What do bright college students have to worry about? Part 1

In the past 2 years, I have seen a sharp increase in the number of U.S. Citizen college students targeted
by human trafficking. I also hear from victims that sex traffickers are lurking around high school and
middle school campuses. After the many campus shootings and the other dangers parents warn their
children about before sending them away from home for the first time it is unlikely that most parents
are discussing the tactics of “romeo pimps” with the daughters who have achieved academic success.

I have worked with more and more families as the hopes and dreams for their daughters are crushed –
the parents have been blindsided by an evil they may never have known existed.

The tactics used are that the recruiter will find a target, he will then create some sort of friendship or
romantic connection.

During this early grooming period he will learn all he can about the victim and she will tell him EVERYTHING. Her hopes, dreams, fears disappointments, every disagreement with her friends, parents teachers, etc.

While she believes he is listening to her out of affection, he is listening for ammunition to carry out his plan.

He will begin to introduce her to his shadowy life and it will appear alluring and a bit mystical- especially to a naïve academic who has spent most of her time preparing for college.

He will learn what she thinks about sex, religion, her parents, grandparents, her embarrassing moments and her highest achievements.

This he will then use to distance and isolate her from her life and into his.

To be continued-

Dottie Laster Speaking at Coastal Bend Coalition Against Modern Slavery Symposium

On Thursday,  March 21 Dottie Laster will be speaking to an audience of  law enforcement, health care providers, CPS personnel, mental health service providers, social workers, and others at the Coastal Bend Coalition Against Modern Slavery Symposium being held at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. The event will be from  8-4:30 in the college library, room 514.

Each year, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked globally, and between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. Most domestic minor sex trafficking victims are runaways who’ve fled an abusive home in hopes of finding a more secure, stable environment.  Traffickers prey on vulnerable women and girls, and use coercive techniques to lure women and children into the commercial sex industry.  It’s estimated that 1 in 3 runaways will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home, and the average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is 12-14 years old.  Although sex trafficking is the largest form of domestic human trafficking, domestic labor trafficking affects thousands of Americans as well.  Victims of labor trafficking are frequently found in restaurants, traveling carnivals, peddling/begging rings, traveling sales crews, and in the agricultural industry…..Modern Injustices

Dottie Laster will speak about the grooming practices of traffickers, both on the victim level as well as the community level.  While traffickers often prey upon vulnerable youth, there is an increase of young teens being lured by traffickers who are good students and come from stable family situations. The role of some traffickers is  to gain the trust of not only the victim, but of other members of the family as well as those in the community, making it easier to prey upon a specific victim.

Event Details:

• Date:  Thursday, March 21
• Time: 8am-4:30pm
• Location: DelMar College Library, Room 514
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Contact: cbcamds@aol.com

To schedule Dottie Laster for a presentation, workshop or training in your community, or for your organization, please contact:

ImaginePublicity     Tel: 843-808-0859     Email:   contact@imaginepublicity.com

Dottie Laster Speaking at Coastal Bend Coalition Against Modern Slavery Symposium

Kansas Social Workers and Law Enforcement Receive Human Trafficking Training

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCF social workers, Kansas law enforcement officials train to detect, combat human trafficking
Dozens of social workers and law enforcement personnel around Kansas recently completed training designed to further understanding of human trafficking and help prevent the modern day form of slavery.

Separate, identical classes focused on human trafficking were held in Hays, Wichita and Topeka. Kansas Department for Children and Families social workers, as well as Kansas Highway Patrol troopers, gained a broader understanding of trafficking from nationally renowned expert Dottie Laster.

“Dottie’s training is focused on the supply and demand of human trafficking. The blame does not just lie with the perpetrators who enslave and subjugate, but also with anyone who knowingly uses products or services that rely on the exploitation of others,” said DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore. “It’s important for social workers and law enforcement in our state to be well informed about modern-day slavery and how to rescue victims.”

Approximately 140 DCF social workers and Highway Patrol troopers attended one of the three training sessions.

"I was so honored to tour Kansas and meet such dedicated professionals who are making Kansas safe for trafficking victims, especially children, and unwelcoming for traffickers,” Dottie Laster said. “I look forward to returning next year and building on the foundation we were able to create."

Criminal traffickers use force, fraud or coercion to control and exploit their victims by forcing them into prostitution, domestic servitude or forced labor. The training emphasizes identifying and working directly with human trafficking victims. Participants learned how to recognize factors that indicate human trafficking and gained an understanding of the mindset of a victim, who may not be aware of their victimhood or feel comfortable seeking help.

"Everyone walked out with something new and a broader understanding of the problem,” said Toni Schuckman, DCF Wichita assistant regional director.

In recent years an investigation into organized crime in Houston, Texas revealed minors from Kansas who were trafficked and forced into prostitution.

Following the employee and law enforcement training, Laster delivered a human trafficking overview to educate faith-based and community leaders in Johnson County. Laster led the training overview of human trafficking awareness and facilitated a question and answer session.

“Dialogue was dynamic and the audience was engaged,” said Deputy Secretary Pilato, who also serves on the Kansas Human Trafficking Advisory Board.

Kansas statutes related to human trafficking require a prison term of 25 years to life if the victims of sex trafficking are under 14 years old. State statute also deems that even if a minor participates willingly, they are still the victim of trafficking. All who knowingly benefit from human trafficking are guilty and can be prosecuted under Kansas law.

There are an estimated 100,000 U.S. citizen children exploited in the commercial sex industry annually, according to the U.S. State Department. Cases have been investigated in all 50 states.


Contact:
Rachel Whitten
(785) 296-0537
rachel.whitten@dcf.ks.gov

Dottie Laster is available for presentations and training for organizations, churches, law enforcement and anyone interested in eradicating human slavery and trafficking. To bring Dottie to your next event, contact Laster Global Consulting or ImaginePublicity phone: 843.808.0859 email: contact@imaginepublicity.com

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Dottie Laster Appears on First official episode of “The Full Monty Leadership Show” with Dov Baron

LISTEN LIVE: http://fullmontyradio.com/

10am Pacific time, 1pm Eastern time

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Previously known as The Accidental Guru, Dov Baron's debut episode of The Full Monty Leadership Show will be featuring Dottie Laster and her work fighting human trafficking.

Per Dov Baron's show announcement they will discuss:

• The devastating number of people who are trafficked into the US every year. Why the victims don’t just run away and call the cops.
• What you, me and our leadership can do to bring an end to human slavery.
• How law enforcement and local authority corruption is blocking sex slave emancipation
• And I will even ask Dottie to give us a graphic description of a day in the life of a human sex slave…

Working to provide leadership to important issues, and spotlighting the leaders, is the premise for the The Full Monty Leadership Show.

Dottie Laster and Laster Global Consulting have been consistent leaders in the fight against human trafficking on a global basis.

Dottie Laster is a nationally recognized expert in the field of human trafficking. Trained by the Department of Justice, she educates law enforcement, businesses and organizations, on all aspects of human trafficking, and offers solutions to those who want to help in the cause. She has been the architect, and leader of the human trafficking task forces in many cities.

She was appointed as a part of this task force to train over 5,000 police officers and worked directly with adult and child victims.

Who is Dov Baron?

Dõv Baron is a Elite Mind Strategist specializing in the Psychology of High Performance Leadership. He serves as a mentor and adviser to corporate, creative and personal leaders. His company Baron Mastery is the only resource for training tomorrow’s leaders in the implementation of “The C.O.R.E Affluence System for Leadership”.

Dõv Baron is the original developer of Quantum-Meta-Psychology. He has created the ground breaking EFM Audio Technology. He is the author of many bestselling books including: “Don’t Read This…Your Ego Won’t Like It!”, “Getting What You Want To Want You”, “What The Bleep Does It Mean?” and his new book: “Don’t Read This…Unless You Want More Money.”

Dottie Laster is a nationally known speaker, presenter and trainer in the area of human trafficking. To bring Dottie to your next event, please contact ImaginePublicity, Phone: 843.808.0859 Email: contact@imaginepublicity.com  For more information about Dottie and event planning information Click HERE.

Related articles

• The Pandemic Otherwise Known as Human Trafficking.... (donnagore.com)
• Sex Trafficking's Unlikely Angel, Dottie Laster Featured in MORE Magazine's October, 2012 Issue (imaginepublicity.com)
• Sex Trafficking in San Antonio (antihumantraffickingnews.blogspot.com)
• In The Dark: Sex Slavery & Human Trafficking (ireport.cnn.com)
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• Dottie Laster Appearing on San Antonio Living Morning Show (imaginepublicity.com)

Dottie Laster Appearing on San Antonio Living Morning Show

Dottie Laster, one of the nation’s leading experts on human trafficking, has been invited to appear on  San Antonio Living morning show on Friday morning November 9, 10-11am Central time. Laster hopes that the viewing public will come away with a better understanding of the urgency of public education and that any minor engaging in commercial sex is a victim, not a criminal. She also wants viewers to be aware that there are laws to protect victims and that many families are being harmed by this crime.

Laster will talk about the epidemic of human trafficking, not only in her home town, but reaching across the globe. She will give viewers information about targeted areas, what to look for in your own neighborhoods, and what families can do to protect their children from the traffickers.

Dottie Laster and Laster Global Consulting provide project development, consultancy, and training resources in domestic and international trafficking. The strong multi-disciplinary team has an established track record of helping victims of trafficking and developing anti-trafficking programs with law enforcement, universities, faith-based, and non-profit organizations.

She has recently been featured in MORE Magazine’s October 2012 edition with a multi-page article by Mimi Swartz, Sex Trafficking’s Unlikely Angel outlining her involvement in the rescue and restoration of victims of trafficking.

To assist victims in their quest to become self-sufficient after their rescue, Laster created TRAFFICKED Designs, using designs and talents of former victims to make and sell a line of jewelry. Save One Soul (SOS) is the theme of all of the designs.

To bring Dottie Laster to your community or organization for training or presentation, please contact ImaginePublicity, Phone: 843.808.0859  Email: contact@imaginepublicity.com

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Sex Trafficking’s Unlikely Angel, Dottie Laster Featured in MORE Magazine’s October, 2012 Issue

On the day that President Obama spoke about his administration’s beefed up efforts to fight against human trafficking, MORE Magazine’s October issue hit the news stands with an excellent article on one of trafficking’s leading advocates, Dottie Laster.

President Obama Speaks Against Human Trafficking

Enforcing the laws, rescuing and restoring victims of trafficking is a 24 hour job which Dottie Laster takes seriously. With little sleep, Laster’s phone is always on, ready to take the next call from the next victim who may need her help, or victims whom she has rescued who just need to talk to her in order to stay on the path of self sufficiency.

MORE Magazine article, Sex Trafficking’s Unlikely Angel, by Mimi Swartz, outlines what it’s like for Dottie Laster as an advocate, trainer and facilitator to victims of sex trafficking globally. Lately, Laster has focused within her home state of Texas and has helped expose what’s going on behind closed doors in the bars and cantinas, massage parlors and spas, and sometimes residential homes in Houston, one of the major hubs for trafficking in the US.

Schwartz’s article also relates the stories of two of the victims which Dottie Laster and her team rescued, Lizbeth and Precious. Both caught up in sex trafficking, but now working through the difficulties specific to human trafficking victims, overcoming addictions and fear, they are both on their way to a stable life with the help of Dottie Laster.

One of the barriers standing in the way of fighting against human trafficking is that people either don’t believe it or don’t want to hear about it…until it happens to their family member or someone they know. Dottie Laster is on the front lines of awareness, education and training. Her work with such organizations as the Bernardo Kohler Center, as well as the Deptartment of Justice, qualify Laster to work with law enforcement agencies and organizations across the country to get the message to the public that human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes affecting every country, even the United States.

It’s often difficult for the victims to get a fresh start, especially in the job market where background and credit checks limit the availability of meaningful employment. Resources for rescued victims are limited throughout the United States, clearly an area of need among nearly every community whose budgets are forcing them to work at a minimum. Like anyone victimized by crime, trafficking victims must have specialized care, safety from the traffickers, mental health treatment, and the basics like food and shelter.

Described in Swartz’s article in MORE Magazine as a ”relentless recovery squad of one,” Dottie Laster tirelessly devotes whatever it takes to rescue and restore victims, many more like Precious and Lizbeth. Her motto, “first rescue, then self-sufficiency” is taken quite seriously.

Recently, Laster has created a way for victims to find that self-sufficiency by designing and creating jewelry for TRAFFICKED Designs and an awareness campaign called SOS “Save One Soul. A dedicated website will be launched soon for showcasing and purchasing the many exclusive designs created by victims of trafficking. Until the website is completed jewelry can be seen on Laster’s blog, Anti Human Trafficking News.

“The inspiration for TRAFFICKED Designs is”Lisbeth” who was rescued by me and my team on Sept 15 2010- she reported being held as a victim of sex trafficking. 

In her recovery she learned to make and sell jewelry- when she came to live with me it reminded me that I had made jewelry for my cousin when I was younger- he eventually grew his business to employ many people- I am hopeful that TRAFFICKED Designs will employ victims of trafficking and others who need a way to enter the economy.”

The Save One Soul awareness campaign begins with the SOS distress call that each victim of human trafficking should be noticed, rescued and restored to society. Individuals who purchase and wear the SOS jewelry will be creating more awareness as well as sustaining victims until they are able to find better jobs.

While President Obama has declared a tough stance on eradicating trafficking it takes much more. It takes the awareness and activism of everyone, in every community, to recognize it for what it is and do something about it.

Please head to your nearest magazine retailer and get the October issue of MORE Magazine for the complete story by Mimi Swartz to learn all about the background and life work of Sex Trafficking’s Unlikely Angel, Dottie Laster.

To schedule Dottie Laster for your next event, training or speaking engagement, please contact ImaginePublicity: phone 843.808.0859 or email: contact@imaginepublicity.com

• Dottie Laster: Human Trafficking Victims Find New Opportunity with TRAFFICKED Designs
• Dottie Laster: Holding the Department of Justice Accountable for Neglecting Victims of Human Trafficking
• The Roth Show: Dottie Laster and Brandon Darby, Human Trafficking Cases Being Ignored by FBI?!
• Dottie Laster and Human Trafficking Featured in PI Magazine
• It has been one year since "Lisbeth" was rescued -- hear from her on TRAFFICKED
• Dottie Laster on Panel at Human Trafficking Summit
• Dottie Laster on The Roth Show

Interview with Photographer Van Ditthavong

 I was so fortunate to meet Van Ditthavong of Van Photographs. Van is the photographer selected by Texas Monthly magazine to shoot the photos for the story,  The Lost Girls, by Mimi Swartz, in the April 2010 issue. This story was receiving more views than any article after just a few days after release- even more than the story on  the late icon Selena. It was a huge success for taking the readers into the barriers, misunderstandings and absolute impossible world that vicitms face when they attempt to escape from trafficking. I am so thankful to the team who worked on the story and to the the Magazine for devoting extensive resources to this topic. The story may be accessed by subscribers of Texas Monthly online at Texas Monthly. Van may be reached at Van Photographs

What did you think when Texas Monthly magaine asked you to shoot scenes for a story on Sex Trafficking in the US?


Van: Working with Texas Monthly is always a thrill for me. The assignments I receive from them have always been exciting and challenging. However, when I was asked to cover the story on sex trafficking I was extremely honored. I knew I was going to enter an underground world, but my focus was to capture that through the camera and add to Mimi Swartz's excellent piece.


What was it like when you went out with the law enforcement officers?

Van: Going on these "inspections" with law enforcement gave me the opportunity to see what is actually happening behind these blacked out windows, behind the rooms where these poor girls are forced to sleep in, and what our community is up against. The "Johns" I saw were from all walks of life, the girls/victims were young and lifeless. When we came in, they weren't scared or anything. They were emotionless. That was the saddest part.

What was the best part of the shoot? the most frustrating?

Van: The best part was meeting everyone involved and being able to help tell this story visually. We, meaning the American public, thinks Sex Trafficking is someone else's problems. It's in India, Cambodia, Thailand, Africa... not here in the U.S. Well, that's not the case. It is here in the U.S. and it is frightenedly abundant.

What was it like going to detention to photograph Kiki?

Van: Traveling to the middle of nowhere Louisiana is an adventure onto itself. But knowing that I had to make a portrait of someone who has been through so much, a lot of thoughts sort of go through your mind like - how is the subject going to be? is she going to be scared? hardened? timid? ... but in the end Kiki was just a sweet woman. I looked at her and thought... she could be my sister... my mom. How did she end up here behind these cell doors and razor wire?

 How has this changed you?

 Van:This experience has opened my eyes to a real part of our society. I'm so proud of Texas Monthly for doing a feature like this so the public can be informed that modern day slavery is alive and well and here in our communities. There's so much we all can do as citizens and neighbors to help these victims and fight against human trafficking. But first it's starts with knowledge, and since the story was released in April 2010, I just accepted a fellowship at the Polaris Project in Washington D.C. for the summer where hopeful I can contribute more to this cause.

Which photo were you most proud of?

Van: I would say I am proud of the whole series. I hope the public will get to see more of what really is going on.

What message do you have for men who think that prostitution has no vicitms?

Van:Wake up. Stop paying for sex. These girls/children are not willing participants.

What is your next project?

Van:Well I hope to continue pursuing photography work on Sex Trafficking and getting exhibits for the photos. I think it's important that people get to see what's happening in their strip malls. My aim is have a traveling exhibition to colleges, high schools, shopping centers all around the nation. It's going to take some work but we'll get there.


http://www.vanphotographs.com/
http://www.lasterglobal.com/
http://www.millionkids.org/