What's Goin On
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Two Tennessee pastors are among 32 arrested for human trafficking during undercover sting
“We want anyone responding to these ads to think there may be a TBI Agent on the other end of it.” —Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark GwynAccording to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), 32 people have been arrested in Knoxville, Tennessee for human trafficking during a 3-day undercover operation :
Human traffickers all around us. If you’re buying or selling, you are part of the $150 billion business — and part of the crime. Two of the men arrested during the sting were church pastors. Jason Kennedy, a pastor for children aged birth through fifth grade at Grace Baptist Church responded to ads soliciting underaged girls. The TBI records say he negotiated a $100 fee for a half hour of sex with two females — one girl being a minor. The other pastor is Zubin Parakh of Lifehouse Church in Oak Ridge, right outside of Knoxville, was also charged for responding to an ad for sex with a female minor. Three hundred contacts were made in response to ads posted on Background.com (a google search shows the site no longer exists).KNOXVILLE – A three-day operation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Knoxville Police Department to combat human trafficking in Knoxville has resulted in the arrest of 32 men and women on prostitution and human trafficking-related charges. Two of the men, including a children’s minister, responded to ads for what they thought were girls under the age of 18. The Knoxville anti-trafficking operation, called “Operation Someone Like Me”, is the fifth operation of its kind in the state between the TBI and partner agencies to help identify, investigate and prosecute trafficking, and rescue victims.
With the partnership including the Knoxville Police Department, Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, End Slavery Tennessee, and Second Life Chattanooga, TBI Agents and intelligence analysts embarked on an undercover operation to identify potential victims of trafficking, arrest those seeking to purchase illicit sex from a juvenile, and learn more about the specific nuances of this type of crime.
The Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch calls human trafficking the “scourge on society” and states his department is committed to doing all that’s necessary to protect victims. TBI Assistant Special Agent Margie Quin said:
“We’re changing the conversation about human trafficking. These operations are designed to identify and help victims of trafficking, as well as take these predators off the street.A public awareness campaign was launched last year in Tennessee called ItHasToStop. The operation also helps identify victims of sex/human trafficking and offers services that include housing, counseling and addiction treatment.
Below are the names of the individuals charged in the human trafficking sting.
As for the victims of human trafficking, many are right in front of us in hotels, airplanes, nail salons, truck stops, in elder care centers ... they are held captive through coercion, force and threats. There are an estimated 20.9 million victims of human slavery, with 1.5 million in North America. Sex-trafficking is often the most common and most lucrative in the business of selling human beings. TED talk speaker Tony Talbott makes an incredibly disturbing summation about sex trafficking:
- Michael Clayton, 43, Clinton, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Larry Quarles, 52, New Market, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Gerrado Merchant, 36, Jacksboro, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- James Perkins, 50, Sweetwater, TN- Patronizing Prostitution
- Greg Hensley, 44, Mascot, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Jaton Johnson, 38, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution, Simple Possession
- Samuel Rivers, 27, East Point, GA – Patronizing Prostitution, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, Simple Possession
- Prashante Bhakta, 35, Columbus, NC – Patronizing Prostitution
- James Warren, 32, Newport, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Dariusz Jurczak, 45, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Gary Bauer, 56, Heiskell, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Nicholas Rains, 24, Maryville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Ignacio Jimenez, 38, Maryville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Patrick Douthat, 27, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Brandon Slatton, 22, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Jeffrey Sweeney, 63, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Robert Aiken, 48, Jacksboro, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Atari McNabb, 28, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Zubin Parakh, 32, Oak Ridge, TN – Patronizing Prostitution, Trafficking
- Jonathan McCarthy, 30, Augusta, GA – Patronizing Prostitution
- Jose Juarez, 38, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Robert Lambert, 40, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Cornelius Turner, 26, Memphis, TN – Promoting Prostitution, served with warrant out of Shelby County
- Jerry Rhode, 41, Strawberry Plains, TN – Patronizing Prostitution
- Zachary Desha, 24, Knoxville, TN – Promoting Prostitution
- Jason Kennedy, 46, Knoxville, TN – Patronizing Prostitution, Trafficking
- Kelsey Martin, 23, Boaz, KY – Prostitution
- Alexis Phelps, 21, Knoxville, TN – Prostitution
- Shirley Henry, 23, Clinton, TN – Prostitution
- Stephanie Thomas, 26, Knoxville, TN – Prostitution
- Crystal Myers, 37, Knoxville, TN – Prostitution
In order to attenuate human trafficking, we need national discourse. Much can be prevented through awareness. There are tell-tale signs all around us. For additional information, visit The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), online which operates 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can also call call 1-888-373-788 or text BeFree (233733). If you suspect any kind of human trafficking, you can submit a tip to DHS or visit: ICE.gov."It's all about the money. Human trafficking is insanely profitable. If you really think about it; You can sell a kilo of Heroin once; You can sell a 13-year-old girl 20 times a night, 365 days a year.”
Monday, May 23, 2016
Baltimore officer found not guilty on all charges in Freddie Gray case
A judge in Baltimore Monday found a police officer
not guilty on all charges against him in connection with the death of
Freddie Gray in police custody, months after another officer's trial
ended in a hung jury.
Meanwhile, riot-trained officers from outside Baltimore started to arrive in the city in case of any unrest.
Officer Edward Nero faced second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges. Prosecutors said the 30-year-old unlawfully arrested Gray without probable cause and was negligent when he didn't buckle the prisoner into a seat belt.
"Officer Edward Nero, his wife and family are elated that this nightmare is finally over," defense attorney Marc Zayon responded.
In a lengthy analysis read from the bench, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams said Nero's partner, Officer Garrett Miller, detained and arrested Gray himself. Williams said Nero did not act "corruptly" with an intent to commit a crime.
He also said the state failed to prove that Nero was informed and aware of an updated transport policy regarding seat belts.
"As the eyes of the nation are upon us, I have no doubt we will all exhibit behaviors that represent the very best of Baltimore," Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said.
"Although the criminal case against Officer Edward Nero has come to a close, the internal investigation has not. With that, Officer Nero's status will remain unchanged. He will remain in an administrative capacity while this investigation continues," police spokesman T.J. Smith added.
"Officer Nero is relieved that for him, this
nightmare is nearing an end. Being falsely charged with a crime, and
being prosecuted for reasons that have nothing to do with justice, is a
horror that no person should ever have to endure," the Baltimore City
Fraternal Order of Police responded.
As the verdict was read, Nero dropped his head down and his attorney placed a hand on his back. The courtroom was quiet. When the judge said he was not guilty, Nero stood up and hugged his attorney, and appeared to wipe away a tear.
Several angry protesters surrounded Nero's brother as he left the courthouse protected by armed security officers, shouting "no justice, no peace."
"This is our American system of justice and police officers must be afforded the same justice system as every other citizen in this city, state, and country... In the case of any disturbance in the city, we are prepared to respond. We will protect our neighborhoods, our businesses, and the people of our city," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.
Nero opted for a bench trial rather than a jury trial. A judge declared a mistrial for Officer William Porter in December.
Gray died April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken in the back of a police transport van while he was handcuffed and shackled but left unrestrained by a seat belt.
His death set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting and arson that prompted a citywide curfew. His name became a rallying cry in the growing national conversation about the treatment of black men by police officers.
Tessa Hill-Aston, president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, said the case "speaks to a lack of training, lack of protocol" that officers didn't see that Gray should've been buckled into the seat.
On the morning of April 12, 2015, Nero, Miller and Lt. Brian Rice were on patrol in Baltimore's high-crime area of the Western District when Rice made eye contact with Gray and he ran away. Rice called for backup, and Miller and Nero responded. According to testimony, Miller, who'd jumped off his bicycle, caught up with Gray and placed him in handcuffs.
Nero's attorney, Marc Zayon, said Nero touched Gray to help him up from the ground after he'd been handcuffed and was asking for an inhaler.
Gray was placed in the back of the transport van, seated on the wagon's bench.
A few blocks away the van stopped, and Rice and Miller took Gray, who police said had been kicking, screaming and shaking the van, out of the wagon, placed him in leg irons and replaced his metal cuffs with plastic ones. The officers, with Nero's help, loaded Gray back into the van, sliding him into the compartment on his belly and head-first.
That was the second and last time Nero touched Gray, his attorney said during the trial.
Prosecutors said the officers should never have arrested Gray without first patting him down to determine whether or not he was armed and dangerous. In failing to do so, the officers violated the rules for a routine stop. Without probable cause, Gray never should have been taken into custody, they said.
The judge disagreed.
Shortly after Gray's death, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged six officers. Three of them are black; Nero and two others are white. The other officers are set to have separate trials over the summer and into the fall.
The assault charge against Nero carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and reckless endangerment carried a punishment of up to five years.
Nero's attorney argued his client didn't arrest Gray and that it was the police van driver's responsibility to buckle in detainees. The judge said police training materials dealing with transport safety were clearly aimed at drivers.
The defense also sought to convince the judge that the department's order requiring that all inmates be strapped in was more suggestion than rule because officers were expected to act with discretion based on the circumstances of each situation.
Officer Edward Nero faced second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment charges. Prosecutors said the 30-year-old unlawfully arrested Gray without probable cause and was negligent when he didn't buckle the prisoner into a seat belt.
"Officer Edward Nero, his wife and family are elated that this nightmare is finally over," defense attorney Marc Zayon responded.
In a lengthy analysis read from the bench, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams said Nero's partner, Officer Garrett Miller, detained and arrested Gray himself. Williams said Nero did not act "corruptly" with an intent to commit a crime.
He also said the state failed to prove that Nero was informed and aware of an updated transport policy regarding seat belts.
"As the eyes of the nation are upon us, I have no doubt we will all exhibit behaviors that represent the very best of Baltimore," Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said.
"Although the criminal case against Officer Edward Nero has come to a close, the internal investigation has not. With that, Officer Nero's status will remain unchanged. He will remain in an administrative capacity while this investigation continues," police spokesman T.J. Smith added.
Related Image
Expand / Contract
Officer Edward Nero with Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams.
(Sketch artist Betsy Kirk)
As the verdict was read, Nero dropped his head down and his attorney placed a hand on his back. The courtroom was quiet. When the judge said he was not guilty, Nero stood up and hugged his attorney, and appeared to wipe away a tear.
Several angry protesters surrounded Nero's brother as he left the courthouse protected by armed security officers, shouting "no justice, no peace."
"This is our American system of justice and police officers must be afforded the same justice system as every other citizen in this city, state, and country... In the case of any disturbance in the city, we are prepared to respond. We will protect our neighborhoods, our businesses, and the people of our city," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.
Nero opted for a bench trial rather than a jury trial. A judge declared a mistrial for Officer William Porter in December.
Gray died April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken in the back of a police transport van while he was handcuffed and shackled but left unrestrained by a seat belt.
His death set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting and arson that prompted a citywide curfew. His name became a rallying cry in the growing national conversation about the treatment of black men by police officers.
Tessa Hill-Aston, president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, said the case "speaks to a lack of training, lack of protocol" that officers didn't see that Gray should've been buckled into the seat.
On the morning of April 12, 2015, Nero, Miller and Lt. Brian Rice were on patrol in Baltimore's high-crime area of the Western District when Rice made eye contact with Gray and he ran away. Rice called for backup, and Miller and Nero responded. According to testimony, Miller, who'd jumped off his bicycle, caught up with Gray and placed him in handcuffs.
Nero's attorney, Marc Zayon, said Nero touched Gray to help him up from the ground after he'd been handcuffed and was asking for an inhaler.
Gray was placed in the back of the transport van, seated on the wagon's bench.
A few blocks away the van stopped, and Rice and Miller took Gray, who police said had been kicking, screaming and shaking the van, out of the wagon, placed him in leg irons and replaced his metal cuffs with plastic ones. The officers, with Nero's help, loaded Gray back into the van, sliding him into the compartment on his belly and head-first.
That was the second and last time Nero touched Gray, his attorney said during the trial.
Prosecutors said the officers should never have arrested Gray without first patting him down to determine whether or not he was armed and dangerous. In failing to do so, the officers violated the rules for a routine stop. Without probable cause, Gray never should have been taken into custody, they said.
The judge disagreed.
Shortly after Gray's death, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged six officers. Three of them are black; Nero and two others are white. The other officers are set to have separate trials over the summer and into the fall.
The assault charge against Nero carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and reckless endangerment carried a punishment of up to five years.
Nero's attorney argued his client didn't arrest Gray and that it was the police van driver's responsibility to buckle in detainees. The judge said police training materials dealing with transport safety were clearly aimed at drivers.
The defense also sought to convince the judge that the department's order requiring that all inmates be strapped in was more suggestion than rule because officers were expected to act with discretion based on the circumstances of each situation.
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