human trafficking

Child Advocates of El Dorado is holding its first one-hour virtual Gala on November 7 starting at 6:00 p.m.

The event is free to attend, but it is the local Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) annual fundraiser, hosted this year by Eileen Javora Boeger. There will be live entertainment by world-renown performance painter David Garibaldi.

CASA El Dorado benefits the community by serving the abused, neglected and at-risk children in our county’s foster care system. This is accomplished by recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers from the community.

Live Violence Free has announced their next fundraiser, An Afternoon of Peace & Harmony, that will be held at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys on Saturday, September 7, 2019 from 04:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

We all must come together as one if we would like to end domestic abuse and human trafficking. I applaud the brave women who have been coming forward, discussing their past and the traumas they have endured. One of the reasons that we read history books is so we can learn from others mistakes. If we would like to make an impacting change in this world, we must acknowledge the whole issue.

A Sacramento man is facing over 20 years in prison after a jury in South Lake Tahoe found him guilty on 11 counts of felony Pandering and 3 counts of Felony Pimping.

Isiah Campbell was arrested on March 3, 2017 after El Dorado County detectives set up an undercover operation targeting human trafficking and prostitution in the Placerville area.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Lake Tahoe Community College Art Department instructor Shelley Zentner brings her large-scale portraits inspired by stories of freedom and expression to the Fine Arts building’s Foyer Gallery in her exhibit, “Fundamental Freedoms.” Zentner will host an artist reception and talk on Thursday, April 19 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. inside the Foyer Gallery. Mayor of South Lake Tahoe Wendy David will officially open the exhibit at 6:30 p.m., followed by an artist’s talk from Zentner. Wine and canapés will be served, and all are welcome to attend.

The question I get asked the most when sharing that I’m a member of PATH (Partners Against the Trafficking of Humans) is: Is human trafficking happening here in South Lake Tahoe? The answer is yes, although solid numbers are hard to come by. Recently, it was reported in local media that 14 people were arrested and one 17 year old girl rescued from a trafficking ring in El Dorado County that included South Lake Tahoe, Placerville, and El Dorado Hills.

Changes to the Communications Decency Act (CDA) are in the works that will change the 21-year-old set of regulations that function as the internet’s liability shield. If approved, those who run websites that allow sex trafficking ads, such as Backpage.com, will be held accountable.

Named the "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017," the legislation would increase sites’ responsibility for user content, something they were protected from when CDA Section 230 was put in place in 1996.

A flash mob in the middle of Heavenly Village isn't a normal occurrence, so at 2:00 p.m. February 4 when a few dozen women and children started dancing to music, people stopped and the phone cameras came out.

For the past several weeks, members of the South Lake Tahoe community have been rehearsing a dance to the music "Break the Chain" in support of "One Billion Rising", a one-day international event to bring exploitation of women, human trafficking and violence against women and girls to the forefront.

Each February since 2012, people around the globe have been participating in "One Billion Rising" events to bring human trafficking and violence against women and children to the forefront, and South Lake Tahoe has joined them.

Experts say one in three women across the planet will be beater or raped during her lifetime, which equals one billion women.

South Lake Tahoe will again join towns in hundreds of countries to express support through dance, joy and community to celebrate the fact that they have not been defeated by this violence.

Denim is now the state’s official fabric to recognize its role in California history, and every autographed collectible sold in California must come with a certificate that verifies it's not a forgery. Those are just two of 898 new laws facing Californians in 2017.

Here are just a few of them compiled in part by California Highway Patrol (CHP):

All 50 states and 167 countries have reported incidents of trafficking according to the National Trafficking Resource Center. They further report that the fourth ranked destination in the U.S. for trafficking is California.

The United States is taking a pro-active role in stopping this crime. Both the Democrats and Republicans announced at their conventions that they have priortized the fight to combat labor and sex trafficking.

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler has written the following in response to an opinion piece written by South Tahoe High junior Noah Jackson that was posted on South Tahoe Now June 9 concerning massage parlors.

The definition of a massage parlor according to Wikipedia is: A place where massage services are provided. Some massage parlors are fronts for prostitution and the term "massage parlor" has also become a euphemism for a brothel, to the annoyance of professional masseurs.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is concerned about a growing trend with the use of social media by youth, and has shared a warning from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Human Trafficking Bureau on dangers of “sexting” and the potential of pedophiles coercing children into unsafe acts.

10 Things Parents Can Do About the Dangers of “Sexting”

1. Talk with your child about the potential dangers of Internet activities. Tell them you have a responsibility to monitor their Internet use and will check their accounts periodically.

According to the California Department of Justice, Human Trafficking is a $32 billion a year global enterprise and the fastest growing criminal industry. It is a form of modern day slavery that profits from the exploitation of our most vulnerable populations. California's Attorney General Kamala Harris is focused on combating the pervasive issue of human trafficking in California and has made it one of her top priorities.

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Three training programs taking place at Lake Tahoe Community College Tuesday are giving the community an opportunity to become more aware about both local and national exploitation of children.

National speaker Deanna Graves, founder of Traffick911, is in South Lake Tahoe to educate attendees on how they can combat the trafficking of our most vulnerable population, the foster child.

Complaints of prostitution in South Lake Tahoe led to the arrest of three people on Thursday, January 21, 2016 after an investigation by the South Lake El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team (SLEDNET).

Law enforcement has been investigating complaints of prostitution, focused on individuals who conduct human trafficking through advertisements for escort services placed on websites such as www.backpage.com.

What are the first thoughts that go through your mind when you see a youth on the streets? How did they get there, where are their parents, and are they safe? It’s disturbing to realize that between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away annually. Most youth who run away do so because of threatening environments at home, such as physical/verbal abuse, substance abuse issues, questions of sexual orientation, or escaping state care. Unfortunately, by choosing to run away, they further subject themselves to threatening situations that impede their progress in life.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The number of people identified as victims of human trafficking in California has increased steadily since 2010 as the crime has become a growing threat, authorities reported Frida...