Evelyn Atieno wrote for the Huffington Post about the increased media coverage of the black and latino girls missing in D.C. has started a national discussion on whether the cause is human trafficking. Black lawmakers are now calling for the FBI to investigate. In part, social media has been vital in exposing the cases of many of these missing girls. Although many assume these missing cases have been attributed to human trafficking, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Acting Chief of Police Newsham have stated that there's no connection between the cases and human trafficking. There are a total of 38 missing people cases open in D.C. right now.
Many people are wondering how these young girls are being so easily lured. Traffickers sometimes call themselves the newer version of 'pimps', and they're very good at what they do.Direct link to blog Most commonly they prey on runways, girls with low self esteem or with problems at home. Mainly runways and young people are the ones who are commonly trafficked. Is human trafficking new to D.C.? Not at, in 2015 the D.C. City COuncil enacted a law that requires "training on human trafficking to new law enforcement officered, social workers, and case workers". This came after a D.C. police officer was sentenced to 7 years for pimping teen girls. Now that sounds crazy to me while reading her article an official was pimping teen girls, could you image the people who are suppose to protect and serve being the one to over use there power into getting young girls to obey by their rules.
In 2014, Linwood Barnhill Jr, resigned from the Metropolitian Police Department in D.C. and plead guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. He was arrested after a 16 year old missing girl was found in his apartment. Court documents said that in a two week span, he prepared her for sex with a man, that included taking nude photos of her. The policeman met the young girl at a mall and asked her if she would be interested in modeling. In 2013, the same officer set up sexual encounter for a 15 year old girl after seeing her at a bus sop and asking her the same question. The officer took nude photos of her as well as clothes. He set up sexual encounter in his home, then the young girl engaged in sexual acts with a man in his 40's or 50's in the officer collected money from the man and gave the girl a portion. There was a third 17 year old victim to whom Barnhill did the same. The officer received a slip on the wrist basically a lighter sentence because the judge felt he didn't abuse his power as a police while committing the crimes.
You can't attribute cops to every missing girl's case in D.C., but it sparks the question of are some of them apart of the missing cases. If some are trafficking these young girls? And how are these girls easily being lured in? Sadly human trafficking is a lucrative business. It is a $32 billion dollar business, in fact a pimp can earn as much as $150,000 to $200,000 each year just from one girl.
Here are some of the social media post I came across on instragram. It is up to us to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on because the News isn't sending out alerts.
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