Seattle Forward

Town Hall Forum: Child Prostitution

The above forum at Town Hall on January 20 at 7 p.m. is an initiative of the Women's Funding Alliance and the City Council is a co-sponsor of the event.  The keynote speaker will be Deborah Richardson from the Women's Funding Network, a national leader on this issue.  A panel of local experts, including Dr. Debra Boyer, the local anthropologist who did the ground-breaking study of child prostitution in Seattle-King County in 2008, will respond to Richardson.  There will be opportunity for audience participation as well.

If you question or doubt whether this is truly a problem worthy of all the attention, read this story in The Seattle Times or this editorial from last Sunday's Times. You can read my earlier posts on this topic here. 

Tickets for the event cost $5 and may be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com. 

Changing Course on Prostituted Children

Yesterday's Seattle Times carried the gripping and tragic story of Kelsey, a young woman from Everett caught up in the seamy and violent world of juvenile sex trafficking.  Susan Kelleher's article captures the reality for the children "recruited" into street and Internet prostitution. (Kelsey posted this photo of herself on her MySpace page. She has disappeared and is reported missing by police.)

But, Kelleher's piece doesn't tell about the dramatic shift in public policy and policing that has taken place over the past two years as parents, communities, police, prosecutors and public officials struggle with the growing problem of human trafficking, much of it centered on coercing children—some as young as 12 years of age—into a world of violence, neglect and horror. 

For example, Seattle police changed the name of their Vice Unit to the "Vice and High Risk Victims Unit," a change that reflects a fundamental shift in how police view women caught up in street and Internet prostitution, including juveniles.  I know that this name change isn't just artful packaging, either.  

Our "High Risk Victim" detectives have built highly successful cases against the predators (pimps and johns) who prey on these women and have worked with federal and regional authorities to break up gangs and other organized criminal enterprises who specialize in prostitution.  

Record Number of Children Rescued From Prostitution

Seattle police officers and detectives have so far rescued 45 children, age 17 and under, from being prostituted this year.  That's a record number, highest in the United States.  Last year, 30 children were rescued.

The problem of children forced into street prostitution in our region is well documented.  One of my proudest and most gratifying initiatives since joining the City Council is the successful launch of the safe-haven residential treatment facility where these kids can begin to get their lives back.  The Bridge, the program's official name, opened a few months ago.  Five

More Children Rescued

Seattle police have rescued 24 prostituted children from the streets so far this year.  In 2009, Seattle area law enforcement agencies rescued 30, the highest number of any city in the United States. 

Earlier today, U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new federal effort to protect exploited children, including those caught up in commercial sex trafficking enterprises.

Earlier this year, the city opened the nation's fourth residential recovery center for prostituted children.  Run by YouthCare, this safe-haven is designed to help juveniles who have been exploited for prostitution. 

Taking Sides: Helping Prostituted Children Escape the Street

Two years ago I sat in my City Hall office reading a city-commissioned report on children involved in street prostitution.  I was shocked at the documented number of kids throughout King County caught up in what is a coercive, violent and predatory environment.

As I finished the report, I reflected on what I could personally do to help rescue these children, mostly young girls, some as young as 12 and 13 years of age.  I focused on one of the report's recommendations . . . establish a safe house where the kids could receive the specialized care and services they would need to escape from their pimps and the men who prey on them.  It's been a two year journey and today we were able to announce that the City has raised the necessary funding to open just such a safe house, only the fourth of its kind in the United States. 

Here's a press release announcing the launch of the program.  And this Q & A document provides more details.  Today's Seattle Times carries a front page story with the news.

Here's what I've written previously on this topic. 

This is an issue not normally brought up in dinner conversations.  But it's one we can't avoid.  We must take a side and advocate strongly for our children who are victims of this domestic trafficking.  A unified and strong community voice is being heard on this issue and today signals yet again that we won't turn away.

Give Year-End Gifts to Launch Prostituted Children Rescue Program

We are nearing our goal of raising $700,000 in public and private funds by the end of January so our city's first and the country's fourth residential treatment and recovery program for prostituted children can be launched in late March 2010. 

Today's Seattle Times carries an update story by Sara Jean Green.  My earlier posts on this topic, including links to other news accounts, are here.

Tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to—

City of Seattle Prostituted Children Rescue Fund
Human Services Department
PO Box 34215
Seattle, WA 98124-4215

Tough Budget Decisions: Let's Not Overlook Young Girls Coerced into Prostitution

Seattle and King County governments face bleak budget forecasts that will force some very tough budget decisions.  Very good programs that serve people throughout our region face cutbacks in their government funding.  My colleagues and I on the City Council will begin making these touch choices this week; our colleagues on the King County Council face similar decisions.  In many ways, there are no winners and we will agonize over our votes.

But there is a group of young people we should not overlook: children and young women forced into prostitution through coercion, intimidation, and overt violence.  A special report commissioned by the City of Seattle in 2008 documented up to 500 juveniles (children 17 years of age and under) involved in street and Internet prostitution, some of it orchestrated by gangs and other organized criminal groups. 

Sunday's Seattle Times cast this crisis correctly and urged funding for a unique safe house option for prostituted children.  Read the editorial here.  Here's an earlier story documenting this issue. 

Limited Victory, Strange Sentence

Read this story at Seattlepi.com.  It details an ongoing case involving a street gang in West Seattle that forced young, underage girls into prostitution.  As typically happens, these individuals used coercion and violence to control and intimidate the girls they prostituted.  A companion trial resumes next week in King County Superior Court.

Note how the second defendant was sentenced, despite the fact that the prosecutor and defense attorney agreed to a stiffer sentence.  Very strange. I wonder if the judge clearly understands how the children who were forced into street prostitution were treated and how long it will take them to recover from their trauma?  What a shame!

Funds for Prostituted Children Stripped Away

The King County Regional Policy Council voted this week to strip away special funding that had been approved last year to establish safe housing for children involved in street prostitution.  But, at the same time, we voted to preserve the funding category so when the economy improves and funds are available the project would be eligible for restoration.  But, I'm not going to wait.

Ever since it became clear that the funds would likely disappear I've heard from several individuals who wanted to know what they could do.  One individual even pledged $125,000 in personal funds to help launch the safe house project. 

Today's Seattle Times carries an excellent opinion piece by State Representative Mary Lou Dickerson, chair of the House Human Services Committee, on why this project is so very important. 

My goal now is to put together a package of government and private sector funds that will allow this crucial safe housing project move forward.  Stay tuned. 

Action Steps to Save Rescue Funding for Prostituted Children

Several people have asked who will make final decisions about the funding for safe housing for children involved in prostitution.  Read earlier posts here.

Here is a list of the decision makers and their contact details—

King County Interim Executive Kurt Triplett, 401 5th Ave, Suite 800, Seattle 98104, [email protected], 206-296-4040

King County Council, 516 3rd Ave, Room 1200, Seattle 98104 - Visit www.kingcounty.gov/council.aspx to find your Council District

• Bob Ferguson, District 1, [email protected], 206-296-1011
• Larry Gossett, District 2, [email protected], 206-296-1002
• Kathy Lambert, District 3, [email protected], 206-296-1003
• Larry Phillips, District 4, [email protected], 206-296-1004
• Julia Patterson, District 5, [email protected], 206-296-1005
• Jane Hague, District 6, [email protected], 206-296-1006
• Pete von Reichbauer, District 7, [email protected], 206-296-1007
• Dow Constantine, Candidate for County Executive, Council Chair, District 8, [email protected], 206-296-1008
• Reagan Dunn, District 9, [email protected], 206-296-1009