Hope Comes to the Anti-Trafficking World | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Hope Comes to the Anti-Trafficking World

CEO of Multi-Million Dollar Industry is Arrested for Trafficking

Meghan Ross
Oct 10, 2016
Ellicott City, MD
17
Hope Comes to the Anti-Trafficking World
J. Chan

This past week there was breaking news out of Texas that the CEO of Backpage.com was arrested for pimping.

So what is the story?

Backpage.com and it's affiliates, EvilEmpire.com and BigCity.com, are websites that advertise for "escort" services; most of which are actually trafficked women and children being forced into sex work. Backpage.com previously gave the illusion that they were working to combat the advertisements for this criminal empire, but hindsight 20/20, that obviously wasn't the whole truth. Just last year major credit card companies boycotted the website to avoid their credit cards being used to purchase trafficked victims.

After a multi-year investigation it was found that "internal business records obtained through a search warrant show that 99 percent [Backpage's] revenue came from its adult services section" according to ABCNews. So when CEO Carl Ferrer landed in Texas after a flight back from Amsterdam, official arrested him for human trafficking. He is being charged with felony pimping a minor, pimping, conspiracy to commit pimping and money-laundering. He has since been transported to California and there are warrants out for the arrest of Ferrer's two associates, Michael Lacey, 68, and James Larkin, 67.

The good news is that now Ferrer is behind bars without bail. The site he created could be used by any average Joe looking to purchase a victim, hopefully this arrest will help bring down the site. The unfortunate part is that even though officials are tackling this accessible portal for purchasing, the demand is not decreasing. Backpage.com made purchasing a human easy, the arrest may bring barriers, but where there is a will, there is a way. This win for the abolitionist community brings hope that society is moving towards a slave free world. Unfortunately the key to actually achieving this goal will be to decease the demand.

To learn more about human trafficking in this area, check out The Samaritan Women in Baltimore.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

AI music threatens creativity

The Soul of Sound: How AI Challenges Human Expression in Music

241004
Humans and robots face off in a rock band battle with guitars and drums, under dynamic lighting.
StableDiffusion

In an age where artificial intelligence can mimic the voice of Freddie Mercury or reimagine pop hits as synthwave ballads, a new frontier has emerged — one that blurs the line between innovation and erosion. While AI offers undeniable benefits in technical domains, its intrusion into creative arts, especially music, raises urgent questions. Not just about copyright, but about culture, education, and the very soul of artistic expression.


Keep Reading...Show less
ai generated music
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

Miami University
571368
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
music
Entertainment

Why Your Astrological Sign May Not Match Your Personality

We are all more than just one sign.

SUNY Plattsburgh
484578
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
astrology
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

UNC Greensboro
458842
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
spring
Relationships

The Importance Of Being A Good Person

An open letter to the good-hearted people.

Sacred Heart University
724731
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
good person

Trending Topics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments