Category: prostitution

Legalising Prostitution Commodifies Women’s Bodies, Academic Says

Legalising prostitution risks normalising the idea that women’s bodies are mere commodities, which contradicts national efforts to promote respectful relationships, according to an Australian academic. The comment comes after the Queensland government committed to decriminalising all aspects of the sex industry, making it on track to become the third jurisdiction in Australia after New South…


Undercover Sting Nets 43 Arrests for Child Sex Trafficking, Drugs in Arizona: ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 27 that an undercover operation targeting commercial human trafficking, including sex trafficking, had led to the arrests of 43 individuals. The operation, in which officials worked alongside Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), was dubbed “Spring Fling” and targeted alleged sexual predators in Arizona, focusing on hotel prostitution and street prostitution…


179 Prostitution-Related Arrests Made Leading up to Super Bowl: LAPD Chief

LOS ANGELES—Law enforcement arrested 179 people for allegedly soliciting, facilitating, and seeking sex services in the Los Angeles area during the 10 days leading up to the Super Bowl, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission on Feb. 15. Eighty-nine people were arrested for alleged street prostitution and 70 were arrested at…


Prostitution Legalization Possibility Worries Anti-Human Trafficking Advocates

The federal government is revisiting criminal legislation passed in 2014 that bans profiteering from prostitution, and anti-human trafficking advocates are concerned that the sex-trade law could be gutted and prostitution legalized. The federal Justice Committee is calling witnesses to testify on Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. The law, passed by…


Spanish Police Break up Chinese Prostitution Ring After Tip

MADRID—Spanish police have broken up a human trafficking ring that forced Chinese women into prostitution in Spain. The gang approached the women in China and promised them well-paying jobs in Europe, Police Commissioner Carlos Rio-Miranda Iglesias said Tuesday. Each woman paid the gang between 8,000 and 10,000 euros ($9,100–$11,400). After being flown to Spain, however,…


‘102 Tricked’, Then Arrested, in Florida Human-Trafficking Sting

It was all tricks and no treats for 102 people who were arrested on various prostitution charges this week, after police in Florida used a sting to identify victims of human trafficking. The youngest person taken into custody was 19 years of age and the oldest was 78. For six days the Polk County Sheriff’s…


‘Case Made for a Purpose’: Observers Question Recent Fall of Chinese Celebrity Pianist

It was a jaw-dropping moment for fans when Li Yundi, a household name in China, was accused of soliciting sex services. Yet observers spotlight the state-backed political force behind it. Li, 39, a celebrated pianist known as China’s “Piano Prince,” confessed to prostitution allegations following tip-offs from the public, state media said on the Twitter-like…


San Juan Capistrano Cracks Down on Illicit Massage Parlors 

San Juan Capistrano is adding further restrictions to massage parlors in an attempt to discourage untoward businesses from prostituting human trafficking victims at the establishments. City council unanimously advanced amendments to a massage parlor ordinance June 1 and adopted a resolution proclaiming the city’s commitment to fight human trafficking. “[Human trafficking] is a problem all throughout Southern California and…


Former Oregon House Speaker Dave Hunt Arrested in Sex Trafficking Sting

Former Oregon House speaker Dave Hunt, a Democrat, was one of eight men cited by Portland police in an undercover sex traffic sting operation, officials and reports said. The Portland Police Department said in a May 1 release that its Human Trafficking Unit carried out an undercover operation in April, involving officers posting fake ads on…


California Supreme Court Renders Human Trafficking Decision Based on Orange County Case

In a ruling based on an Orange County conviction, the California Supreme Court ruled Dec. 28 that human traffickers who attempt to prostitute minors will receive the maximum prison sentence allowed under state law, even if they are actually communicating with undercover law enforcement personnel. The decision reverses an earlier ruling by the state’s Fourth…