1 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: Today on Crime Stories, we traveled to Houston, Texas. Letty 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: was a sex trafficking victim. According to her loved ones. 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: She disappeared two years ago at age thirteen. They say 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: she was drugged and sold, and even after they found 5 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: her near the Bayou at Moody Park and brought her home, 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: she was not the saint. Joining Nancy Grace, Adam Cheney, 7 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: co founder of Elijah Rising, Ashley Kelly, licensed clinical social worker, 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: Joe Scott Morgan, forensic expert, professor of forensics and author 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: of Blood Beneath My Feet, Doctor Michelle Duprie, medical examiner 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: and author of Homicide Investigation Field Guide, and Levi Paige, 11 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: investigative reporter for Crime Online. Crime Stories. With Nancy Grace, 12 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: Letty Sarano was just fifteen. She celebrated her King Sinera 13 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: in May. A typical high school student with a loving family. 14 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: She was a great girl, good student, friendly, loved her puppies. 15 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: But on Saturday she ended her own life, a life 16 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: it turns out was not typical. Letty was a sex 17 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: trafficking victim. According to her loved ones, She disappeared two 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: years ago at age thirteen. They say she was drugged 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: and sold, and even after they found her near the 20 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: bayou at Moody Park and brought her home, she was 21 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: not the same. We got her back damaged. Her father 22 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 1: told us she was his life. He's broken. She loved him, 23 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: he loved her. He is destroyed. He said it is 24 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: too painful and he wants justice. They're raising money on 25 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: Facebook to offset funeral expenses, but more than money, they 26 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: want to raise awareness. They want people to know how 27 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: prevalent sex trafficking is in Houston. How Letty is a 28 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: cautionary tale that the pain of what happened never goes away. 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: I feel like I let her down. I feel like 30 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: I let her down. I don't know. I just feel 31 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: I should have. I don't know. You are hearing Letty's godmother, 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: Cynthia Rivera our friends at ABC thirteen Houston. That was 33 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: Tom Abraham's talking about this beautiful girl, Letty. At age thirteen, 34 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: Letty was kidnapped, drugged, and raped and put into sex trafficking. 35 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: She was ultimately rescued, but too late, at just fifteen 36 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: years old. After what she had lived through, Letty commits suicide. 37 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: What happened to Letty? You know when I hear the 38 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: phrase sex trafficking. I think of some foreign country, a 39 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: third world nation where children and women don't have any rights. 40 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: But that's not true. This is happening right here in 41 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: our beloved country. With me Adam Cheney, co founder of 42 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: Elijah Rising, Ashley Kelly, licensed clinical social worker, her expertise 43 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: child abuse and sex trafficking. Joseph Scott Morgan, forensics expert 44 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: professor at Jacksonville State University and author of Blood Beneath 45 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: My Feet on Amazon. But right now to Crime online 46 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:27,399 Speaker 1: dot Com investigative reporter Levi, Paige Levi, how did this 47 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: little girl, just thirteen, that's only about a year and 48 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: a half older than my Lucy and John David end 49 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: up drugged rate and sold into sex trafficking in America? Yes, 50 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: this is in Houston, Texas as Nancy, And she was 51 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: thirteen years old attending Marshall Middle School and in twenty seventeen, 52 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: you know, she was a high achieving student, very very 53 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: nice young woman, and she ended up in sex trafficking 54 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: at school. That's where she met up with this per 55 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: and her family found her in an abandoned home after 56 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: looking for her for days, and they say that she 57 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: had never been the same since she had been abducted, 58 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: since she had been drugged in sex traffic. Joining me 59 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: right now, renowned trial lawyer Penny Douglas for a penny. 60 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: You and I have seen it first hand. And the 61 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 1: number one hub for trial sex trafficking is the Atlanta Airport, 62 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: the number one hub in the US, Penny. People think 63 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: it's not happening here, It's happening here, Auntie. It's happening everywhere. 64 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: And we have failed this girl as a country because 65 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: she came out so damaged. There's no fun for victims. 66 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: There's no national health care so she can go and 67 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: get care. And if she doesn't have any access to 68 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: any kind of psychological treatment or psychiatric treatment, it gets 69 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: worse over time, it gets worse. You can imagine how 70 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: this child feels after going through that, and I'm sure 71 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: her friends talk about it, and it's horribly embarrassing for her, 72 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: and she needs treatment. We have to do something to 73 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: make sure we have something for victims so that they 74 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: can get the treatment they need, otherwise they'll be more suicide. 75 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: To Adam Cheney, co founder of Elijah Rising, you can 76 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: find it at Elijah Rising dot org. Adam Cheney Way 77 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: in the guests that just spokes exactly right. This is 78 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: happening everywhere. Sex trafficking has existed in the United States forever, 79 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: and we work here in Houston and it is it's everywhere. 80 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's in every neighborhood. It looks like 81 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: every demographic in terms of age, socioeconomic status, skin tone, 82 00:05:55,080 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: all the above. And so unfortunately, Letty's story, though it 83 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: is making national headlines, is far more common than most 84 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:09,679 Speaker 1: people realize. And I mean, it's an epidemic. At Elijah Rising, 85 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: we say, you know, there's no such thing as a 86 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: red light district anymore. We've got red light cities, We've 87 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: got red light you know, counties. It's happening everywhere, and 88 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: and it's tragic. It's it's absolutely tragic, and there does 89 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: need to be more outcry. There does need to be 90 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 1: more awareness, and that's what we're doing at Elijah Rising 91 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: is trying to do that and provide the long term 92 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: care that survivors need. Because your previous guest is exactly right. 93 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,919 Speaker 1: Without long term trauma informed care in a resident based 94 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: system with professional mental health care and physical healthcare, survivors 95 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: do not have an opportunity to become whole again. It's 96 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: the biggest gap in this issue. It's providing that long 97 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: term trauma in form care. This little girl, Letitia no 98 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: myr family as Letty had just celebrated her fifth eighth 99 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: birthday party with a lavish kincinera party with a ruby 100 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: red princess ball gown, roses a dessert bar put on 101 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: by her family. I'm looking at the pictures of her 102 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 1: at the party right now. But then shortly after that, 103 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: Letty locked herself in the bathroom and committed suicide as 104 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: her dad desperately tried to get in touch with her 105 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: and reach her. By the time he opened the door, 106 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: it was too late and she died in her father's arms. 107 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: This is a direct result of her being drugged, kidnapped 108 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: and raped at age thirteen and sold into sex trafficking. 109 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: To Ashley Kelly, licensed clinical social worker whose expertise is 110 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: child abuse and sex trafficking weight in Ashley, Yeah, Unfortunately, 111 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: like like the others have said, this is not uncommon. 112 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: In fact, thirteen of the average age of entry for 113 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: sex trafficking in this country. Or doing a lot of 114 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: research out here in Phoenix, in Las Vegas in recreating 115 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: techniques and different things like that to try to combat 116 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: and prevent this from happening from kid to kids like 117 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: Letty unfortunately. Take a listen to Voice of America's Caroline PURSUITI. 118 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: It started when Kate was in the ninth grade. Her abductor, Luise, 119 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: who has never been charged in this case, was enrolled 120 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: at her high school. He was twenty one years old, 121 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: she was fourteen. The first thing he ever said when 122 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: he messaged me on Facebook, before I was high or anything, 123 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: was you have beautiful eyes. Kate fell in love. At night, 124 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: Luise would knock on her bedroom window and sneak her 125 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: out to parties. But one night she didn't come home. 126 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: I was with all these old men, but all I 127 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: saw was they thought I was pretty. They gave me attention. 128 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: I remember blacking out. Some things are still really blurried 129 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: to this day. Had lots of bruises and lots of 130 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: internal damage. Later, she learned Luis was a member of 131 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: MS thirteen, a vicious Central American gang. Barely a teenager, 132 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: Kate was being drugged with heroin and PCP and sold 133 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: for sex to make money for the gang. You are 134 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,719 Speaker 1: hearing that story, the girl, We are talking about was 135 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: drugged much the same way. At age thirteen. She Letty 136 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,559 Speaker 1: was a very high achieving student, an honor student at 137 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: Marshall Middle School Middle school. My children are in middle 138 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 1: school right now. She was not far away from school 139 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: when she was kidnapped and drugged and taken by a 140 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: sex trafficker. Joining me right now, Joseph Scott, Morgan, forensics 141 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: expert and professor of forensics. How does it happen? Jo Scott? Listen, 142 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: these children are targeted. They're seen as vulnerable, weak. Maybe 143 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 1: you know they're not surrounded by someone that watch cares 144 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: over them, very very carefully. And even in cases where 145 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: they are surrounded by people, these perpetrators can still get 146 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: to them because they're easily manipulator. Remember reflectively what the 147 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: young woman said, You've got beautiful eyes. You know what 148 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: young lady would not like to hear that, particularly at 149 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: that particular age, and going to Letty's case in particular, Nancy, 150 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: I think that many people across the country don't realize 151 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: how prevalent suicide is. I work for the Medical Examiner 152 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: in Atlanta and the Corner in New Orleans, and you know, 153 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: suicide actually outpaces homicide almost two, sometimes three to one, 154 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: and you never know about the dark secrets that people hold. 155 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: In her case, this speaks volumes the trauma that she 156 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 1: went through, the things that she was forced to do, 157 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: the things that burden that she had to bear all 158 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: by herself, and of course she wound up ending her 159 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: life in that bathroom. At age thirteen, Letty was kidnapped, drugged, 160 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: and forced into sex work by the perpetrator and older man. 161 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: I'm looking at pictures of her right now that were 162 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: posted when she went missing, her family desperate to find her. 163 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: She actually has pigtails in the picture. She looks like 164 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: she's about ten. Now she's dead. To leavipage climb online 165 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: dot com investigative reporter, where you can find this and 166 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: all other breaking crime and justice news. Levi. How was 167 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: she kidnapped? She was near school property, Nancy, when she 168 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: came in contact with this sex trafficker and he drugged her. 169 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 1: So that was how he was able to take control 170 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 1: of her. And her grandmother had been searching for her 171 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: and searching for her for days and under in an 172 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: abandoned house. Drugged. I mean, can you imagine that, Nancy, 173 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: and she's thirteen years old, She's in middle school and 174 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: was a good student, made great grades, and ended up 175 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: dying in her father's arm arms after she locked herself 176 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: in the bathroom, just not long after her fifteenth birthday. 177 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: And I'm looking at pictures of her birthday party, and 178 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: she in those two years, she had grown up to 179 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: be a very beautiful young woman, and that obviously you 180 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: can't see the pain that she was masking inside through 181 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: those pictures because she looks so happy there and then 182 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: days later she's dead. It's heartbreaking. It's really heartbreaking. Crime 183 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: stories with Nancy Grace drove me off into an industrial 184 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: area and he's customed at me, and he told me 185 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: he's going to kill me if I didn't do what 186 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: he told me to do. But I looked on the 187 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: dashboard and there's this picture of this little girl, and 188 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: I asked him, you know, is that your daughter? And 189 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: he said yeah, And I said, I'm somebody's daughter too, 190 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: you know, will you please let me go? I'd had 191 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: a pimp tell me that I wasn't going to make 192 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: it trying to get out. You were hearing the voice 193 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: of Leah Jeanette Albrightberg, a survivor from California's forgotten children 194 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: talking about child sex trafficking victims. Those few survived, Letty 195 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: did not. I'm Nancy Grace. This is crime Stories. Thank 196 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: you for being with us. Back to Adam Cheney, co 197 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 1: founder of Elijah Rising. You can find it at Elijah 198 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: Rising dot org. Adam Cheney. How big is this epidemic 199 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 1: in our country the US, Nancy, It's it's an epidemic. 200 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: You use the right term. There are millions of individuals 201 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: that are being sex trafficked all over the world and 202 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: the United States. The research is not exactly perfect, but 203 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: I can talk about Texas because that's where we focus. 204 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: We know that there are seventy nine thousand miners that 205 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: are being trafficked sex trafficked in particular sex trafficking, seventy 206 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: nine thousand sex trafficking miners in Texas, and just in 207 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: terms of trafficking in general. The estimates are about three 208 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: hundred and thirteen thousand trafficking victims in Texas as a whole, 209 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: but you know, nearly eighty thousand children and being trafficked 210 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: here in this state. I mean, if it were just 211 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: if it were just one individual, if it were just 212 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: one child being trafficked in our city. You know, we 213 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: need to raise an alarm, don't we, But it's at 214 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: epidemic proportions. Take a listen to our friends and XYZTV. 215 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: We took a ride along with police and one case, 216 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: officers found a fourteen year old sting in a vacant house. 217 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: He hadn't eaten a meal in three days. Those are 218 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: the types of kids that we're dealing with in this 219 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: and it's really sad. Once recovered, the next step is 220 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: to ask a series of questions to find out if 221 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: there were sex trafficking victims, who did they stay with, 222 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: Did somebody pay for you know, pay for them to 223 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: stay somewhere, did they do favors for them? Did they 224 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: give them drugs? Officials tell us one in six runaways 225 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: get involved in sex trafficking. By finding them and not 226 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: only saves their life, but it could lead police to 227 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: the traffickers. In less than a day, Lawn Centials recovered 228 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: more than one hundred missing kids from Wayne County. Of those, 229 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: three sex trafficking cases have opened. If we can do 230 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: this more often, hopefully we won't have this big of 231 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: a problem. You're hearing our friend at Detroit's w x 232 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 1: y ZTV that was Seema Chaudry. Listen, when law enforcement 233 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: official deal with cases involving missing children, there's a lot 234 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: of layers that have to be peeled back, a lot 235 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: of questions that are being asked, where have these kids been? 236 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: Are the victims of other crimes? While answering those questions 237 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: and finding those kids where the goal today sweeps. Police 238 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: officers are cambing through neighborhoods and knocking on doors as 239 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: they look for children who have gone missing, many of 240 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: them considered high risk youth. Not only to recover children 241 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: they have been reported missing, but the underlying tone in 242 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: this was to find the hidden victims of sex trafficking. 243 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: That's the goal of Operation My Safe Kid. Very often 244 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: we hear to you, Joseph Scott Morgan, of missing children. 245 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: But I don't think people put two or two together 246 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: to realize that the missing children are being sex trafficked. No, 247 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: I don't think they do, Nancy, because it seems so outland, 248 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: it's so far fetched that people don't believe that this 249 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: is actually going on. As I know that you have. 250 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: I have been out on a number of you know, 251 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: cases over the course of my career, and I've come 252 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: face to face with the reality of this where and unfortunately, 253 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: in the cases that I was involved in, they all 254 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: ended in death. But very young women and males that 255 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: wound up either taking their own lives or they were 256 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: killed out on the streets that were engaged in in 257 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,120 Speaker 1: the sex industry. And this starts out very very young. 258 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: And you know, what's what's really kind of poignant about 259 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: this is that when you talk to the survivors out 260 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,040 Speaker 1: on the street and you're interviewing them, they're traumatized, but 261 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: yet they're very worldly, you know, and kids, kids, when 262 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: you're fifteen and you're sixteen, and you're seventeen, you should 263 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: not be able to communicate in the manner in which 264 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: some of these kids communicate because they've had to do 265 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 1: this in order to survive. And it's a horrible, horrible 266 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 1: cycle that these kids are caught up in. And he 267 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,639 Speaker 1: sit back and you just, you know, sometimes you weep 268 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: over it because there's no way to kind of pull 269 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: them out of it. Many times, you know, I'm taking 270 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: a look at all of the stories that we are 271 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: gathering about child six trafficking victims. Listen to this and 272 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: juvenile Hall, I had given up on life. I thought 273 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: I won't live. I won't live past sixteen. There's no 274 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: way I'm gonna make it. And I was only thirteen. 275 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: I wasn't even fourteen yet, and I couldn't see myself 276 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: making it to sixteen. Maybe I'm in fifteen. It just 277 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: wasn't even a thought that I would well by the time. 278 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 1: When I was trafficked at twelve, I should have been 279 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: dead by nineteen. I mean, that's the statistics a seven 280 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: year life expectancy, and that's what should have happened to me. 281 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: But fortunately someone came into my life and planted this 282 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: seed and said, you have potential. And then I started 283 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: trying to figure out what that meant. This message that 284 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: we can all do something needs to get out there. 285 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: We have our unique abilities talents, and we can develop 286 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: them and we can change the world with them. That's 287 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: Carrissa Phelps, a survivor of child sex trafficking. Listen to me. 288 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: My childhood was filled with just constant trauma, and at 289 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: the same time I had to hide it and had 290 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: to act like it was a normal childhood life. People 291 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 1: often want to assume that when I say that I'm 292 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: a survivor of sex trafficking, that I'm from Southeast Asia, 293 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: and I fit that stereotype. So I want people to 294 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: know that it happens here and that I'm a US citizen, 295 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: was born here and them I was sold here. Crime 296 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: Stories with Nancy Grace. People often want to assume that 297 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:55,880 Speaker 1: when I say that I'm a survivor of sex trafficking, 298 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: that I'm from Southeast Asia and I fit that stereotype. 299 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: So I want people to know that it happens here. 300 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: In the I'm a US citizen there, was born here, 301 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 1: and I was able to hear you were hearing from 302 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 1: California's Forgotten Children, and it is an expos on child 303 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: sex trafficking in our country. Back to Levi page Crime 304 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: online dot Com investigative reporter. We started off talking about 305 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:25,440 Speaker 1: this beautiful girl, Letitia Letty, who commits suicide at age 306 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: fifteen after she was kidnapped, drugged, and raped at just 307 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: thirteen years old near her middle school. It's almost really 308 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: too much to take in. But then we switched to 309 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 1: a sting that went down where a hundred child sex 310 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: trafficking victims were saved in a different jurisdiction. So, in 311 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: this particular case with Letty, LEVI, what's happened to her pimp, 312 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: her kidnapper Nancy. He's unnamed, and according to family members, 313 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 1: they have said that he was checked into jail, arrested, 314 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: and then released a few days later. And the family 315 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: has blamed him for Letty's suicide and they want to 316 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: see him in court and they want to see him 317 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: answer for what he's done. And the Houston Police Department 318 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: had a commander that gave an interview with The Daily 319 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:19,160 Speaker 1: Mail and he said that he is reopening the case 320 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: involving Letty. So hopefully this will lead to an arrest 321 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: in the person that took advantage of her and caused 322 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: her to end her life so early will be brought 323 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: to justice. We can only hope to Joe Scott Morgan. 324 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: Of course, drugs play a major role in this. We 325 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: know what drugs do to adults, but these little girls 326 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: are being fed or josed with heroin, major drugs that 327 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 1: cause them to pass out and then when they wake up, 328 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: they're addicted. Yeah, you're you're right, Nancy. And let's reflect 329 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: back to what the one victim stated, she still has 330 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: this kind of fragmented memory and of what may or 331 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: may not happen. She had try all over her body. 332 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: This is a daily occurrence. And here's the really tragic 333 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: part about this is that say, for instance, there they 334 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:13,440 Speaker 1: are dosed with a drug like an opiate in order 335 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 1: to diminish their ability to you know, kind of operate 336 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: in the normal space and motor function, all the stuff 337 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: to defend themselves. Well, after that happens, they develop a 338 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: dependency many times because they're essentially trying to numb themselves 339 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 1: Nancy day in and day out, and they crave this 340 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: drug because of the physical trauma they're having to endure 341 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: with these strangers day after day after day after day 342 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,280 Speaker 1: where their bodies are being sold. And it is a horrible, 343 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: horrible cycle. It is a horrible cycle. To Ashley Kelly, 344 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: licensed clinical social worker, her expertise child abuse and sex trafficking. 345 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: The little girls are then conditioned, they get Stockholm syndrome, 346 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: and they start bonding with the pimp that's beating and 347 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: raping them, right, And I wanted to bring up also, 348 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: I know that in this case maybe there was a 349 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: kidnapping that happened, but a lot of times the recruitment 350 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: in looks a lot like someone that gave them attention 351 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 1: and was their boyfriend. Or said that they were their boyfriend. 352 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: So the level of manipulation and trauma that's wrapped up 353 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: into that is so ingrained in them at such an 354 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: impressionable age that even to find these traffickers later is 355 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: difficult to These girls love them in a way or 356 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: think that they do, and that adds another layer to 357 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: this issue. Nobody at age Penny Douglas for Lawyer an Advocate. 358 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: No child at age thirteen, that's about a year and 359 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: a month older than the twins can be in love 360 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: with a pimp that has them addicted to heroin and 361 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: is baiting and raping them and selling them to other 362 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: men for sex. Does Nancy. They're in love with the 363 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 1: feeling they're getting from the heroine. Remember, he's controlling the drug. 364 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: He's giving them enough so that they do what he 365 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,680 Speaker 1: wants them to do, exactly what he wants them to do. 366 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: You know, I had a case where the grandmother knew 367 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: me from a different case. She called me. Her granddaughter 368 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 1: was also in Atlanta in middle school. She was around 369 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: twelve years old. She had bought her a computer to 370 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: help her with school. Some guy was pursuing her online. 371 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 1: The guy convinces the girl to meet him at the mall. 372 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: They disappear. The next time the mother hears from them, 373 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,959 Speaker 1: her granddaughter is in jail and the man is in 374 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: jail because he was committing crimes all the way up 375 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: to Virginia. Now she's not only had sex with this 376 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:58,199 Speaker 1: thirty year old man, but now she's in jail and 377 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 1: they want to charge her as in the adult for 378 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: all the an accessory to all the crimes these commit 379 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,679 Speaker 1: You know, Penny, when I hear cases like that, it 380 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,479 Speaker 1: seems like there are not any answers to Adam Cheney, 381 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 1: co founder of Elijah Rising, what are your answers? What 382 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: are your theories on solutions? I think the solutions are 383 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: at least for us. We are a faith based organization, 384 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: so we're committed to praying about it. But secondly, because 385 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 1: we understand the prayers not enough, we raise awareness. We 386 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: believe that we have got to drive this issue into 387 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: the consciousness of every single person in our city, in 388 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: our state, and if we have the opportunity and the 389 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: rest of the nation and the world, people have to 390 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: realize that this is taking place. And your show is 391 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: helping with that with raising awareness. But then we've got 392 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: to do direct intervention. Somebody's got to get out there. 393 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 1: We need to help law enforcement. They're understaffed, you know, 394 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: and underfunded, and so we need people who are going 395 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: to go out there and see Letty standing on a 396 00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: corner or wherever she may have been and saying, hey, 397 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: you okay, you look like you're thirteen years old, you're 398 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: not in school. What's going on right now? Can I 399 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: help you? And not just with the children, but with 400 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: the you know, the thousands and tens of thousands of 401 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: adults that are out there. We need people who are 402 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: going to go in and say, hey, we have a 403 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: way for you to exit this life if it's time, 404 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: if you're ready to leave. And so that's what we 405 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: do here in Houston. And we have a twenty four 406 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 1: to seven hotline that is here just for Houston. It's 407 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: a local Houston number run by local Houston volunteers and 408 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 1: a ministry here that we partner with. And if you 409 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 1: call that number, as a survivor calls that number at 410 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 1: any point, they will send a team, an exit team, 411 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: to help that survivor exit with normally within about about 412 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,960 Speaker 1: a two hour window. And then we've got to just 413 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: we've got to increase the long term care. What is 414 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: your number? The number is seven one three, three two 415 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 1: two eight zero zero zero. We are discussing potential solutions, 416 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: but let's bring it home to reality. Listen to this. 417 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: He was not going to stop, and he was set 418 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 1: on sharing my picture with whoever he could to ruin 419 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: my reputation. I felt like a slave. I had to 420 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: I had to make sure I had replied to every message. 421 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: I had to give him like an explanation. I feel like, 422 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: why wasn't I replying, and then my lies of everything 423 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 1: and what I was doing and whatnot, and then having 424 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 1: him no, I'm sorry, I have school in the morning. 425 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: I have to do this. I'm at school till this time. 426 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: And then I'd have my nights where I just felt 427 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: I really did. I just felt depressed. I remember just 428 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 1: laying in bed with silence and just thinking, and I 429 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,159 Speaker 1: felt like God was so disappointed in me, and I 430 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: didn't know what to do. But I still I wouldn't 431 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: get home till late at night, and then I'd have 432 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: to send him all these pictures, and as I'm doing this, 433 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,719 Speaker 1: he would be like, no, this isn't right, this one's blurry, 434 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: or you didn't do this right. You weren't. You weren't 435 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: doing it right. You got to do it again. So 436 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 1: and that's where being a slaved him comes in, because 437 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:03,719 Speaker 1: to make sure I complied, and I sent him all 438 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:06,400 Speaker 1: this because one maybe tomorrow I'll get a break. I'll 439 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: get a day off tomorrow if I just do all 440 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 1: these right, which I never wanted to send them or 441 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: like give him what he wanted, but I wanted my freedom. 442 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: I guess you're hearing a child sex trafficking victim, Ashley 443 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: speaking out. Earlier, you heard from Adam Cheney, co founder 444 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: of Elijah Rising to help child trafficking victims, say that 445 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 1: this spans all income categories, all societal categories, all races, 446 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: and he's right. Listen to our friends at w WLTV. 447 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: New Orleans prosecutors say fifty nine year old Pascal Caligharo, 448 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: the Third trafficked of fourteen year old girl. Federal investigators 449 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: say in May of last year, Caligharo the Third engaged 450 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: in prostitution dates with the victim and drove her to 451 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: dates with others. They say he also negotiated prices and 452 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: arranged times and locations of prostitution dates with other men. Caligharo, 453 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: the third is the son of retired Chief Justice of 454 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: Louisiana Supreme Court, Pascal Caligharo Junior, who is the longest 455 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 1: serving justice in state history. Crime stories with Nancy Grace. 456 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: Federal prosecutors say Calighero used his own home for prostitution 457 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: dates he set up between the child and an adult male. 458 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: Neighbors say they noticed multiple men and at least one 459 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: young girl going in and out of the house in 460 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: the past. Sherry Lockridge is a human trafficking case manager 461 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: for Covenant House. She says this story represents a common 462 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 1: arc We've seen that before, where John's have become then 463 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: the trafficker, where they've used that to introduce themselves to 464 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: the girls as a customer and then exploit them further. 465 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: She also says stories like this are more common then 466 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: people realize. You were hearing our friends at WWLTV in 467 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: New Orleans. That was Lauren Bale and Rob Kreiger, and 468 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: what Adam Cheney was saying it is absolutely correct. Ashley Kelly, 469 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 1: her expertise child abuse and sex trafficking. This was the 470 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:24,160 Speaker 1: sun of the longest sitting judge in that area, and 471 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: he was actually Supreme Court justice in Louisiana and his 472 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: son is driving. His adult son is driving this little 473 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: girl from hotel to hotel to have sex with grown men. 474 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 1: That doesn't surprise me. We have a lot of high 475 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:42,960 Speaker 1: profile people that are involved in this, from politicians to 476 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: police chiefs, to firefighters to all kinds of high profile 477 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: people that are involved in trafficking and buying. Unfortunately, as 478 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:58,480 Speaker 1: well as victimizing. We have projects here in Phoenix that 479 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 1: we use as far as housing for moms who are 480 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: escaping with their kids. They give comprehensive care and therapy. 481 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: There's just not enough, but it dispands across anything. A 482 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:18,880 Speaker 1: Houston girl, just fifteen years old, was kidnapped, drugged, and 483 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 1: right near her middle school when she was just thirteen. 484 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: Photos of her show her wearing her hair in pigtails. 485 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: An honor student in middle school who loved her pet 486 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: dogs has now committed suicide after being rescued from a 487 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: sex trafficking ring. Take a listen to our friends at 488 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: Box twenty six, Houston. This is Maria Salazar. I have 489 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: requested an interview with my investigators so we can reopen 490 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:49,080 Speaker 1: the case. Commander Jim Dill, who's over ahpd's Vice Division, 491 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: says this also speaks the need to do more in schools, 492 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,440 Speaker 1: seeing she was a victim and somehow her cries fell 493 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: through the cracks, and I think that's why it's so 494 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 1: imperative that we get the schools involved, and Cynthia wants 495 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: more to be done around suicide prevention in school. Also, 496 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: she's calling on her city council district to do more 497 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 1: about abandoned homes where she says let the was trafficked, mattresses, 498 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: little girls, bras chemicals. They use the drugs to mix 499 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: with I want the community to come together, Houston, to 500 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: come together and ask her these houses to be removed, 501 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: torn down. You were hearing Houston Commander Jim Deal saying 502 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: he wants to reopen the trafficking case against Letty Taking 503 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: at age thirteen's pimp who beat, raped, and drugged her 504 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: sold her into sex trafficking. That is a horrible, horrible 505 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: visual a mental image to Penny Douglas fur these abandoned 506 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: homes with mattresses on the floor, drugs, paraphernalia and little 507 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:57,240 Speaker 1: girls underwear and bras strone. Nancy, It's outrageous, but still 508 00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: the bigger point here is we need to do something 509 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: once we get them out. That's why this child committed suicide. 510 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: There was no treatment for her once she got out. 511 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:13,840 Speaker 1: And our government spends money on every ridiculous thing. We 512 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 1: just spent over half a million dollars on his study 513 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: to determine whytch chimpanzees throw their fee see, but there's 514 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: nothing for children who've been sex trafficked and they need treatment. 515 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:28,800 Speaker 1: Now I have a problem with that. I have a 516 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: problem with it too. And to you Leavipage crime online 517 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: dot com investigateive reporter, what about the family's efforts to 518 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: attack the problem of these abandoned homes where the children 519 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: are being sex trafficked. I mean, it's right under the 520 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,760 Speaker 1: noses of authorities in Houston. Or what's wrong? I know, Nancy, 521 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: and they say the families say that the man that 522 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: trafficked a lady only served a couple of days in 523 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: John then was released. We need to know exactly why 524 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: was he released and allowed back out onto the streets, 525 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: and why do we not know his name and have 526 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 1: his picture out there? Because I'm sure that this is 527 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: not the only young woman that he has preyed upon. 528 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,920 Speaker 1: And Nancy, this is just so disturbing because this happened 529 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,880 Speaker 1: at her middle school. And I have cousins in middle school, 530 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:16,319 Speaker 1: and you don't think of, you know, sending them off 531 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 1: to middle school and something like this happens to them. 532 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:21,840 Speaker 1: It's sickening. It's it's what nightmares are made out of 533 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 1: children across our country being recruited, transported, harbored, used for 534 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 1: production of child pornography, which is traded over and over 535 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 1: and over on the dark web. Then the child is 536 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:41,040 Speaker 1: put into child trafficking. These boys and girls are traded 537 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: like their pawns for sex trafficking. In the last hours, 538 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 1: the biggest child pornography ring on the dark web has 539 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:57,320 Speaker 1: just been busted. It spans multiple countries, South Korea, Great Britain, 540 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:03,480 Speaker 1: of course the US. The website was called Welcome to Video, 541 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:07,880 Speaker 1: and we know that multiple people, potentially three hundred and 542 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:12,480 Speaker 1: thirty seven users in twelve different countries, have been arrested now. 543 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 1: According to court filings, Welcome to Video's website was seized 544 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 1: back in twenty eighteen, and then the authorities discovered a 545 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 1: quarter of a million unique which means separate video files 546 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: linked to keywords like pedophile. As a result of this, 547 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: twenty three children have been rescued across the US, and 548 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 1: this is according to the Justice Department. You wonder what's 549 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: happening to these children that are taken there go missing. 550 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: You see a missing child flyer. You never hear what 551 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,439 Speaker 1: happened to this one? What happened to that one? This 552 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: it's what's happening to them. Please join our fight. Go 553 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,399 Speaker 1: to crime online dot com for the latest and find 554 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: out what you can do to help stop child trafficking. 555 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: For starters, you can call eight eight eight three seven 556 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,439 Speaker 1: five seven eight eight eight eight eight eight three seven 557 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:17,319 Speaker 1: five seven eight eight eight. It is an anti trafficking hotline. 558 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: Don't let Letty's suicide be the end of this story. 559 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,240 Speaker 1: Nancy Gray's crime story signing off goodbye friend,