Promise of better life leads to nightmare of sexual slavery
Across Mexico, young girls dream of escaping their small towns for the big cities. They dream of a good job and a better life in the United States.
That was the case of "Claudia," a name given to protect her identity. Her dream of a better life quickly evolved into a nightmare.
When she was 15, she met a charming man at a party who would later become her boyfriend.
"This individual would tell me a lot about the United States and would ask me to join him to go work at a clothes factory," she said.
Claudia was eventually smuggled into the United States and taken to New York City.
Once there, she soon realized her boyfriend was part of a prostitution ring. He forced her into prostitution. She says he would beat her up, burn her with lit cigarettes and tell her he would have her parents in Mexico killed if she tried to resist or escape.
This is the first time Claudia is speaking about her experience. She's nervous, but says she wants to share her secret; a painful secret, she says, that the world needs to know about.
Hers is a story of false promises, illegal immigration, verbal and physical abuse, drugs, forced prostitution and a risky escape.
After being forced to work as a prostitute, Claudia says she started thinking about ways of escaping.
"It was a very traumatic experience," she said. "The first day I started working was very hard because I had to sleep with 20 men in rapid sequence."
For several months she saved up tips, just a few dollars at a time, that she would hide in a refrigerator. She discreetly would ask older women, who were also forced into prostitution, about directions to the nearest bus station and streets around the area.
When she felt she had enough for a bus trip, she ran away to the bus station and bought a ticket to a city she didn't know.
She has been a free woman for several years now, but she says she still suffers from nightmares and says her life has been scarred.
Many people associate prostitution with women walking the streets in shady areas and being picked up by johns. But Claudia says the prostitution ring for which she was forced to work had a long list of clients who knew the price they had to pay, who to call and where to go.
It's a well-organized and lucrative underground industry.
Luis CdeBaca monitors human trafficking at the U.S. State Department. He says there are no reliable figures on the scale of the problem, but forced prostitution from Mexico and Central America is a big part of it.
"They know that their victims are not going to go to law enforcement," said CdeBaca. "They know that their victims are afraid. In fact, sometimes one of their threats is to turn people over to the immigration service."
Claudia was 15 when she was forced to become a prostitute, but there are younger victims, as CdeBaca found out when he worked as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Justice Department.
"I ended up seeing cases with girls as young as 13 and women in their 40s and everything in between," he said.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations agency that monitors employment, standards, and social protection issues, there are about 12.3 million victims of human trafficking around the world.
The ILO also estimates that at least 1.39 million of those are victims of commercial sexual servitude in their own countries or abroad.
But the current trafficking from Mexico and Central America is of special concern for CdeBaca.
"We have situations in the United States, cases that I've worked on, when I was with the Justice Department involving women who had to serve as up to 50 customers a day; just a crushing amount of what in fact is a daily set of rapes," said CdeBaca.
Several cases have been successfully prosecuted in states, including Georgia and New York, against prostitution rings that operate in the same way.
They lure women in Mexico with promises of a good job only to be forced into sexual slavery once here.
In the Atlanta area, Amador Cortes-Meza, a 36-year-old Mexican national, was charged with involvement in a prostitution ring that victimized women and girls smuggled from Mexico.
Some were as young as 14.
Otto Jaime Larios-Perez, 27, who has admitted one count of providing false information, drove victims to several secret locations in the Atlanta area, forcing them to see multiple clients a day.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Brock Nicholson says that all of the victims fell into the same trap.
"They were brought in with romantic promises, with job promises, young girls, from a certain state of Mexico, brought up, smuggled in, immediately forced into prostitution," Nicholson said.
Ten years ago, the U.S. Congress passed a law that allows victims of human trafficking to stay in the country if they testify in court against perpetrators of the crime.
Danielle Conley, an immigration attorney who helps victims of human trafficking, said this law known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act helps both victims and prosecutors.
Victims get a visa to live in the United States and prosecutors get powerful testimony to build strong cases against suspects of human trafficking.
"They actually have quite a few rights, but unfortunately that's not widely known among both the immigrant community and American citizens," said Conley.
Claudia has now moved to a different city in the United States, where she tries to live a normal life.
She's still afraid of retribution and wants to remain anonymous. Asked why she decided to share her painful experience, she pauses for a moment and then answers without hesitation.
"Because I want authorities to realize that this is a problem and a serious one," she said. "Also, I want parents to know that sometimes because of their work they forget about their children, especially girls, and leave them abandoned."
This story originally appeared on CNN.com September 17, 2010.
Every Day in Cambodia
'Money buys injustice'
Looking for a virgin sale every day. CNN investigates with Hollywood star Mira Sorvino.Watch the trailer@cnnfreedom on Twitter
The Numbers
As a woman, i feel for the millions of women, and can only imagine how they go through this hell-on-earth!!its disgusting what people will do for money at the expense of innocent women!thank u CNN for raising awareness about this issue!i can only do my bit by spreading the word also and hope (as well as believe) that the world will follow suit!
Goodjob,i will like cnn to extend this awareness to africa.
This story really hits home.
I know of people that have been through this and it is extremely sad to know that even though there is much evidence to put those responsible behind bars, the corrupted government officials care more about money than they do about justice.
We are hopeful that a brighter day is coming to our great country Mexico.
I totally got what you had to say in your blog. i’m going to give you a thumbs up for good work.
http://6dollarmillion.xyz
Thanks so much the information. I love sucking dick btw hmu
https://chrok1.blogspot.com/2021/01/36-96.html
If you would like to improve your experience simply keep visiting this site and be updated with the most up-to-date gossip posted here.
https://chrok1.blogspot.com/2021/01/5.html
I am commenting to let you know of the fantastic encounter my cousin's daughter experienced browsing the blog. She came to find a lot of details, including how it is like to have a great coaching character to get certain people completely comprehend a number of complex issues. You actually did more than her desires. I appreciate you for coming up with such effective, dependable, edifying and cool guidance on that topic to Ethel. https://abilifyaripiprazoles.com/
765138 317330I found your weblog internet website on google and check several of your early posts. Continue to preserve up the superb operate. I just further up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Searching for forward to studying extra from you in a although! 180962
I am just writing to make you understand what a perfect experience my wife's princess obtained using your webblog. She noticed some things, which included what it is like to possess an excellent teaching spirit to make others with no trouble learn about specific specialized things. You undoubtedly surpassed readers' expected results. Thanks for providing those productive, trusted, informative as well as unique tips on your topic to Mary. https://luvoxfluvoxamine.com/
My wife and i were so relieved when Peter managed to finish up his studies while using the precious recommendations he received when using the weblog. It is now and again perplexing to simply happen to be offering thoughts which usually some people might have been trying to sell. We see we now have you to thank for this. These illustrations you made, the straightforward website navigation, the relationships your site make it easier to promote – it is mostly superb, and it is letting our son in addition to us recognize that this theme is pleasurable, which is certainly unbelievably serious. Thanks for the whole thing! https://remeronmirtazapine.com
I'm commenting to let you be aware of of the awesome discovery my child developed browsing the blog. She came to find a good number of details, including how it is like to have a great coaching character to get a number of people clearly completely grasp a number of advanced issues. You actually did more than her desires. I appreciate you for churning out such effective, dependable, edifying and cool guidance on that topic to Emily. https://seroquelquetiapine.com/#
As a Newbie, I am constantly exploring online for articles that can aid me. Thank you
https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/
910529 885768really nice post, i undoubtedly adore this superb web site, carry on it 81897
i would have to make more christmas cards becuase next month is december already“
http://yourmatrixcashmachine.com
https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/
Good site! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified when a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/
205094 981539Outstanding post, I believe blog owners really should larn a lot from this internet site its rattling user friendly . 127371
I need a computer program that will automatically start another program and not let that program close for a work computer. So basically, when the computer starts up, this program I am looking for will start a work-related program and force it to stay open, so that the only use of that computer would be to use the work program. Thank you!.
https://ask-cloudkicker.tumblr.com/
4shev dine3 ct9s
Together with everything which appears to be developing within this area, all your viewpoints happen to be very stimulating. However, I am sorry, because I can not give credence to your whole strategy, all be it refreshing none the less. It would seem to me that your remarks are actually not completely rationalized and in fact you are generally yourself not even completely convinced of your assertion. In any event I did appreciate reading it.
https://proxyti.com/buy/100-private-proxies
I'm really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one today..
https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/
372245 526909Now we know who the ssebnile one is here. Great post! 806133
https://www.electricpercolatorcoffeepot.com/10-top-coffee-bloggers/
Bardzo interesujący temat, doceniam to za wystawienie się chusteczki do dezynfekcji. https://chusteczkin.pl/
160384 96798Low-cost Gucci Handbags Is usually blogengine a lot far better than wp for reasons unknown? Really should be which is turning out to be popluar today. 702273
non-prescriptoin vardenafil https://vegavardenafil.com/ how long do the effects of vardenafil last
parkinson and alprostadil https://alprostadildrugs.com/ edex (alprostadil)
sildenafil 25 mg price in india https://eunicesildenafilcitrate.com/ price for sildenafil 100 mg
what is tadalafil https://elitadalafill.com/ what is tadalafil
order tadalafil https://elitadalafill.com/ tadalafil daily use
alprostadil penile suppository price https://alprostadildrugs.com/ alprostadil injection online
253800 755709The leading source for trustworthy and timely health and medical news and data. 723496
zithromax tablet https://zithromaxes.com/ where to get zithromax
cheap vardenafil https://vegavardenafil.com/ vardenafil tablets 20 mg best price
viagra/canada https://canadaviagrastore.com/ viagra prices canada
cialis on line purches canadian pharmacy https://canadacialisstore.com/ cialis, sale, canadian pharm.
avana canada buy avanafil
which erectile dysfunction pill is best https://plaquenilx.com/ living with erectile dysfunction
chloroquinone https://chloroquineorigin.com/ premature babies wikipedia
846279 261207Aw, i thought this was quite a very good post. In concept I would like to devote writing such as this moreover – spending time and actual effort to produce a great article but exactly what do I say I procrastinate alot by no means manage to get something done. 142507
sildenafil 60 mg cost https://eunicesildenafilcitrate.com/ sildenafil citrate 100mg
buy priligy priligy pills usa
viagra prices canada https://canadaviagrastore.com/ how much is viagra in canada
cialis, sale, canadian pharm. https://canadacialisstore.com/ cialis on line purches canadian pharmacy
erectile restoration centers llc https://canadaerectiledysfunctionpills.com/ can erectile dysfunction be healed
canadian generic pills https://canadapillstorex.com/ average perscription pills taken by 65 year old canadian?