops are a bit of a red herring in the search for Cassidy, as it were. MOO etc.