FREE
Glendora Man Arrested, Charged by Feds Following Capitol Insurrection
All Rosemead Unified Schools Make Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll
Page 3
Page 6
Go to MontereyParkPress.com for Monterey Park Specific News M O N D AY, J A N U A RY 25 - J A N U A RY 31, 2021
V O L U M E 9, N O. 4
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING
O.C. Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years for Sex With Minors
BY JEWEL FORBES & MARINA SCATES
J
anuary is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, an opportune time to dispel myths that allow trafficking – one of the most horrific crimes benefiting from human misery – to persist. Too many of us imagine this crime as portrayed in popular films and TV shows. As advocates for vulnerable youth, we know that human trafficking is far different from what has been projected in pop culture. We need to make more people aware of the complexities of trafficking so we can all be empowered to identify and help victims. Myth 1: Human trafficking only happens outside the United States. Fact: It exists in every country, including the US —in cities, suburbs and rural towns—and possibly in your own community. Myth 2: Human trafficking victims are foreign nationals and those who are poor. Fact: Victims can be of any age, race, gender, nationality and socioeconomic group. Myth 3: Human trafficking is only sex trafficking. Fact: Sex trafficking is not the only type of human trafficking. Forced labor is another type, and both involve exploitation of people. Victims are found in legitimate and illegitimate labor industries, including sweatshops, massage parlors, agriculture, restaurants, hotels and domestic service. Myth: Individuals must be forced or coerced into commercial sex act to be victims of human trafficking. Fact: Under US federal law, any minor under the
Courtesy photo
Vage of 18 who is induced to perform commercial sex acts is a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether he or she is forced or coerced. Myth: Human Trafficking victims will attempt to seek help when in public. Fact: It is often a hidden crime. Victims may be afraid to come forward and get help. They may be forced or coerced through threats or violence. They may fear retribution from traffickers, including danger to their families, and may not have control of their identification documents. In the US, about half of the victims are children and youth. Those who have experienced prior abuse or housing and economic instability are particularly susceptible to human trafficking. Data clearly shows there is a tremendous need for human trafficking prevention awareness in Los Angeles County – designated as one of the nation’s main trafficking hubs, with
the highest number of victims reported. Educators can play a vital role in prevention as they spend an average of 40 hours per week with students in school settings. They need training and the tools to identify and help students experiencing human trafficking. The Los Angeles County Office of Education, the nation’s largest regional education agency, serves as the primary provider of training and technical assistance for the county’s 80 school districts. LACOE has been selected as one of eight agencies nationwide and three in California to develop and implement the Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education (HTYPE) Demonstration Program. This program will provide skill-based prevention education for grades 6 to 12 using a “training of trainers” model. The goal is to increase knowledge around labor and sex trafficking, address risk and protective factors, build
resilience and encourage healthy behaviors. A human trafficking school safety protocol will be developed to guide educators on handling suspected and confirmed cases of human trafficking. LACOE will roll out the program in communities with the highest number of trafficking cases, with plans to expand countywide to all 80 school districts and more than 300 independent charters within the county. As the program is launched countywide, families can do their part by staying informed and aware of what human trafficking really is – and by having some difficult conversations with loved ones of all genders and generations. It is through awareness, education and collaboration that we can end this deeply exploitative crime. Jewel Forbes and Marina Scates are school counseling and school-based mental health experts who work for the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
Courtesy photo
An Orange County man was sentenced Thursday to 292 months in federal prison for travelling out of state to sexually abuse minors – including a 6-year-old girl – and for inducing minors to send him sexually explicit videos of themselves. Daniel Seibert, 29, of Lake Forest, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna. Seibert pleaded guilty in March 2020 to a three-count information charging him with production of child pornography, traveling to engage in illicit sex, and using a facility of commerce to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. In the spring of 2019, Seibert traveled from California to Michigan to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a victim who was 6 years old. The victim’s mother attempted to render the victim unconscious by using over-the-counter drugs before having Seibert engage in sex acts with
the victim, according to court documents. Images later recovered during a search depicted his abuse of the victim. The victim’s mother is facing multiple child sexual abuse charges in Oregon state court. Seibert traveled to Utah in December 2018 and again in May 2019 to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a 14-year-old victim that he had met on the internet, he admitted in a plea agreement. One victim recounted that Seibert asked her to send sexually explicit material, knowing she was a minor. She did so, and law enforcement later found in Seibert’s possession about 160 images and eight videos of child exploitation material of the victim. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Ahn and Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office.