SACRAMENTO, Calif. The chief executive of an internet site authorities contend is a hub for the illegal sex trade has been transferred from Texas to a California jail where’s he’s being held without bail, CBS Dallas-Forth Worth reports.
Backpage.com CEO Carl Ferrer appeared before a Houston judge Friday morning, and he didn’t fight extradition to California.
Ferrer was booked into the Sacramento County jail late Friday night on felony charges that include pimping a minor.
The 55-year-old Ferrer was arrested Thursday after arriving in Houston on an overseas flight. The Dallas headquarters for Backpage was raided by authorities in conjunction with his arrest.
Authorities allege that adult and child sex-trafficking victims were forced into prostitution through escort ads posted on the site.
His attorney did not return a call for comment Saturday but previously said Herrer will fight the “trumped up” charges.
Backpage’s two controlling shareholders were being sought by authorities.
© 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
See article on Angel Ambassador Reception below by Joe David. He authored six books, including The Infidels and The Fire Within. His writings have appeared in magazines, newsletters, newspapers, and more: also printed AT THIS LINK
The glitzy Trump International Hotel is the backdrop for a human rights issue that crosses party lines: Human Trafficking
It is official! For the next 60 years, Donald Trump will have a home in Washington on Pennsylvania Avenue next to the White House at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The Old Post Office building, which had fallen on hard times, has been refurbished and leased as a luxury hotel to the Trump Organization. By transforming the historic building into a glitzy Trump International Hotel, it is expected that the hotel will become the hottest new in-spot in Washington to stay and indulge yourself in costly luxury. Like Donald’s dream to Make America Great Again, the Trump Enterprises with a graceful wave of their magic wand have turned the long-neglected Historic Post Office into a Trump landmark with over-sized crystal chandeliers and an atrium with a skylight view to the stars.
Amidst all this extravagant luxury, is the elegant Lincoln Library. In this historic room with natural woods, trimmed in cream and gold, the non-
profit Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) held a cocktail reception Tuesday, September 27 for celebrities, socialites, and leaders from Hollywood and Washington committed to fighting human trafficking.
Donald, wasn’t there to share his celebrity with the guests, but despite his absence, the evening was a huge success. Several hundred people, many of celebrity status, gathered together comfortably to mingle and hear the speakers report on a major world problem.
Nancy Rivard, who heads AAI, has been responsible for helping build what began as a grass-roots non profit charity and turning it into a major international advocacy group raising awareness and fighting human trafficking. Under her guidance, the organization that began with just a few airline employees expanded into a network of students, medical professionals, families and retirees who volunteer their time to share their skills to provide, protect, and advocate for orphans and vulnerable children.
Emmy award winning television journalist Chris Hansen, Dateline NBC “To Catch a Predator,” hosted the event. “Human trafficking,” Hansen said, “has become the second biggest crime, next to drugs, and like drugs, it is ruining innocent lives. It is our duty to educate ourselves to recognize & report it to the proper authorities. The buying and selling of women, girls and boys is a frightening modern day form of slavery, and the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.”
AAI has provided 45 Airport trainings on human trafficking to date, training over 4,000 frontline employees on the indicators of human trafficking, learning to spot victims, hopefully before they are trafficked. Some of the signs victims often manifest include fear, shame or nervousness. Many reveal no control of their travels plans, or knowledge of where they are going. Such signature behavior is often a red flag that something is seriously wrong and needs to be reported to authorities.
Actor Eric Roberts receives AAI lapel pin.
Some of the other speakers included trafficking survivor Donna Hubbard who shared her touching childhood experience, and Eric Roberts (Julia Roberts’s brother) and Musician Keaton Simons, who previewed their new media campaign with the PSA “FIND Us.” This moving video highlighted the tragedy of what is happening world-wide, to some of the most vulnerable and innocent people – our children – trapped in sexual bondage. The Find US initiative will raise needed funds for the work of AAI and provide beds for trafficking victims in the United States. “Each week airline crew come in contact with thousands of people,” Rivard said, “and we are in the perfect position to spot the unusual and report it to authorities. That’s why AAI’s training is so vitally important. Hundreds of children have been saved, because our members alerted authorities to unusual behavior noted on board one of their planes.”
According to Rivard, the airlines is one of the swiftest and most convenient ways to move people from place to place. Airline crew are in the perfect position to spot trafficking and report it before it can become a tragedy for its victim. “Some of the life-saving services offered by our volunteers,” Rivard said, “include seeing to it that the children receive proper medical care and humanitarian aid at orphanages and clinics in remote communities.”
Rep Smith receives TIP Hero Award from Nancy Rivard
Seven members of Congress were honored with the AAI Trafficking in Persons, 2016 TIP Hero Award, for their leadership and support of training airline staffers on human trafficking awareness. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) accepted the awards personally, from Nancy Rivard, and Benefit Chair, ML Murray. Senator Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Mike Honda (D-CA), Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Dina Titus(D-NV) and Ted Yoho ( R-FL) provided glowing support with video messages. See this LINK
Perhaps the high point was during a special VIP tour led by Michael Damelincourt, managing director of Trump International Hotels, in which a handful of VIPs watched Daniel Mahdavian, director of food and beverages, amazingly de-cork a magnum of Veuve Clicquot Champage with a saber.
Monies raised at this important gathering will be used to support the work of Airline Ambassadors and provide more trainings at airports throughout the U.S. on human trafficking awareness, Hotel staff at the at the Trump International Hotel will also receive this training and this was the first charity event since its opening a few weeks ago. For more information, visit www.airlineamb.org
(Thanks for excellent music from the Christopher Linman Jazz Ensemble)
Rep Comstock receives TIP Hero Award from ML Murray
Congressman Smith receives Trafficking in Persons "TIP" Hero Award
Congressman Yoho
Congresswoman Titus
Congresswoman Speier
Congressman Honda
Senator Klobuchar
On August 24, 2016 AAI presented the first training on human trafficking awareness at an airport in Latin America. Thank you to American Airlines, UNODC and Migracion Colombia and the Ministry of Interior as well as our training team: Andy Valenzuelas, Marcella Loaiza and Alex Restrepo and coordinator – Camilo Sarmiento.
On Thursday, Aug 25, the training team visited children in a Special Olympics program and brought supplies to children at Ninos por un Nueva Planeta . We also had meetings at Fundacion RENACER to plan another training and mission in Cartagena. See pics below
ABC Anchor Alison Starling featured Airline Ambassadors on her Working Women Feature during the ABC Evening News in April See this LINK
Thanks to Beyond Measure Media for the following PSA’s as well!
Click this Link for our new Brochure
Board member, Sandy Dhuyvetter, presented AAI initiatives on child protection at the World Tourism meeting in Berlin this month. See article below:
Private sector committed to fight child exploitation in tourism
The 31st Meeting of the World Tourism Network on Child Protection, held on the occasion of ITB Berlin, focused on the role and initiatives of the private sector to fight Child Exploitation in tourism. Awareness raising, training of staff and the implementation of measures along the whole value chain of tourism were pointed out as critical.
“We need to unite to fight child exploitation and the commitment of the private sector is key” said UNWTO Secretary-General opening the meeting.
Carol Bellamy, Chair of the Network, recalled the role of the Network as a platform to share research and good practices in the fight against the exploitation of children in tourism.
At the meeting, the Chair of the High Level Global Task Force to End Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism, Najat Maalla M’jid, shared the first findings of the Global Study carried out by the Task Force. Lack of reporting, weak legislation and the anonymity of the Internet were pointed out as some of the main challenges in child protection from sexual exploitation in the sector. The report aims to also address the chronic lack of robust evidence and comparable data on this issue.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) stressed the importance of providing training to the staff on how to identify possible situation of child exploitation as well as dealing with new emerging trends in the sector such as ‘voluntourism’ while the TUI Group shared their initiative ‘A collective NO to sexual exploitation of children in holiday destinations initiatives to promote the inclusion of measures to prevent and fight the exploitation of children within the whole tourism value chain including actions on training, awareness raising among host communities
Other initiatives presented included a project from the Network of Strategic and International Studies which evaluates best practices from around the world and work of the Airline Ambassadors International which focus on training airline professionals to flight human trafficking.
The World Tourism Network on Child Protection is an open-ended network facilitated by UNWTO featuring the multi-stakeholder participation of a range of tourism stakeholders – governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), tourism industry groups and media associations. Its mandate is to prevent all forms of youth exploitation in the tourism sector (i.e. sexual exploitation, child labour and child trafficking). The Network’s meetings, held annually at the worlds’ foremost Travel and Tourism Fairs, serve as a platform to exchange experiences and best practices, present awareness-raising materials and capacity building tools, and promote the adoption of professional codes of conduct or other responsible practices in line with the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.”
AAI is the proud recipient of grant funding from 3 Strands Global and is planning trainings in Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Latvia, Amsterdam and Bogota coming up this year. Stay posted!
Bravo to Marisol Nichols for shining a light on Human Trafficking at the Human Rights Awards!
John Ryan of National Center of Missing and Expoited Children, Kim Biddle of Saving Innocents and Nancy Rivard of Airline Ambassadors were honored for pioneering work in stemming the tide of human slavery.
Click this LINK to check out our launch on Jan 11, 2016 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Dear Treasured Supporters
USA Today voted Airline Ambassadors one of the top gifts for Business Travelers
As the holidays approach – many of us want to give a gift with meaning or significance. How many pairs of ties, socks or new sweaters can you actually use? You can provide a “tribute gift” in honor of your friends or family, (we will send a lovely card acknowledging the gift to your recipient).
As we approach winter solstice and sunlight is less bright on earth, we can shine it forth from our individual being, brightening the lives of those around us. We can give warmth in a coat to a homeless person who suffers from the cold, or volunteer our skills, whether we are a doctor, flight attendant or mother in our community local or global. Our efforts have ripple effects and we experience that giving is more joyous than receiving.
Your support of Airline Ambassadors reflects your individual choice to serve. You are part of a movement that can spark a tidal wave of goodwill unleashing creative potential unlike anything the world has seen.
May your lives reflect the blessings you are bringing to others. To send a Tribute Gift Click HERE
President and Founder
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