NE Patriots owner linked to sex trafficking

New York Times wrote:Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Charged in Florida Prostitution Investigation
Video

By Kevin Draper, Patricia Mazzei and Mark Leibovich
Feb. 22, 2019

Robert K. Kraft, the billionaire owner of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, was charged on Friday with two counts of soliciting sex as part of a wide-ranging investigation into prostitution and suspected human trafficking in South Florida.

The charges against Mr. Kraft, 77, in Jupiter, Fla., came after the police used video surveillance to observe activity inside several day spas and massage parlors. The police said that the parlors were used for prostitution, and that many of the women involved were considered to be victims.

The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, and resulted in raids and arrests connected to nearly a dozen businesses in the region. At least one person was charged with human trafficking; others, including several women, are accused of racketeering and money laundering. More than two dozen customers, ranging in age from men in their 30s to at least one in his 80s, have been arrested; hundreds have been charged, the police said.

A spokesman for Mr. Kraft and the Patriots released a statement, saying: “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”

Mr. Kraft is the most prominent name to emerge in the case, and the charges represent an embarrassing spectacle for a man who has become one of the most powerful owners in American sports. His Patriots have played in 10 Super Bowls since he bought the team, winning six times. He is a leading voice in the N.F.L.’s small fraternity of billionaire owners, a member of the committee that sets Commissioner Roger Goodell’s salary and a friend and political benefactor of Cheeto-Faced Ferret-Wearing Shit Gibbon.

In addition, the legal problems may place Mr. Goodell in the uncomfortable position of having to mete out some kind of punishment for the personal conduct of a man who is essentially one of his bosses.

The N.F.L.’s constitution gives Mr. Goodell broad authority to hold players and owners accountable for conduct he deems detrimental to the league. Previous punishments have included fines and suspensions, which prohibit owners from being at their team facilities or attending games.

“The N.F.L. is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments,” the league said in a statement.

As the league commissioner in 1999, Paul Tagliabue fined Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., who owned the San Francisco 49ers, $1 million and suspended him for a season after he pleaded guilty for failing to report a felony arising from a gambling fraud and extortion case. More recently, Mr. Goodell suspended Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, who has battled substance abuse, for six games and fined him $500,000 after he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.


The Orchids of Asia spa in Jupiter, Fla.Credit Saul Martinez for The New York Times

The case involving Mr. Kraft is more complicated. A widow, he has been charged with two misdemeanors, not felonies, and those charges may be reduced or dropped, but Mr. Goodell has long portrayed himself as the defender of the league’s reputation, and he has penalized players and owners for a host of offenses, some of which might have been little noticed years earlier.

Mr. Kraft is accused of patronizing a spa called Orchids of Asia in Jupiter, a small storefront business in a strip mall that also includes a nail salon, a surf shop and a Thai restaurant. The police said Mr. Kraft visited twice, dropped off by a driver. The mall, anchored on one end by an Outback Steakhouse, is near lushly landscaped gated communities, a half-dozen golf courses and the spring training home of the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.

All of the sexual encounters that have resulted in charges were videotaped as part of the prostitution investigation, the police said. Investigators, who have been conducting surveillance of massage parlors in the area for six months, charged “nearly 200” people, though only a fraction have been arrested so far.

For years, Mr. Kraft has been considered a kind of first among equals in the ranks of the 32 N.F.L. owners. He has led the league’s powerful broadcast and finance committees, and often touted his status as a confidant to Mr. Goodell. Within owner and executive circles he is known as “the assistant commissioner,” with no small hint of resentment.

Mr. Kraft had fashioned himself as a kind of ordinary Patriots fan who in the 1970s sat with his sons in the frigid bleachers of Section 217 of what was originally called Schaefer Stadium. He made his fortune in the paper and packaging business, purchased the land adjacent to the stadium complex in the 1980s, and eventually the stadium itself.

This positioned Mr. Kraft to buy the Patriots in 1994 after James Orthwein put the team up for sale. Other bidders included Stan Kroenke, the current owner of the Los Angeles Rams, and the businessman Donald J. Trump, the former owner of the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League.

Mr. Kraft paid $172 million for the Patriots, the highest price paid for an N.F.L. team at the time. His public identification with the Patriots, the N.F.L.’s pre-eminent 21st century dynasty, has given Mr. Kraft entree into a world of celebrity friends, beautiful young women, Hollywood award spectacles and high-roller events.

The team won its sixth Super Bowl title on Feb. 3, defeating the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, in Atlanta. The team has sold out every regular-season and exhibition game since 1994, and sits near the top of the league in revenue. Mr. Kraft attended the N.B.A. All-Star Game festivities in Charlotte, N.C., last weekend, where he hobnobbed courtside with LeBron James while wearing a diamond “Championships” necklace that the rapper Meek Mill gave him at a Super Bowl after-party.

In 2017, Mr. Kraft attended a private dinner with Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Fla.

Friends said he was set particularly adrift after the death of Myra Kraft, his wife of nearly five decades, to cancer, in 2011.

“I cried myself to sleep every night for a year after my wife died, until I met my girlfriend,” Mr. Kraft said in a 2017 interview. The girlfriend was Ricki Noel Lander, an actress and dancer who then was in her early 30s and whom Mr. Kraft has been dating off and on since.

The Town of Jupiter Building Department placed a danger sign on the spa’s front door that reads, “This unit is unsafe and its use or occupancy is prohibited.”

The Town of Jupiter Building Department placed a danger sign on the spa’s front door that reads, “This unit is unsafe and its use or occupancy is prohibited.”

While Mr. Kraft lives in Massachusetts, he has owned property in Palm Beach, Fla., for a number of years.

By early Friday afternoon, the Orchids of Asia day spa had become an impromptu tourist attraction, drawing onlookers who peered into its darkened glass facade and posed for pictures in front of the closed business. An orange sign posted by the town’s building department on the door and dated from Tuesday, titled, “DANGER,” warned that occupying the unit was prohibited.

Linda Perry of Jupiter Island said she was driving into the neighborhood for lunch when news of Mr. Kraft’s arrest broke.

“I looked it up and we decided to come here,” she said. “It’s just so mind-boggling.”

An affidavit of probable cause filed by the Jupiter police laid out how the men came to be charged for what went on inside the spa.

The police began their investigation by searching online reviews for the business, several of which used a slang term for a sex act that was available to male customers. After conducting 24-hour video surveillance in November, the police noticed that only male clients entered, despite the spa’s advertising some services primarily used by women.

A Florida Department of Health investigator inspected the business on behalf of the police, and noticed several indications that women were living there, including beds, dressers with personal items and a refrigerator containing food and condiments.

One day in January, the police initiated traffic stops of men leaving the spa in their vehicles. During a number of roadside interviews, the men told police officers that they had taken part in sex acts during their visits. Using that information, the police obtained a search warrant to monitor and record conduct inside the spa on video. For five days, starting on Jan. 18, the police monitored the video, and said they observed about 26 men receiving manual or oral stimulation during massage sessions. In none of the instances, the police said, did they observe sexual intercourse.

At Goodfella’s Pizza several doors down, the owner, Joseph Bompartito, said he was working late waiting for a delivery on Jan. 17 when, at about 11:30 p.m., a swarm of police cars pulled up to the mall and evacuated the massage parlor, claiming there was a suspicious package and a possible bomb threat. But law enforcement evacuated no other businesses in the strip mall, which made Mr. Bompartito suspect that something unlawful was going on at the massage parlor. Now, he said, he thinks that was when the police may have planted video cameras inside, a conclusion backed up by the police timeline released on Friday.

“If it was a real bomb scare, why wouldn’t they have evacuated the rest of the mall?” he said.

Mr. Bompartito, who moved to South Florida from Philadelphia seven months ago, said that around the time of the strange bomb scare, he saw young women leave the massage parlor around lunchtime every day and walk around the mall, without talking to anyone or eating anything. He had worked next door to a day spa in Philadelphia that had been raided by the police and sensed something was wrong here, too.

“They looked malnourished,” he said of the women from Orchids of Asia. “One I even offered a slice of pizza to. She wouldn’t even say hi, wouldn’t even say thank you. Just kept her head down.”

On Tuesday, one of the women he recognized was taken away by the police in handcuffs, he said.

Ken Belson and Victor Mather contributed reporting.

Maddog wrote:Old man wanted a happy ending.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:Old man wanted a happy ending.

Happy?  With children?

Sexual abuse seems to be the crime-of-choice of wealthy Americans these days.  Off-track betting is now legal, and drugs are rapidly becoming obligatory and ordinary.  It may be the Russian influence...eastern Europeans always did seem to excel in human trafficking.

It also appears to be the specialty of the Trump crime family.  Human trafficking and prostitution is run by Trump friend, Jeffery Epstein, and sanctioned by Trump's Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta.  But of course, the Kremlin is the Krysha (Крыша) for the Trump crime family, so it's no surprise.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:Old man wanted a happy ending.

Happy?  With children?

Sexual abuse seems to be the crime-of-choice of wealthy Americans these days.  Off-track betting is now legal, and drugs are rapidly becoming obligatory and ordinary.  It may be the Russian influence...eastern Europeans always did seem to excel in human trafficking.

It also appears to be the specialty of the Trump crime family.  Human trafficking and prostitution is run by Trump friend, Jeffery Epstein, and sanctioned by Trump's Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta.  But of course, the Kremlin is the Krysha (Крыша) for the Trump crime family, so it's no surprise.

Maddog wrote:http://reason.com/blog/2019/02/22/robert-krafts-prostitution-arrest-is-par

It's just a run of the mill prostitution. The cops like to make it sound like they are rescuing these women. Most will be out on the streets doing it again the next day or two.  Probably in a more dangerous environment. Some will be deported no doubt too, if they show up for their hearings.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:http://reason.com/blog/2019/02/22/robert-krafts-prostitution-arrest-is-par

It's just a run of the mill prostitution. The cops like to make it sound like they are rescuing these women. Most will be out on the streets doing it again the next day or two.  Probably in a more dangerous environment. Some will be deported no doubt too, if they show up for their hearings.

That's the standard Republican line for their prostitution rings.  The MO for prostitution and trafficking is to kidnap pre-teen girls in their home country, bring them in container cargo ships to this country, and use them in prostitution businesses until they are about 18.  Then they turn them out, with no support.

In a foreign country, with no visible means of support, naturally they turn to prostitution.  And being a good, Christian Republican, you look down on them for that, eh?

But they are children.  They never had a chance.  Except for the century, there is no difference between 17-18th-century slave ships, and these children in container ships.  A lot of them die in transit.  They are used in an illegal racket by men like Epstein and Kraft, and protected by crooked United States Attorneys like Alexander Acosta, who is appointed Secretary of Labor, by Lead Pimp, Donald Trump.

But the children?  Fuck 'em, they are whores.

Shame on you, the father of daughters.

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

That's the standard Republican line for their prostitution rings.  The MO for prostitution and trafficking is to kidnap pre-teen girls in their home country, bring them in container cargo ships to this country, and use them in prostitution businesses until they are about 18.  Then they turn them out, with no support.

In a foreign country, with no visible means of support, naturally they turn to prostitution.  And being a good, Christian Republican, you look down on them for that, eh?

But they are children.  They never had a chance.  Except for the century, there is no difference between 17-18th-century slave ships, and these children in container ships.  A lot of them die in transit.  They are used in an illegal racket by men like Epstein and Kraft, and protected by crooked United States Attorneys like Alexander Acosta, who is appointed Secretary of Labor, by Lead Pimp, Donald Trump.

But the children?  Fuck 'em, they are whores.

Shame on you, the father of daughters.

where in your article did it say that. Are you projecting or speaking from experience?

CBS News Los Angeles wrote:Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, will be charged in a prostitution bust in Jupiter, Florida. Kraft, who denies doing anything illegal, was allegedly caught in the act on video, according to police.

Fox News wrote:Kraft case casts uncomfortable spotlight on depths of massage parlor sex trafficking in US
By Hollie McKay

JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: A Danger sign is seen on the front door of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in connection to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft being charged with allegedly soliciting for sex on February 22, 2019 in Jupiter, Florida.

While the accusation New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft solicited a prostitute at a "spa" in Jupiter, Fla., generated news headlines, it also raised awareness of the deeper-buried issue involving the prevalence of sex and human trafficking at ostensibly legal massage parlors across the country.

“Massage parlor networks are a primary place where human trafficking is happening ... The U.S. is replete with them. You can go to almost any city and find one – or many,” said Amy Roth Sandrolini, a spokesperson for The Exodus Road, which fights global sex trafficking.

Illicit massage businesses (IMBs), as they are referred to by law enforcement, have long been known to use beauty and spa messaging as a front for their thriving sex businesses. But what is of increasing concern now is how the IMBs serve as a dark and sinister hub for sex and human trafficking.

A detailed analysis by the anti-slavery non-profit group Polaris in 2017 found more than 9,000 illegal massage businesses up and running nationwide - “hiding in plain sight in strip malls, dotting the sides of highways, and on busy commercial strips in every state.” And while most of the businesses appear rather modest-looking they also made big money - at least $2.5 billion per year, according to the report.

The study found women trafficked into the sex industry arena were most commonly new arrivals from China or South Korea, are mothers with considerable debt or financial pressures, and speak little or no English. The women are often lured into the business by being told “all massage is sexual in the United States,” or that “police in the United States are corrupt” and will only aid the traffickers, not them.

Traffickers are also known to seize passports and take or withhold money from the women, rendering the victims helpless. The women are then threatened and charged “fees” for such things as rent and “training,” making them vulnerable and indebted to their trafficker.

Neither Kraft nor any of those named in last week's Florida bust – on a list that includes a Wall Street billionaire – have been charged with any trafficking offenses. And Kraft categorically denies the existing charges of solicitation. But whatever his fate, investigators seem focused on casting a much wider net, which will expose the degree to which both prostitution and trafficking exist in the region.

Brandon Bouchard, director of media relations for Polaris, said that as law enforcement continues to conduct raids and stings targeting sex trafficking operations, “it’s critical that they do so in a victim-and trauma informed way that doesn’t criminalize the people forced to provide commercial sex services.” That's why many of the women involved in the arrests are considered to be victims, according to law enforcement.

The IMBs are also “advertised” on an array of public message boards and websites online. Such websites typically require only the checkoff of a box that indicates the visitor is 18 or older - along with a disclaimer the site has "zero tolerance" for underage prostitution.

But once inside, the websites offer troves of “reviews” of various spas and parlors, including explicit information on who provides what and where – along with ratings on the physical appearance of the “masseuse.”

But beyond the disturbing and lucrative nature of individual IMBs, there is often an even wider and more malevolent criminal enterprise at play. According to the Polaris study, “the average IMB connects to at least one other IMB, as well as non-massage venues such as nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores, and dry cleaners.”

“There are networks that run the illicit massage parlor business; like there are large criminal networks that run narcotics,” Sandrolini said.

These connections are utilized to move women from states that are ports of entry, such as New York and California, to IMBs around the country. Overwhelmingly, these connected businesses are used to launder money earned from the IMB,” said the Polaris report. “Networks generally include shell companies that obscure identities of the real trafficking profiteers.”

“Florida’s trafficking bust in massage parlors is just the tip of the iceberg. This is happening all across the country,” said Kevin Malone, president and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, and former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Noting that many of the IMBs are managed by Chinese organized crime syndicates, Malone said the women involved "are taken usually to New York, where they are trained what to do. They are then put on a circuit of illicit massage businesses, many times not spending more than a few weeks in any given location. They reside in the massage business itself, until they are moved to a new location.”

Concerns have been raised that local law enforcement does not often have the resources required to dismantle such deep and nuanced networks, allowing such exploitation to thrive.

“Several things could trigger an investigation," Sandrolini said. "There could be an assumption of prostitution, money laundering, immigration issues or flags, or a tip from a citizen or potential victim. We know that there is a portion of tips that lead to prostitution, and then there are tips that overlap with human trafficking.”

Thus most shakedowns rely on multi-agency investigations, which can take months. The mass Florida probe targeted parlors from Palm Beach to Orlando, with almost 200 arrests made, following a six-month investigation into possible human trafficking.

“Massage parlors sit undercover, and it's sad that ’word’ has to get out that guys can come to get a 'happy ending’ before that particular parlor is now on the radar for law enforcement to look into,” said one Florida-based sex trafficking survivor, who now works closely with law enforcement to aid other victims.

Outside of Florida, charges in states from Wisconsin, Texas, Massachusetts, West Virginia and California have been filed in recent months against spa owners alleged to be running prostitution enterprises. Typically, like in the Florida case, police begin their investigations by scouring online reviews, then conducting video surveillance. Law enforcement will then often conduct routine traffic stops on those leaving to obtain more information.

Nonetheless, experts have established a number of key signs that could potentially point to nefarious sex and labor trafficking pursuits taking place behind the drawn curtain.

“These trafficking rings typically work by setting up a business storefront in any area. It could be residential, urban or suburban,” added Helen Ricci, a patrol sergeant at the Georgetown University Law Center. “There are common features to such establishments; signs indicating massage services for much lower than typical area market rates, the marked presence of a video surveillance cameras at entry and exit ways, locked doors requiring a buzzer, covered windows and doors that limit visibility from the street or to passersby.”

Detective Chris Boughey, of Peoria, Ariz., told Fox News that law enforcement is often alerted to these situations by adjoining businesses.

“Most of these parlors are situated in strip malls. Some adjoining business owners may see increased traffic in and out of these establishments and contact law enforcement. Sometimes, law enforcement receives anonymous tips of the happenings at these establishments,” he said. “We had one case here that the wife of one of these men called police after her husband returned home. Feeling guilty, the husband told his wife what had happened. She was none too happy and called the police.”

Boughey said the investigative process is a challenging one. The language barrier is often problematic especially in rural areas, when it comes to conducting investigations of suspect locations. Nonetheless, they utilize what resources they do have – from sending undercover officers into establishments and utilizing recording devices – to collect much evidence as possible.

“These cases are hard to prosecute at the establishment level. The johns are easy, but it is a misdemeanor offense. They are usually given a citation and released. A task force approach is the best way to deal with this situation, as these establishments cross jurisdictional lines and following the money takes time, and building the trust of these women is difficult,” he continued. “Most departments and cities don’t have the resources to work these incidents like they should. Additionally, there are few social service agencies equipped to handle, house, etc. these women. The bottom line is that these women are the victims. They are isolated, threatened, and have no resources or people to turn to.”

Hollie McKay has a been a Fox News Digital staff reporter since 2007. She has extensively reported from war zones including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, and Latin America investigates global conflicts, war crimes and terrorism around the world. Follow her on Twitter.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/robert-kraft-arrest-casts-uncomfortable-spotlight-on-the-depths-of-massage-parlor-sex-trafficking-across-the-us

Original Quill wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
where in your article did it say that. Are you projecting or speaking from experience?

Dean, there's a zillion articles and TV news stories out about this arrest now.  Go back to the day after Kraft was arrested, and watch the Rachael Maddow show on MSNBC.  She was all over this story.  Jeffery Epstein specializes in furnishing under aged girls to the rich and famous.  Trump has participated, and was even sued by a 13-year old (at the time of her rape).

As for Kraft, CBS reports:

CBS News Los Angeles wrote:Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, will be charged in a prostitution bust in Jupiter, Florida. Kraft, who denies doing anything illegal, was allegedly caught in the act on video, according to police.

Fox News wrote:Kraft case casts uncomfortable spotlight on depths of massage parlor sex trafficking in US
By Hollie McKay

JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: A Danger sign is seen on the front door of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in connection to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft being charged with allegedly soliciting for sex on February 22, 2019 in Jupiter, Florida.

While the accusation New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft solicited a prostitute at a "spa" in Jupiter, Fla., generated news headlines, it also raised awareness of the deeper-buried issue involving the prevalence of sex and human trafficking at ostensibly legal massage parlors across the country.

“Massage parlor networks are a primary place where human trafficking is happening ... The U.S. is replete with them. You can go to almost any city and find one – or many,” said Amy Roth Sandrolini, a spokesperson for The Exodus Road, which fights global sex trafficking.

Illicit massage businesses (IMBs), as they are referred to by law enforcement, have long been known to use beauty and spa messaging as a front for their thriving sex businesses. But what is of increasing concern now is how the IMBs serve as a dark and sinister hub for sex and human trafficking.

A detailed analysis by the anti-slavery non-profit group Polaris in 2017 found more than 9,000 illegal massage businesses up and running nationwide - “hiding in plain sight in strip malls, dotting the sides of highways, and on busy commercial strips in every state.” And while most of the businesses appear rather modest-looking they also made big money - at least $2.5 billion per year, according to the report.

The study found women trafficked into the sex industry arena were most commonly new arrivals from China or South Korea, are mothers with considerable debt or financial pressures, and speak little or no English. The women are often lured into the business by being told “all massage is sexual in the United States,” or that “police in the United States are corrupt” and will only aid the traffickers, not them.

Traffickers are also known to seize passports and take or withhold money from the women, rendering the victims helpless. The women are then threatened and charged “fees” for such things as rent and “training,” making them vulnerable and indebted to their trafficker.

Neither Kraft nor any of those named in last week's Florida bust – on a list that includes a Wall Street billionaire – have been charged with any trafficking offenses. And Kraft categorically denies the existing charges of solicitation. But whatever his fate, investigators seem focused on casting a much wider net, which will expose the degree to which both prostitution and trafficking exist in the region.

Brandon Bouchard, director of media relations for Polaris, said that as law enforcement continues to conduct raids and stings targeting sex trafficking operations, “it’s critical that they do so in a victim-and trauma informed way that doesn’t criminalize the people forced to provide commercial sex services.” That's why many of the women involved in the arrests are considered to be victims, according to law enforcement.

The IMBs are also “advertised” on an array of public message boards and websites online. Such websites typically require only the checkoff of a box that indicates the visitor is 18 or older - along with a disclaimer the site has "zero tolerance" for underage prostitution.

But once inside, the websites offer troves of “reviews” of various spas and parlors, including explicit information on who provides what and where – along with ratings on the physical appearance of the “masseuse.”

But beyond the disturbing and lucrative nature of individual IMBs, there is often an even wider and more malevolent criminal enterprise at play. According to the Polaris study, “the average IMB connects to at least one other IMB, as well as non-massage venues such as nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores, and dry cleaners.”

“There are networks that run the illicit massage parlor business; like there are large criminal networks that run narcotics,” Sandrolini said.

These connections are utilized to move women from states that are ports of entry, such as New York and California, to IMBs around the country. Overwhelmingly, these connected businesses are used to launder money earned from the IMB,” said the Polaris report. “Networks generally include shell companies that obscure identities of the real trafficking profiteers.”

“Florida’s trafficking bust in massage parlors is just the tip of the iceberg. This is happening all across the country,” said Kevin Malone, president and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, and former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Noting that many of the IMBs are managed by Chinese organized crime syndicates, Malone said the women involved "are taken usually to New York, where they are trained what to do. They are then put on a circuit of illicit massage businesses, many times not spending more than a few weeks in any given location. They reside in the massage business itself, until they are moved to a new location.”

Concerns have been raised that local law enforcement does not often have the resources required to dismantle such deep and nuanced networks, allowing such exploitation to thrive.

“Several things could trigger an investigation," Sandrolini said. "There could be an assumption of prostitution, money laundering, immigration issues or flags, or a tip from a citizen or potential victim. We know that there is a portion of tips that lead to prostitution, and then there are tips that overlap with human trafficking.”

Thus most shakedowns rely on multi-agency investigations, which can take months. The mass Florida probe targeted parlors from Palm Beach to Orlando, with almost 200 arrests made, following a six-month investigation into possible human trafficking.

“Massage parlors sit undercover, and it's sad that ’word’ has to get out that guys can come to get a 'happy ending’ before that particular parlor is now on the radar for law enforcement to look into,” said one Florida-based sex trafficking survivor, who now works closely with law enforcement to aid other victims.

Outside of Florida, charges in states from Wisconsin, Texas, Massachusetts, West Virginia and California have been filed in recent months against spa owners alleged to be running prostitution enterprises. Typically, like in the Florida case, police begin their investigations by scouring online reviews, then conducting video surveillance. Law enforcement will then often conduct routine traffic stops on those leaving to obtain more information.

Nonetheless, experts have established a number of key signs that could potentially point to nefarious sex and labor trafficking pursuits taking place behind the drawn curtain.

“These trafficking rings typically work by setting up a business storefront in any area. It could be residential, urban or suburban,” added Helen Ricci, a patrol sergeant at the Georgetown University Law Center. “There are common features to such establishments; signs indicating massage services for much lower than typical area market rates, the marked presence of a video surveillance cameras at entry and exit ways, locked doors requiring a buzzer, covered windows and doors that limit visibility from the street or to passersby.”

Detective Chris Boughey, of Peoria, Ariz., told Fox News that law enforcement is often alerted to these situations by adjoining businesses.

“Most of these parlors are situated in strip malls. Some adjoining business owners may see increased traffic in and out of these establishments and contact law enforcement. Sometimes, law enforcement receives anonymous tips of the happenings at these establishments,” he said. “We had one case here that the wife of one of these men called police after her husband returned home. Feeling guilty, the husband told his wife what had happened. She was none too happy and called the police.”

Boughey said the investigative process is a challenging one. The language barrier is often problematic especially in rural areas, when it comes to conducting investigations of suspect locations. Nonetheless, they utilize what resources they do have – from sending undercover officers into establishments and utilizing recording devices – to collect much evidence as possible.

“These cases are hard to prosecute at the establishment level. The johns are easy, but it is a misdemeanor offense. They are usually given a citation and released. A task force approach is the best way to deal with this situation, as these establishments cross jurisdictional lines and following the money takes time, and building the trust of these women is difficult,” he continued. “Most departments and cities don’t have the resources to work these incidents like they should. Additionally, there are few social service agencies equipped to handle, house, etc. these women. The bottom line is that these women are the victims. They are isolated, threatened, and have no resources or people to turn to.”

Hollie McKay has a been a Fox News Digital staff reporter since 2007. She has extensively reported from war zones including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, and Latin America investigates global conflicts, war crimes and terrorism around the world. Follow her on Twitter.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/robert-kraft-arrest-casts-uncomfortable-spotlight-on-the-depths-of-massage-parlor-sex-trafficking-across-the-us

Original Quill wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
where in your article did it say that. Are you projecting or speaking from experience?

Dean, there's a zillion articles and TV news stories out about this arrest now.  Go back to the day after Kraft was arrested, and watch the Rachael Maddow show on MSNBC.  She was all over this story.  Jeffery Epstein specializes in furnishing under aged girls to the rich and famous.  Trump has participated, and was even sued by a 13-year old (at the time of her rape).

As for Kraft, CBS reports:

CBS News Los Angeles wrote:Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, will be charged in a prostitution bust in Jupiter, Florida. Kraft, who denies doing anything illegal, was allegedly caught in the act on video, according to police.

Fox News wrote:Kraft case casts uncomfortable spotlight on depths of massage parlor sex trafficking in US
By Hollie McKay

JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: A Danger sign is seen on the front door of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in connection to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft being charged with allegedly soliciting for sex on February 22, 2019 in Jupiter, Florida.

While the accusation New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft solicited a prostitute at a "spa" in Jupiter, Fla., generated news headlines, it also raised awareness of the deeper-buried issue involving the prevalence of sex and human trafficking at ostensibly legal massage parlors across the country.

“Massage parlor networks are a primary place where human trafficking is happening ... The U.S. is replete with them. You can go to almost any city and find one – or many,” said Amy Roth Sandrolini, a spokesperson for The Exodus Road, which fights global sex trafficking.

Illicit massage businesses (IMBs), as they are referred to by law enforcement, have long been known to use beauty and spa messaging as a front for their thriving sex businesses. But what is of increasing concern now is how the IMBs serve as a dark and sinister hub for sex and human trafficking.

A detailed analysis by the anti-slavery non-profit group Polaris in 2017 found more than 9,000 illegal massage businesses up and running nationwide - “hiding in plain sight in strip malls, dotting the sides of highways, and on busy commercial strips in every state.” And while most of the businesses appear rather modest-looking they also made big money - at least $2.5 billion per year, according to the report.

The study found women trafficked into the sex industry arena were most commonly new arrivals from China or South Korea, are mothers with considerable debt or financial pressures, and speak little or no English. The women are often lured into the business by being told “all massage is sexual in the United States,” or that “police in the United States are corrupt” and will only aid the traffickers, not them.

Traffickers are also known to seize passports and take or withhold money from the women, rendering the victims helpless. The women are then threatened and charged “fees” for such things as rent and “training,” making them vulnerable and indebted to their trafficker.

Neither Kraft nor any of those named in last week's Florida bust – on a list that includes a Wall Street billionaire – have been charged with any trafficking offenses. And Kraft categorically denies the existing charges of solicitation. But whatever his fate, investigators seem focused on casting a much wider net, which will expose the degree to which both prostitution and trafficking exist in the region.

Brandon Bouchard, director of media relations for Polaris, said that as law enforcement continues to conduct raids and stings targeting sex trafficking operations, “it’s critical that they do so in a victim-and trauma informed way that doesn’t criminalize the people forced to provide commercial sex services.” That's why many of the women involved in the arrests are considered to be victims, according to law enforcement.

The IMBs are also “advertised” on an array of public message boards and websites online. Such websites typically require only the checkoff of a box that indicates the visitor is 18 or older - along with a disclaimer the site has "zero tolerance" for underage prostitution.

But once inside, the websites offer troves of “reviews” of various spas and parlors, including explicit information on who provides what and where – along with ratings on the physical appearance of the “masseuse.”

But beyond the disturbing and lucrative nature of individual IMBs, there is often an even wider and more malevolent criminal enterprise at play. According to the Polaris study, “the average IMB connects to at least one other IMB, as well as non-massage venues such as nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores, and dry cleaners.”

“There are networks that run the illicit massage parlor business; like there are large criminal networks that run narcotics,” Sandrolini said.

These connections are utilized to move women from states that are ports of entry, such as New York and California, to IMBs around the country. Overwhelmingly, these connected businesses are used to launder money earned from the IMB,” said the Polaris report. “Networks generally include shell companies that obscure identities of the real trafficking profiteers.”

“Florida’s trafficking bust in massage parlors is just the tip of the iceberg. This is happening all across the country,” said Kevin Malone, president and co-founder of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, and former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Noting that many of the IMBs are managed by Chinese organized crime syndicates, Malone said the women involved "are taken usually to New York, where they are trained what to do. They are then put on a circuit of illicit massage businesses, many times not spending more than a few weeks in any given location. They reside in the massage business itself, until they are moved to a new location.”

Concerns have been raised that local law enforcement does not often have the resources required to dismantle such deep and nuanced networks, allowing such exploitation to thrive.

“Several things could trigger an investigation," Sandrolini said. "There could be an assumption of prostitution, money laundering, immigration issues or flags, or a tip from a citizen or potential victim. We know that there is a portion of tips that lead to prostitution, and then there are tips that overlap with human trafficking.”

Thus most shakedowns rely on multi-agency investigations, which can take months. The mass Florida probe targeted parlors from Palm Beach to Orlando, with almost 200 arrests made, following a six-month investigation into possible human trafficking.

“Massage parlors sit undercover, and it's sad that ’word’ has to get out that guys can come to get a 'happy ending’ before that particular parlor is now on the radar for law enforcement to look into,” said one Florida-based sex trafficking survivor, who now works closely with law enforcement to aid other victims.

Outside of Florida, charges in states from Wisconsin, Texas, Massachusetts, West Virginia and California have been filed in recent months against spa owners alleged to be running prostitution enterprises. Typically, like in the Florida case, police begin their investigations by scouring online reviews, then conducting video surveillance. Law enforcement will then often conduct routine traffic stops on those leaving to obtain more information.

Nonetheless, experts have established a number of key signs that could potentially point to nefarious sex and labor trafficking pursuits taking place behind the drawn curtain.

“These trafficking rings typically work by setting up a business storefront in any area. It could be residential, urban or suburban,” added Helen Ricci, a patrol sergeant at the Georgetown University Law Center. “There are common features to such establishments; signs indicating massage services for much lower than typical area market rates, the marked presence of a video surveillance cameras at entry and exit ways, locked doors requiring a buzzer, covered windows and doors that limit visibility from the street or to passersby.”

Detective Chris Boughey, of Peoria, Ariz., told Fox News that law enforcement is often alerted to these situations by adjoining businesses.

“Most of these parlors are situated in strip malls. Some adjoining business owners may see increased traffic in and out of these establishments and contact law enforcement. Sometimes, law enforcement receives anonymous tips of the happenings at these establishments,” he said. “We had one case here that the wife of one of these men called police after her husband returned home. Feeling guilty, the husband told his wife what had happened. She was none too happy and called the police.”

Boughey said the investigative process is a challenging one. The language barrier is often problematic especially in rural areas, when it comes to conducting investigations of suspect locations. Nonetheless, they utilize what resources they do have – from sending undercover officers into establishments and utilizing recording devices – to collect much evidence as possible.

“These cases are hard to prosecute at the establishment level. The johns are easy, but it is a misdemeanor offense. They are usually given a citation and released. A task force approach is the best way to deal with this situation, as these establishments cross jurisdictional lines and following the money takes time, and building the trust of these women is difficult,” he continued. “Most departments and cities don’t have the resources to work these incidents like they should. Additionally, there are few social service agencies equipped to handle, house, etc. these women. The bottom line is that these women are the victims. They are isolated, threatened, and have no resources or people to turn to.”

Hollie McKay has a been a Fox News Digital staff reporter since 2007. She has extensively reported from war zones including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, and Latin America investigates global conflicts, war crimes and terrorism around the world. Follow her on Twitter.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/robert-kraft-arrest-casts-uncomfortable-spotlight-on-the-depths-of-massage-parlor-sex-trafficking-across-the-us

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:http://reason.com/blog/2019/02/22/robert-krafts-prostitution-arrest-is-par

It's just a run of the mill prostitution. The cops like to make it sound like they are rescuing these women. Most will be out on the streets doing it again the next day or two.  Probably in a more dangerous environment. Some will be deported no doubt too, if they show up for their hearings.

That's the standard Republican line for their prostitution rings.  The MO for prostitution and trafficking is to kidnap pre-teen girls in their home country, bring them in container cargo ships to this country, and use them in prostitution businesses until they are about 18.  Then they turn them out, with no support.

In a foreign country, with no visible means of support, naturally they turn to prostitution.  And being a good, Christian Republican, you look down on them for that, eh?

But they are children.  They never had a chance.  Except for the century, there is no difference between 17-18th-century slave ships, and these children in container ships.  A lot of them die in transit.  They are used in an illegal racket by men like Epstein and Kraft, and protected by crooked United States Attorneys like Alexander Acosta, who is appointed Secretary of Labor, by Lead Pimp, Donald Trump.

But the children?  Fuck 'em, they are whores.

Shame on you, the father of daughters.

Maddog wrote:There were no children involved in this case, or the chargers would have reflected that.

Maddog wrote:I'm not a Christian, nor a Republican either.

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:There were no children involved in this case, or the chargers would have reflected that.

He owns the Patriots, not the Chargers.  

Rachael Maddow says there were children involved.  I believe her.

New York Times wrote:  
All of the sexual encounters that have resulted in charges were videotaped as part of the prostitution investigation, the police said.

they observed about 26 men receiving manual or oral stimulation during massage sessions.

Jules wrote:

New York Times wrote:  
All of the sexual encounters that have resulted in charges were videotaped as part of the prostitution investigation, the police said.

they observed about 26 men receiving manual or oral stimulation during massage sessions.

Erm … is it legal or ethical to secretly videotape prossies 'servicing' their clients??  
Blatant pervy voyeurism, if you ask me.


Of course I disagree with the concept of prostitution . . . . .
. . . . . . but these pervy cops went beyond the call of duty to be so nosey.

Bet many cops volunteered to ''review'' these tapes.    

Original Quill wrote:

Maddog wrote:There were no children involved in this case, or the chargers would have reflected that.

He owns the Patriots, not the Chargers.  

Rachael Maddow says there were children involved.  I believe her.