Human Traffickers operating in the Mid-South

A four-month investigation by the local human rights group Operation Broken Silence found most of the activity centers on sex, and much of it starts online.

“Before Craigslist had a lot of pressure placed on them, a lot of the ads were on Craigslist,” said Ryan Dalton of Operation Broken Silence. “They have since moved to Backpage.”

Backpage.com is a web site where you can buy just about anything.

“Someone can log on to the web site and browse like they would for anything – a new car, a lawn mower, but they can also search for people,” Dalton said.

According to Operation Broken Silence, during the last quarter of 2010, more than 1,900 ads posted on Backpage listed women for sale in the Memphis and Tunica region. The ads were for things like “Busty and Thick”, “Sweet Treat”, and “Super Sexy Irish Doll.”

According to this research, Sam Cooper Highway, Memphis International Airport and the Wolfchase Mall area. People aren’t sold in these places – they’re just pick-up points. Researchers say the Wolfchase shopping area is appealing to human traffickers because it’s close to the interstate and there are lot of people with money in their pockets there.

Operation Broken Silence says Memphis International Airport is a hot spot to buy humans because of how many businessmen are traveling alone, and because it’s close to strip clubs. The FBI says sex slaves are brought in from all over the Mid-South and around the world.

Attorneys General in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi joined 18 other states in asking Backpage.com to close its adult services section back in September. But it’s still open, and busier than ever, though users must agree to report suspected exploitation of minors and human trafficking to the appropriate authorities.

The FBI would not comment on the research conducted by Operation Broken Silence specifically, but they have seen the study.

Read more:

•Operation Broken Silence: http://www.operationbrokensilence.org/

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