Man arrested for allegedly operating brothel at Riverside County massage parlor  
     A Southern California man was arrested for allegedly operating a brothel at his massage parlor in Riverside County. The suspect was identified as Haiwei Donkersgoed, a 58-year-old Victorville resident, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies initially received a tip about a “possible illicit massage parlor” operating in the 45000 block of San Pablo Avenue in Palm Desert.

     Million Kid's Insights:

    The challenge is that these spas/massage parlors can open up anywhere and as quickly as they are closed down, they open up again under a new name. Often times they are engaged in human trafficking and possibly money laundering. Polaris said in 2022 that "new research finds an estimated 9,000-plus of these businesses are operating in every state in the country, with earnings totaling nearly $2.5 billion a year across the industry." One suggestion for local residents is to go to the city council and have them enact a ban on the landlord allowing the same type of business to open in the same location for one to two years after one has been shut down. For example: if a massage parlor or spa gets shut down for illegal activity, then the landlord cannot rent to another massage parlor or spa for a predetermined length of time. This helps prevent the illegal business opening under a new name.
As citizens we can also be watching for illegal operations and reporting them to law enforcement. Here are some of the things to look for to determine if the massage parlor is operating a possible trafficking/commercial sex operation:
- Open 24 hours a day or late into the evening.
- Limited or no advertising or signage indicating the business’s name, hours of operation, or services offered.
- Back entrance, covered or dark tinted windows, and security cameras or armed guards.
- Only accepts cash.
- No restroom.
- No intake questionnaire before massage.
- Erotic photos or images on the walls.
- Listed on erotic review sites. May use the words "full service", "happy ending", or "sex spa".
- Doors are locked, customers have to be buzzed in or are told to use a back entrance.
- Caters to mainly male customers and masseuses are scantily clad. The masseuse may speak no or very limited English.
- Dark and unkept facilities.
To report, please contact your local law enforcement agency, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center or the state Attorney General to report any suspected criminal activity. 

  Philly Sex Trafficking Operation Fed the Drug Addiction of Its Victims, Police Say
  For 12 long years, police say Terrance Jones, 52, ran an illegal and brutal sex trafficking and drug operation out of his home in a heavily populated area of Philadelphia. People living nearby had to know something illegal—something evil—was going on. They would have seen young girls going in and out of the middle-class home on Disston Street in Oxford Circle.  

   Million Kid's Insights:

     Twelve years out of his home in Philly and no one noticed or reported it? The neighbors said they didn't expect it from someone who lives next to them so they didn't put it together. The good news is that he was charged when one of the victims went to the police. Sixteen of the arrests were for those who were trying to buy sex, three were for drivers who would take the victims to meet the sex buyers, Jones and his daughter who was the finance manager. Jones is charged with running corrupt organizations, trafficking in individuals, involuntary servitude, criminal conspiracy and other related offenses. His bail was set at $2 million. Jones used victims who were addicts to control them through their need for drugs.
Some signs of what to look for if you suspect a home near you might be being used for sex trafficking or to house sex (even labor) trafficking victims:
- Often a rental, may be used only for a short time.
- Limited furniture or items being moved in, may look like no one lives there.
- Multiple residents living there, or an ever-changing group of residents.
- Residents who never leave the house, if they do, they don't make eye contact or interact with anyone.
- Drivers who take the residents everywhere.
- Multiple visitors - anytime night or day, who don't stay long.
- Boarded windows, locks on doors and windows (could be inside or outside).
- Privacy fencing, drawn curtains.
Since many of these situations are dangerous - it is important to not confront anyone yourself. You can report suspected human trafficking anonymously to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. The tip will be brought to the attention of an FBI field office in the appropriate jurisdiction and local law enforcement who are trained at identifying human trafficking situations.  

   Inside the sex trafficking fight and the victims most targeted  
 ST. LOUIS – Two recent sex trafficking busts – one at the Renaissance Hotel in April 2023 and another at River City Casino this past February – reveal a pattern.
The hotel case involved missing teens from foster care in Texas. The casino case involved a minor who had been living in a children’s group home.

   Million Kid's Insights:

    There are some incredible statistics about sex trafficking victims and the vulnerability of foster youth. The OLP Foundation and HumanTraffickingSearch.net says:
- 50% of children sold into sex trafficking in California are foster care children.
- 98% of identified survivors of being sex trafficked had involvement with child welfare services, and many were in the care of the state as they were being trafficked.
- Studies from New York and Connecticut found that 50% of human trafficking victims were involved with child welfare systems or juvenile justice systems and that 80% of girls involved in human trafficking had been in the child welfare system in the past.
- In 2013, the FBI recovered sex trafficking victims from over 70 cities nationwide, and over 60% of them had been in foster care or group homes.
- At least 800,000 runaway children will be lured into sex trafficking each year.
There are many more statistics at the link below.

What doesn't get talked about a whole lot according to the statistics is that around 24% of traffickers were also in foster care as youth at some point and 48% had run away from home because of sexual or violent assault. 100% said there was violence in their home.

There definitely seems to be a link between being in foster care as a child or youth and sex trafficking. Experts suggest that mental health (including cognitive impairment from stress or abuse), any type of abuse and the lack of a support system makes young people vulnerable - and these are all typically experienced by foster youth. Many will also drop out of school which compounds the effects.

Some studies have found that foster youth age better out of the system, if they have a support system of adults during their teen years. It includes relatives, friends, foster parents, social workers, mentors, teachers and coaches. It is so important that those who work with foster children be their supporters and advocates, but it is also important that all of us step up for vulnerable youth. In the schools, places of worship, our kid's friends, on the ballfield or wherever we encounter young people think about how you can make a difference.   

  What is '764'? The online group that federal officials say preys on children has ties to CT threats
"The violent online groups use many names, including 676, 764, CVLT, Court, Kaskar, Harm Nation, Leak Society, and H3ll, but continuously evolve and form subgroups under different monikers," the FBI said in a public service announcement last year. "They operate on publicly available platforms, such as social media sites or mobile applications."
In its PSA last year, the FBI said the groups target children ages 8 to 17 through apps or social media platforms. They often target LGBTQ+ youth and minorities, along with minors struggling with mental health issues such as depression or suicidal ideation, the FBI said.  

  Million Kid's Insights:

   This is terrifying. These groups are targeting kids on Telegram, Discord, Roblox, Minecraft, SoundCloud, Instagram among others. 764, and the other .com names used, are a global group of hardcore members who victimize children through coordinated online campaigns of extortion, doxing, swatting, and harassment. Victims report them as being sadistic who groom the kids to cut or hurt themselves, perform sex acts, kill pets and even commit suicide. The message to parents has to be repeated over and over - be aware of what your children are doing online. Do not assume they are safe because they are home in their bedroom or your house. The dangers online are real.   

  Banning Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing 8-Year-Old Boy Enters Pleas

 A Banning man pleaded not guilty last week to charges that he sexually abused an 8-year-old boy. John Edward Lario, 20, pleaded not guilty Sept. 19 to four counts of engaging in oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child under 10, two counts of lewd acts with force on a child under 14, and one count of using a minor for obscene matter — all felonies. He also pleaded not guilty to one misdemeanor count of abusing/endangering a child.

  First we respect that the alleged says the he is not guilty and it is important to let the courts make the determination when all the evidence is presented.  I also think that few child molesters or creators of online child sexual abuse materials realize that these crimes carry very long sentences. So we will watch and see how all of this plays out.

However, I thought this investigation presented an opportunity for a great learning scenario.  Please note: The case started in New Zealand (halfway around the globe from Banning). Illicit images of a child being ,violated were discovered online by New Zealand's Dept of Internal Affairs. Using technological investigation processes, they were able to tell those images of the violated children appearing in New Zealand might be minors who have been violated in Southern California, more specifically the Banning area. 

There are law enforcement agencies all over the world dedicated to finding, identifying and prosecuting CSAM (child sexual abuse materials formerly called child pornography).  As the entire world is now connected by high speed 5G internet, pedophiles and child predators have used technology to identify their like interests in violating a child and sharing the images via photo, video, live stream.  Sometimes this is done in open web, sometimes in the dark web and sometimes by encrypted apps or peer to peer networks.  

The important note here is that once an image of a violated child is shared online it can go to millions of pedophiles in mere minutes. We applaud the men and women who combat child sex crimes especially ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children).  They have one of the toughest jobs in the world.  It is also a reminder to teach our children to share if they are being seduced or forced into sexual acts, so they can be protected.  This is especially important if a child is online. 

  EL PASO, Texas — An El Paso man who served as a soldier in a transnational criminal organization pleaded guilty to kidnapping resulting in death following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

.  An El Paso man who served as a soldier in a transnational criminal organization pleaded guilty to kidnapping resulting in death. 

THIS IS ORGANIZED CRIME, RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

He conspired with other TCO members on or around Sept. 13, 2021, to kidnap a subject from an El Paso stash house. The kidnappers drove the subject to another address, dragged him out of the vehicle and beat him in the front yard of the house before taking him inside and beating him further. On Sept. 16, 2021, the subject was found deceased in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with multiple gunshot and stab wounds.

This reminds us that people being held in stash houses are in grave danger and those stash houses are often right here in our neighborhoods.  We need to educate first responders and the public, with the caveat to the public that they should report privately and not get involved.

Let me share the case up in San Bernardino, CA. The kid was 17-yrs-old. Good kid, no trouble.  Driving home from high school, suddenly boxed in by an unknown vehicle.  Men got out and kidnapped him out of the car and POOF he is gone.

A few hours later Mom gets a call.  They have her son, and they want $500,000 or they will start cutting body parts off.  Mom is in Highlands, near San Bernardino.  She does not know it, but the son has been taken to Santa Maria and is being held in a Motel 6.  That is about 6 hours away.  Apparently, Dad owes money to the Cartel and they are going to cut off body parts until he pays up.

Note:  I share this story with teachers, counselors etc. as they need to understand that this can happen anywhere and if a student comes to them to say they are afraid or ask for help - BELIEVE THEM. 

Here is the good news...

SO FAR (at least for now) California still allows cops to have license plate readers.  And the kidnapping took place in an upscale community that had lots of security cameras.  Those license plate readers allowed law enforcement to discover the boy six hours away.   

There is a movement in California to force law enforcement to do away with license plate readers............we need to fight that they don't.

BOTTOM LINE, when you are dealing with organized crime, even in safe communities of California, anyone can be a victim. 

  HSI Douglas sends human smuggling coordinator who recruited on Snapchat to prison for 71 months

  DOUGLAS, Ariz. — An Eloy man was sentenced Jan. 16 to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his involvement in human smuggling — specifically, recruiting smugglers via social media platforms. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case. 

The cartels are using social media, including Snapchat, to coordinate, communicate and recruit smuggling rings.  And please note - he is only 23 and he is already in a supervisory role. He had transporting hundreds of undocumented noncitizens for financial gain.  The Snapchat posts often included photos of large sums of money and firearms; they also included requests for drivers to move undocumented noncitizens from locations near the U.S.-Mexico border farther into the United States.  

When I speak, I often play a video of border patrol where smugglers are recruiting minors on TikTok to come to the border and earn $1000-$3000 a day moving people.  

I educate parents, teachers and teens, that kids will pay a huge price if they get caught and they can easily end up as a drug mule. 

AND one more note, this guy was already on probation for a previous smuggling conviction.     

  Leader of human smuggling organization pleads guilty to conspiracy to transport noncitizens for profit following HSI Sells investigation

    SELLS, Ariz. – A Honduran national pleaded guilty Jan. 24 to conspiracy to transport noncitizens for profit. Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Sells investigated the case. 

.    Here is a case where the leader of the cartel is a woman.  As I have monitored many of these foreign national rings, especially those of sex trafficking, they may be run by females.  And they are vicious.  That is a challenge when you train law enforcement because you want them to think of the female as the victim (as they often are) but in foreign national and cartels the perpetrator is most often a female head of a cartel organization.  

She is smuggling and making money for the cartel for money laundering. 

Mendoza-Mendoza admitted she told a co-conspirator she would “bleed out” a guide as punishment and that she said that a migrant whose family did not pay his fee would be thrown “back in the desert.” She also admitted that the organization used firearms and that the smuggling involved dangerous risks to the migrants. The government of Honduras extradited Mendoza-Mendoza to the United States in June 2023 to face these charges. A conviction for this crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

   DEL RIO, Texas — A California woman was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for her role as a stash house operator and facilitator for a human smuggling organization following an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with help from U.S. Border Patrol’s Del Rio office. 

.  Female operator of multiple stash houses that held more than 500 migrants and  

the load driver was also a female. 

I have been told that where there is a stash house, there are two more nearby.

What should we do about this?

I train the public to know their neighborhood.  Is it a house without normal activity?  Locks may be on the OUTSIDE of the windows, screws in the doors and windows, vans coming in late and early into an attached garage, food wrappers, etc.   

Do NOT get involved.  Call your non-emergency number for police and report it. 

Stash houses can be very violent.  Coyotes hold migrants and often torture them until they or their family come up with more money......usually several thousand dollars. 

With Million Kids, I train fire depts., code enforcement, emergency medical personnel what to look for. I also recommend everyone train your neighborhood watch.