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Tag: Child trafficking

  • No evidence linking Erika Kirk’s charity work to trafficking

    As conservative activist Erika Kirk publicly mourned her husband Charlie Kirk, social media users targeted her work on a Romanian charity project. 

    “Did ya’ll know Erika Kirk is banned from Romania because her Evangelical group was accused of trafficking children out of Romanian villages?” one self-described “leftist” X user wrote Sept. 23. 

    Another post from an X user whose bio encouraged people to “vote blue” said, “Erika Kirk is banned from Romania due to sex trafficking allegations — Just saying…” 

    A PolitiFact reader also texted us to ask if a charity Kirk ran was “accused of child trafficking in Romania.” 

    Kirk, whose maiden name is Frantzve, founded the nonprofit organization Everyday Heroes Like You, which aimed to assist other charities. That work included an international Romanian Angels project that teamed up with the U.S. Marine Corps to sponsor a Romanian orphanage, Kirk once told Arizona Foothills Magazine. 

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    What’s the evidence for these claims? There isn’t any. 

    Some posts repeated the baseless narrative without giving any hint about where it originated. 

    One of the earliest posts we found, dated Sept. 16, said Kirk’s organization had links to missing Romanian children and trafficking and included screenshots of two articles. 

    The first, a 2001 report from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, was about a Romanian investigation into Israeli adoption agencies and an international conspiracy to sell children’s organs for transplants. The report did not mention Kirk, Romanian Angels or Everyday Heroes Like You. Kirk was about 13 years old when that news report was published. 

    The second was a 2023 article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a media organization founded by the U.S. that reports internationally, including in Romania. It detailed the stories of Romanian children, now adults, who were adopted internationally and who’ve sought information on their Romanian birth families — including some people who concluded they were trafficked as children. This report also did not mention Kirk, Romanian Angels or Everyday Heroes Like You. 

    Another Sept. 18 post included a screenshot of a Jan. 23, 2022, BBC video titled, “Sex trafficking: Children groomed in Romania sent to UK.” The nine-minute BBC piece focused on young Romanian girls who it reported were groomed in Romania to be trafficked to the United Kingdom. It didn’t mention Kirk or either of her organizations. 

    Both X posts also contained a low-resolution image with a Romanian Angels banner that encouraged people to “join the movement.” Using a reverse image search, we found a higher resolution version of what looks like a flier with details for a fundraiser organized by Everyday Heroes Like You. The flier, other documents, and Kirk’s social media posts show her traveling to Romania and discussing the project from 2012 to 2014. 

    The flier says people can “change the life of a Romanian orphan this holiday season” by “adopting” a child, which involved selecting their name from a list, purchasing their “wish list item,” and then bringing it to pack as a gift that would be sent to Orphanage Antonio in Constanta, Romania. An archived version of Everyday Heroes Like You’s website says the project involved a partnership with U.S. service members and United Hands Romania. 

    We contacted the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army to ask about the partnerships and did not hear back. We also contacted United Hands Romania and received no response. 

    We emailed press contacts at Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Romanian Police, the General Inspectorate of Border Police and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons. We received no response. 

    The news organization Lead Stories said its Romanian staff reviewed media reports and court records and found only positive mentions of work by Romanian Angels and Everyday Heroes Like You. 

    “Romanian media reported Erika Kirk’s ‘Everyday Heroes like You’ made donations in the form of gifts to Antonio Placement Center in Constanța, as well as to the local hospital, between 2011 and 2015,” Lead Stories reported. “There is no evidence that the ministries were involved in actual international adoptions. A local newspaper article documented the gift donations to the orphans.”

    We also searched using the Nexis news database for reports about Kirk being banned from Romania and found none.

    We rate the claim that “Erika Kirk is banned from Romania because her Evangelical group was accused of trafficking children out of Romanian villages” False.

    PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

    Editor’s note: Google translations of Romanian government websites were used when reporting this article.

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  • Running-averse man commits to monthly half-marathons for a good cause

    Running-averse man commits to monthly half-marathons for a good cause

    SAN FRANCISCO — Sunday morning marked the 15th annual running of “The Giant Race,” a 5K, 10K and half-marathon beginning and ending at Oracle Park on the San Francisco waterfront. Among the thousands of participants was a young man running to help exploited children and he did it with a symbolic twist.

    Grant Clark loves his job so much that, for it, he’s willing to do something he hates.

    “I always hate running,” he said. “I hated running growing up so I started this ten months ago just to try it out, do something new and push myself a little bit.”

    The 24-year-old works for an organization based in the Bay Area called “Special Operations Finding Kids,” which hires private investigators to help find and retrieve children being trafficked for sexual exploitation. To raise money and awareness, Clark has committed to run a half-marathon each month for the rest of the year but he’s adding an extra challenge — he runs with his hands tied together to symbolize kids being held captive.

    “It’s a life sentence for these children, having gone through that trauma because it sticks with them forever,” Clark said. “And for me to run with my hands tied is really a small challenge compared to what they have to do throughout their life.”

    Grant Clark runs a half-marathon in San Francisco.

    KPIX


    On Sunday, it was the Giant Race half-marathon. With his friend Carter Young acting as a pace buddy, Clark began the 12.1-mile trek along the city’s waterfront. It was his sixth run, including races in Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego.

    “This running path has taken me down a road I never thought I’d be on,” Clark said. “It’s kind of surreal, obviously, having my family here supporting me, having someone run with me. It’s all — I’m very blessed for that.”

    While his parents give their full support, his father, Jeff Clark, said they’re also concerned about the psychological burden their son may be carrying in combatting such a dark practice as human trafficking.

    “From my perspective as a father, clearly I’m very proud about it and it worries me a bit, too because it’s such an emotional issue,” he said. “I can’t imagine the toll that it takes from you when you see stories constantly and now your son’s involved in these stories, trying to help out in a good way. But still, you know, the pressure’s there.”

    Clark is motivated by the pressure he puts on himself and, as he entered the ballpark and crossed the finish line, he was thankful that, for him, escaping bondage was as simple as untying a piece of rope.

    “When I first put the video out saying I was going to do this whole initiative it was a little scary because I never ran more than two miles in my life,” Clark said. “Now we’re on number six so it feels good. I mean, every day brings a new gift. I’m very blessed to be in the position I’m in and just excited to continue doing it.”

    Now, it’s on to the next run, as he continues his mission to find joy in doing something he hates.

    Clark’s goal is to raise $75,000 for “Special Operations Finding Kids” by the end of the year. For more information go to: http://findingkids.org.

    John Ramos

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  • Texas adoption attorney charged with attempting to sell, purchase unborn children

    Texas adoption attorney charged with attempting to sell, purchase unborn children

    Texas adoption attorney charged with attempting to sell, purchase unborn children


    Texas adoption attorney charged with attempting to sell, purchase unborn children

    01:45

    NORTH TEXAS — The founder of a North Texas adoption agency has been arrested on allegations of paying pregnant female inmates in the Tarrant County Jail to put their unborn babies up for adoption. 

    The head of Adoptions International Inc. posted a $50,000 bond after being booked into a Central Texas jail last week.

    Jody Hall is an attorney and founder of an adoption agency promoted as a licensed nonprofit. 

    Back in May, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office says it began looking into what it calls unethical adoption practices involving Hall. 

    Jody Hall
    Jody Hall

    Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office


    “During this investigation, information was discovered that Jody Hall was paying money to multiple, pregnant Tarrant County inmates for the purpose of placing their unborn children up for adoption with Hall’s agency,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. 

    Two months later, sheriff’s detectives served arrest warrants on Hall at her home in Kyle, Texas. 

    In 2019, the U.S. State Department canceled Adoptions International’s accreditation, which prevents the agency from engaging in adoptions outside the U.S. for failing to maintain standards. 

    The crime of selling or purchasing a child is a felony in Texas. 

    It’s unclear at this point whether any inmates in the Tarrant County jail actually received any money or put their babies up for adoption. 

    CBS News Texas has not been able to reach Hall for a comment.   

    J.D. Miles


    JD-Miles_cbsdfw.jpg

    J.D. Miles is an award-winning reporter who has been covering North Texas for CBS 11 since 1996.

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  • Over 170 High-Profile Associates Of Jeffrey Epstein To Be Named Publicly Thanks To Hero Female Judge

    Over 170 High-Profile Associates Of Jeffrey Epstein To Be Named Publicly Thanks To Hero Female Judge

    Celebrity

    Source: Screenshots Youtube, Law & Crime, THV11

    A total of 177 high-profile associates of the late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein are set to be named publicly in the early days of 2024 thanks to a heroic female judge.

    Epstein Names To Be Released

    Daily Mail reported that Judge Loretta Preska ruled that hundreds of court documents will be unsealed, exposing the names of 177 Epstein associates. While the release date is listed as January 1, the unsealing will likely actually happen the next day, since the first is a national holiday.

    Judge Preska wrote “unsealed in full” next to the names of 177 Does who are known to be Epstein’s friends, recruiters, victims and others. She gave the Does fourteen days to object to their documents being unsealed to the public.

    The documents pertain to the defamation case filed by Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre in New York against Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre had sued Maxwell for defamation back in 2016, and though the case was settled, the Miami Herald later sued to get the documents made public. 

    Related: Vivek Ramaswamy Gets Praise For Promise To Release Epstein Client List: ‘Every Candidate Should Commit To This’

    Judge Preska’s Reasoning

    One reason that Preska gave for releasing the names is that some of the Does have given interviews to the media, meaning she feels that their identities should not remain private. A few of the Does are housekeepers who worked on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, where he is believed to have committed some of his most heinous sex crimes.

    Judge Preska ruled that ten other Does will not have their identities made public because they were minor victims whose names had never been released before.

    She decided that in their cases, their privacy outweighs the public’s right to know, finding that releasing their court documents would “disclose sensitive information regarding an alleged minor victim of sexual abuse who has not spoken publicly and who has maintained his or her privacy,” according to The New York Post.

    Related: Elon Musk Is Right – Where Is Jeffrey Epstein’s Client List?

    Epstein And Maxwell’s Fates

    Epstein allegedly committed suicide in prison in August of 2019 while awaiting trial for various sex crimes. Many have questioned whether he really killed himself, however, as his death was awfully convenient for the countless powerful figures who were rumored to have ties to him. One of these famous figures is the former President Bill Clinton, who allegedly traveled on Epstein’s private jet multiple times and is rumored to have visited his private island.

    Maxwell is currently serving a twenty year prison sentence in Florida after she was convicted in 2021 of child trafficking and other crimes connected to Epstein.

    “Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children.  This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement after her sentencing last year. “We again express our gratitude to Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing.”

    We can only hope that some of the most powerful figures who took part in Epstein’s unspeakable crimes are among the Does that will be named in 2024. Who do you think could be on the list? Let us know in the comments section.

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    James Conrad

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  • The Mama Bear Effect Nonprofit Denounces Conspiracy Claims Regarding ‘Sound of Freedom’ Film

    The Mama Bear Effect Nonprofit Denounces Conspiracy Claims Regarding ‘Sound of Freedom’ Film

    Misrepresentation of “Sound of Freedom” film as conspiracy takes away focus on the real-life experience of children trafficked every day.


    BOSTON, July 20, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    “Sound of Freedom” is an inspiring film about the fight against human trafficking. Despite some media outlets like Rolling Stone criticizing it, the movie shines a light on a subset of real-life traffickers and abusers that target innocent children. The powerful impact of this film is not about the “hero” who rescues these children, but the characterization of the pain, fear, sadness, and trauma for the children and their families. 

    It is not unknown that predators travel to countries like the Philippines and Thailand to sexually abuse children. In third-world countries where poverty increases vulnerability for children, sexual exploitation and kidnapping is not conspiracy, but reality. In 2005, after a tsunami, an international effort was mobilized to protect orphans from being targeted by traffickers and pedophiles. To suggest that it is beyond the realm of belief that these crimes occur is to deny the very reality that is playing out on a daily basis. 

    Adrianne Simeone, founder and president of The Mama Bear Effect, a nonprofit organization educating the public on the issues of child sexual abuse, had this to share:

    “Sound of Freedom is a raw movie that takes a hard look at the heartbreaking issue of child sexual abuse and child trafficking. It demands attention to the fact childhood is being exploited throughout our world, and that we must do our part as a society to protect children and break free from blindly seeing victims as statistics.”

    Child sexual abuse and trafficking is not an issue that can be broken down in one film; we need to shed more light on this very dark and insidious issue. Just this past June, it was exposed again how platforms, like Instagram, are being used as networking sites for predators. This is not new information, yet society continues to respond with shock but not sufficient action. 

    When Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years for trafficking vulnerable teen girls in New York, Mexico, Florida, and the Virgin Islands, with deceased partner Jeffery Epstein, not one other accomplice was named; it is the opinion of The Mama Bear Effect, these abusers are potentially being shielded by the very authorities we hold responsible to bring such criminals to justice. 

    Patrice Griffin of the nonprofit organization Patrice’s Kids and author of “The Unconscious Community,” stands in support with The Mama Bear Effect: “As a survivor of child sexual abuse and trafficking, I have to carry this pain with me for the rest of my life. The Sound of Freedom brings the truth to light. Unfortunately, this is a reality for a lot of children. We need more movies like this to bring awareness and create better laws to protect children from abuse and trafficking instead of protecting predators.”

    Source: The Mama Bear Effect

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  • Joel Greenberg, associate of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, sentenced to 11 years for sex trafficking of a minor

    Joel Greenberg, associate of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, sentenced to 11 years for sex trafficking of a minor

    A former Florida tax collector whose arrest led to a federal probe into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor and other offenses.

    Joel Greenberg, former tax collector for Seminole County, was accused of stalking a political opponent, public corruption, making fake licenses and scheming to submit false claims for a federal loan.

    He pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Prosecutors said he paid at least one girl to have sex with him and other men.

    US-NEWS-FLA-GREENBERG-OS
    Former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg talks to the Orlando Sentinel in September 2019, during an interview at his office in Lake Mary, Florida. 

    Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images


    “Nothing justifies my actions. My conduct is so shameful. I feel remorse for what I’ve done,” Greenberg said Thursday before U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell sentenced him in an Orlando courtroom.

    Greenberg also directly apologized to the residents of Seminole County, his family and a schoolteacher he smeared when the educator decided to run against him.

    Presnell said that in his 22 years as a federal judge, he had never experienced a case like Greenberg’s and “a defendant who has committed so many different types of crimes in such a short period of time.”

    Greenberg’s attorney had asked for leniency, saying that his client had assisted in investigations of 24 people, including eight for sex crimes. Defense attorney Fritz Scheller said that Greenberg’s cooperation has led to four federal indictments, and that he believed additional ones were expected in the coming month.

    Greenberg’s cooperation could play a role in an investigation into his friend Gaetz over whether he paid a 17-year-old girl for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations and previously said they were part of an extortion plot. No charges have been brought against the Republican congressman, who represents a large part of the Florida Panhandle.

    Greenberg has been linked to other Florida politicians and their associates. So far, none has been implicated in the sex trafficking investigation.

    After the hearing, Scheller called Greenberg’s sentence just.

    Scheller said he was shocked that Greenberg’s cooperation hadn’t yet resulted in more prosecutions and that Greenberg has been in communication with federal investigators in the past three months. When asked whether he thought others would be charged with sex crimes, the defense attorney said, “I do.”

    “There should be, and I think part of my frustration is that I have a pretty good insight into the evidence in this case,” Scheller said.

    Federal prosecutors had asked for a significant reduction in Greenberg’s prison sentence, agreeing during a court hearing Wednesday to a reduced range of nine years and three months to 11 years.

    U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg argued for the upper limit of the range, telling the judge Greenberg abused trust to commit crimes.

    Scheller asked the judge to give Greenberg only a fraction of the range, arguing he was making amends and was no longer the same person who committed the crimes.

    “Mr. Greenberg was using money and sex to get access to political circles,” Scheller said. “He came from a dark place, a lack of self-worth, and tried to ingratiate himself with a collection of people.”

    The minor in the sex crimes case was almost an adult and had advertised as being over age 18 in her escort profile on the website “Seeking Arrangements,” which facilitates “sugar daddy” relationships, Scheller said.

    Scheller also had asked the judge to take into consideration Greenberg’s struggles with mental illness, starting with an attention deficit disorder diagnosis at age 7 and panic attacks, depressive and anxiety disorders as an adult. At the time he committed the crimes, he had bipolar disorder with symptoms of mania, which affected his judgment and impulse control, Scheller said.

    Some documents related to Greenberg’s cooperation were filed under seal and out of the public eye, with prosecutors and the defense attorney saying they were part of ongoing investigations being conducted by federal authorities in Florida and Washington, as well as state investigators.

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  • Gaetz friend says lighter sentence deserved for cooperation

    Gaetz friend says lighter sentence deserved for cooperation

    ORLANDO, Fla. — A former Florida tax collector whose arrest led to a federal investigation of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz learns this week how much prison time he gets on charges of sex trafficking a minor and identity theft, but not before trying to persuade a judge that his cooperation in several probes should lighten his sentence.

    Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg had faced a prison sentence of between 21 and 27 years under federal sentencing guidelines, but prosecutors asked a judge to substantially reduce any sentence of incarceration. During a court hearing Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell calculated that the reduction would put prison time at between 9 1/4 and 11 years. The judge will make a final sentencing decision Thursday.

    Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Prosecutors said he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men.

    His attorney, Fritz Scheller, told the judge that the jurist has the discretion to reduce the prison time even further. But the judge during Wednesday’s hearing appeared disinclined to follow that advice and seemed ready to add more time since he said he didn’t think the sentencing guidelines worked appropriately in Greenberg’s case. Greenberg was in the courtroom during the hearing.

    “I have, I think, considerable discretion to deal with this anomaly,” Presnell said.

    Scheller told the judge that Greenberg had assisted in the probes of two dozen individuals, including eight people being investigated for sex crimes. Greenberg’s cooperation had led to four federal indictments and two new indictments were expected in the coming months, said Scheller, without elaborating on which type of cases the new indictments involved.

    “It’s clear that his cooperation has been useful,” said Scheller, noting that Greenberg had given testimony to prosecutors on 15 occasions.

    The minor in the sex crimes case was almost an adult and had advertised as being over age 18 in her escort profile on the website “Seeking Arrangements,” which facilitates “sugar daddy” relationships, Scheller said in court papers.

    “Greenberg appreciates the seriousness of his crimes. Based on such a recognition, he has been trying to make amends through cooperation and the payment of restitution,” Scheller said. “He has provided significant substantial assistance to the government in the areas of public corruption, election fraud, wire fraud, and sex trafficking.”

    The judge should also take into consideration Greenberg’s struggles with mental illness, starting with an attention-deficit disorder diagnosis at age 7 and panic attacks, depressive and anxiety disorders as an adult. At the time he committed the crimes, he was suffering from bipolar disorder with symptoms of mania, which affected his judgment and impulse control, Scheller said.

    Both prosecutors and Greenberg’s defense attorney filed documents under seal and out of the public eye, saying they were part of ongoing investigations being conducted by federal authorities in Florida and Washington, as well as state investigators.

    Greenberg’s cooperation could play a role in the ongoing probe into Gaetz, who is being investigated over whether he paid a 17-year-old for sex. Gaetz has denied the allegations and previously said they were part of an extortion plot. Gaetz, a Republican, represents a large part of the Florida Panhandle. No charges have been brought against the congressman.

    Greenberg has been linked to a number of other Florida politicians and their associates. So far, none of them has been implicated by name in the sex trafficking probe.

    In his sentencing memo asking for leniency, Scheller noted that other potential co-conspirators that Greenberg has named, “including public figures,” haven’t yet faced criminal charges. If prosecutors want to use Greenberg as an example to deter crime, then those others should face justice too, he said.

    “Unfortunately, at the time of Greenberg’s sentencing, many of these individuals have not been held to account,” Scheller said.

    ———

    Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP

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  • Lawyer: Ex-Islamic State bride was child trafficking victim

    Lawyer: Ex-Islamic State bride was child trafficking victim

    LONDON — Lawyers for a British woman whose U.K. citizenship was removed after she travelled to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State group argued Monday that she should have been treated as a child trafficking victim.

    Shamima Begum, now 23, was 15 when she and two other schoolgirls from London joined the extremist group in February 2015. Authorities revoked her British citizenship on national security grounds soon after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp in 2019.

    Begum’s lawyers launched a fresh legal challenge against the British government’s decision, arguing that officials had a legal duty to investigate whether she was a victim of trafficking when her citizenship was revoked.

    Lawyer Samantha Knights told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Monday that Begum was influenced by a “determined and effective ISIS propaganda machine.”

    Knights said in written submissions to the hearing that like many other young girls, Begum was recruited by the Islamic State group and transported to Syria “for the purposes of ‘sexual exploitation’ and ‘marriage’ to an adult male.”

    But James Eadie, representing the Home Office, argued the case was about national security and not about child trafficking.

    He said Begum remained in Syria for four years and only left IS-controlled territory for safety reasons, not because of “a genuine disengagement from the group.”

    Britain’s Supreme Court ruled last year that Begum could not return to the U.K. to fight her citizenship case. British media reports say she remains in a camp in northern Syria.

    On Monday, an officer with Britain’s domestic security agency, MI5, told the hearing that it was “inconceivable” that Begum would not know about what the Islamic State was doing as a terrorist organization at the time.

    The officer was only identified as Witness E and gave evidence from behind a screen.

    The hearing is set to last five days and a ruling is expected at a later date.

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  • Hearing for Iowa teen who killed rapist moved to January

    Hearing for Iowa teen who killed rapist moved to January

    DES MOINES, Iowa — An judge on Friday set a hearing for January to consider whether to order prison for an 18-year-old sex-trafficking victim in Iowa who killed her rapist and pleaded guilty last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury.

    Pieper Lewis was sentenced Sept. 13 to probation for five years to be served at a Des Moines women’s shelter, but less than two months later she cut off the court-ordered GPS ankle monitor and walked away from Fresh Start Women’s Center. She was arrested five days later and put in jail, where she remains.

    An Iowa Department of Corrections probation officer had asked the court to revoke the terms of her probation, and Judge David Porter set a hearing Friday to consider the matter. But after meeting briefly with lawyers, Porter scheduled a new hearing on Jan. 18.

    Matthew Sheeley, a lawyer for Lewis, said they plan to contest the proposed revocation.

    Assistant Polk County Attorney Meggan Guns said when a defendant challenges a proposed revocation, a judge typically sets a hearing where evidence can be presented, which is what occurred Friday.

    Porter told Lewis at her sentencing hearing in September that he was giving her a second chance by allowing her to serve time at the women’s shelter and complete community service instead of prison. He said she wouldn’t get a third chance.

    Lewis had faced a 20-year prison sentence in the June 2020 killing of Zachary Brooks, 37. Lewis was 15 when she stabbed Brooks more than 30 times in a Des Moines apartment. She initially was charged with first-degree murder, but prosecutors agreed to a plea deal dropped that charge.

    Lewis has said that she was trafficked against her will to Brooks for sex multiple times and stabbed him in a fit of rage after he raped her again.

    The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual assault, but Lewis agreed to have her name used previously in stories about her case.

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  • NERVO Raise Awareness of Child Trafficking With New Single: Listen – EDM.com

    NERVO Raise Awareness of Child Trafficking With New Single: Listen – EDM.com

    Dance music duo NERVO have teamed up with Hopeland to raise awareness of child trafficking.

    In collaboration with the nonprofit and Spinnin’ Records, they’ve released a new single called “Is Someone Looking For Me.” The progressive house track was produced to shed light on trafficking and support children in poverty areas who are forced into labor, according to a press release shared with EDM.com. All proceeds will benefit Hopeland.

    “Is Someone Looking For Me” features vocals from Liv Nervo’s three-year-old daughter, Ace Paloma, whose innocence echoes through a haunting soliloquy: “Together, we can help spread the word. Is someone looking for me?”

    Mikala Lugen

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  • Iowa teen who killed rapist being held in jail after escape

    Iowa teen who killed rapist being held in jail after escape

    DES MOINES, Iowa — An 18-year-old sex trafficking victim who killed her rapist was being held in an Iowa jail Wednesday and could face a prison term after she walked away from a Des Moines women’s shelter where she was serving probation for a manslaughter conviction.

    Pieper Lewis was booked into the Polk County Jail on Tuesday, said Polk County Sheriff Lt. Ryan Evans.

    Iowa Department of Corrections officers located her in Des Moines and took her into custody.

    “We would like to thank law enforcement and members of Iowa’s 5th Judicial District for their efforts to safely bring Ms. Lewis back into custody,” corrections spokesman Nick Crawford said.

    An arrest warrant was issued after Lewis was seen walking out of the Fresh Start Women’s Center in Des Moines shortly after 6:15 a.m. Friday, according to a report filed with the court by a probation officer and the shelter’s residential supervisor. The report said Lewis cut off the GPS monitor she was ordered to wear as part of her sentence and then left the facility.

    She will be taken before Judge David Porter for a probation revocation hearing. A judge on Wednesday set the hearing for Nov. 18. If her probation is revoked, she could be sent to prison.

    Porter sentenced Lewis in September to probation for five years to be served at the women’s shelter. He also gave her a deferred judgement, which meant her conviction would be expunged from her record if she completed the requirements of her probation. Porter warned Lewis at her sentencing hearing that by affording her an opportunity to avoid prison he was giving her a second chance. “You don’t get a third,” he said.

    Lewis had faced a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, a married father of two. Lewis was 15 when she stabbed Brooks more than 30 times in a Des Moines apartment. She had originally been charged with first-degree murder but prosecutors agreed to a plea deal that dropped that charge in exchange for her plea.

    Lewis has said that she was trafficked against her will to Brooks for sex multiple times and stabbed him in a fit of rage after he forced her to have sex with him again. Police and prosecutors did not dispute that Lewis was sexually assaulted and trafficked. The man she accused of forcing her to have sex with men, including Brooks, has never been charged.

    Court documents indicate Lewis was allowed to leave the women’s shelter to work at a local pizza restaurant and show she had several incidents of violating the shelter rules in the past month.

    The 48-bed shelter is in a neighborhood northwest of downtown Des Moines. It is operated by the Department of Corrections for women on parole, work release or on pretrial release.

    Porter also had ordered Lewis to pay $150,000 restitution to Brooks’ estate, a move many people found to be outrageous. Porter said Iowa law required the restitution. Court records show Lewis’ lawyer has asked the judge to reconsider and Porter ordered lawyers to file briefs on the issue by Thursday. He indicated he would release a decision within 30 days.

    A GoFundMe campaign started by a high school teacher who taught Lewis has raised over $560,000. No new donations were being accepted, according to the site. The money remains with the GoFundMe organization and he and Lewis do not yet have access to it. Court records indicate the restitution has not yet been paid.

    The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual assault, but Lewis agreed to have her name used previously in stories about her case.

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  • Search continues for escaped Iowa teen who killed rapist

    Search continues for escaped Iowa teen who killed rapist

    DES MOINES, Iowa — Authorities in Iowa continued to search Monday for an 18-year-old sex trafficking victim who walked away from a women’s shelter where she was serving probation after pleading guilty to killing a man she said raped her.

    An arrest warrant was issued for Pieper Lewis, who was seen walking out of the Fresh Start Women’s Center in Des Moines shortly after 6:15 a.m. Friday, according to a report filed with the court by a probation officer and the shelter’s residential supervisor. The report said Lewis cut off the GPS monitor she was ordered to wear as part of her sentence before she left the facility.

    Lewis’ public defense attorney did not immediately respond Monday to messages.

    Iowa Department of Corrections spokesman Nick Crawford said Lewis had not been located as of Monday afternoon.

    Des Moines Police spokesman Paul Parizek said police were notified by state corrections officials that Lewis had walked away from the shelter and information was broadcast to officers to watch for her. He said she will be taken into custody if found and turned over to corrections officials.

    Polk County Judge David Porter sentenced Lewis in September to probation for five years to be served at the women’s shelter. He also gave her a deferred judgement, which meant her conviction would be expunged from her record if she completed the requirements of her probation. Porter warned Lewis at her sentencing hearing that by affording her an opportunity to avoid prison he was giving her a second chance. “You don’t get a third,” he said.

    Lewis had faced a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, a married father of two. Lewis was 15 when she stabbed Brooks more than 30 times in a Des Moines apartment.

    Corrections officials have asked the court to hold a hearing on their request to revoke her probation and deferred judgment and send her to prison.

    Lewis has said that she was trafficked against her will to Brooks for sex multiple times and stabbed him in a fit of rage after he forced her to have sex with him again. Police and prosecutors did not dispute that Lewis was sexually assaulted and trafficked. The man she accused of forcing her to have sex with men, including Brooks, has never been charged.

    Court documents indicate Lewis was allowed to leave the women’s shelter to work at a local pizza restaurant. However, the documents showed, since Oct. 13 seven incidents were noted in which she did not promptly return to the shelter from work, a violation of shelter rules. The filings indicate authorities were keeping a close eye on her movements through the GPS monitor. Other violations also were noted, including an unauthorized meeting with someone she had dated in high school.

    The 48-bed shelter is in a neighborhood northwest of downtown Des Moines. It is operated by the Department of Corrections for women on parole, work release or on pretrial release.

    Porter also had ordered Lewis to pay $150,000 restitution to Brooks’ estate, a move many people found to be outrageous. Porter said Iowa law required the restitution. Court records show Lewis’ lawyer has asked the judge to reconsider and Porter ordered lawyers to file briefs on the issue by Nov. 10. He indicated he would release a decision within 30 days.

    Lewis’ public defense lawyer Matthew Sheeley wrote in a document filed in September after Lewis’ sentencing hearing that her 28-year-old sex-trafficker put a knife to her neck and forced her to go with Zachary Brooks “to ‘turn a trick’ for $50 worth of weed.” He said the seriousness of her offense should be diminished by the fact that Brooks raped her before she stabbed him.

    Sheeley asked Porter to amend his judgment and find that the restitution order is excessive and violates her constitutional rights.

    A GoFundMe campaign started by a high school teacher who taught Lewis has raised over $560,000. No new donations were being accepted, according to the site.

    The teacher, Leland Schipper, told The Des Moines Register that he has not been in contact with Lewis since her sentencing in September and that he is heartbroken that she has left the shelter and is concerned about her safety. He said the money remains with the GoFundMe organization and he and Lewis do not have access to it.

    Court records indicate the restitution has not yet been paid.

    The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual assault, but Lewis agreed to have her name used previously in stories about her case.

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  • Iowa teen who killed rapist escapes from probation center

    Iowa teen who killed rapist escapes from probation center

    DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa authorities say an 18-year-old sex trafficking victim who pleaded guilty to killing a man she said raped her escaped from a women’s center where she was serving her probation sentence.

    Pieper Lewis was seen walking out of the building at the Fresh Start Women’s Center in Des Moines shortly after 6:15 a.m. Friday, and at some point that day her GPS monitor was cut off, according to a probation violation report.

    A warrant was issued for Lewis’ arrest and the probation report asked for her deferred judgment to be revoked and have her original sentence imposed, KCCI reported. She could face up to 20 years in prison.

    Prosecutors had called the probation sentence she was given in September merciful for a teen who endured horrible abuse, although some questioned the $150,000 restitution she was ordered to pay. A GoFundMe campaign raised over $560,000 to cover the restitution and pay for her other needs.

    Polk County Judge David Porter told Lewis that her probation sentence “was the second chance you asked for. You don’t get a third,” the Des Moines Register reported.

    If Lewis had successfully completed five years of closely supervised probation her prison sentence would have been expunged.

    Lewis pleaded guilty last year to involuntary manslaughter and willful injury in the June 2020 killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, a married father of two. Lewis was 15 when she stabbed Brooks more than 30 times in a Des Moines apartment.

    Lewis has said that she was trafficked against her will to Brooks for sex multiple times and stabbed him in a fit of rage. Police and prosecutors did not dispute that Lewis was sexually assaulted and trafficked.

    The Associated Press does not typically name victims of sexual assault, but Lewis agreed to have her name used previously in stories about her case.

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