Examining the harsh reality of trafficking

Human trafficking often relies on deception, manipulation, and force to keep those who are being exploited under the influence of the traffickers. People who become victims of human trafficking are often vulnerable — usually those without the necessary government or social supports needed to survive. To help shed light on the issue, Susan Lingenfelter, secretary treasurer of Long Island Against Trafficking, delivered a powerful hour-long presentation on recognizing and combating sex trafficking on Long Island last Sunday at the Glen Cove Christian Church.
“I was always aware of sex trafficking, but after hearing this woman today, I am more scared,” one attendee, Jeff Forgione, said after Lingenfelter’s presentation. “This is everywhere. I’ve got a little granddaughter. Seeing this up close scares you more.”
Human trafficking is defined as the coercive control over individuals for exploitation, and it is the second-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, Lingenfelter explained. Victims are forced into labor or sex in exchange for money, and can be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals — men, women or children. Trafficking occurs in a variety of settings, including the commercial sex industry, which encompasses street prostitution, strip clubs, massage parlors, escort services and online forums. It can also take place in factories, farms, private homes, and service-industry locations such as nail salons and restaurants.
Hotels are frequent sites of human trafficking, Lingenfelter noted, and front desk workers are often bribed to overlook it. One out of every seven men in the United States, she added, have paid a prostitute for sex at

least once.

Lingenfelter recounted an instance of trafficking in Suffolk County in 2016 in which Andrew Gayot padlocked a 15-year-old runaway and a 21-year-old woman in his home and forced them into prostitution. The older woman was held for over a year, and the teen was held for about four months.
“This can happen next door, and you don’t even know,” Lingenfelter said. “Most victims know their traffickers. Thirty-six percent of traffickers are immediate family members. They look like us; they don’t walk around in a trench coat and a hat.
“If you suspect something, don’t try to be a hero,” she added. “Traffickers are scary people. Call the police.”
In 2017, the Global Slavery Index reported that 40.3 million people were enslaved worldwide, with some form of slavery existing in 167 countries. In the United States, 2.1 million people were trafficked, with an alarming 100,000 to 300,000 American children at risk annually. Ninety-four percent of victims in the U.S. were female, 75 percent were U.S. citizens and 41 percent were minors.
Victims, Lingenfelter explained, often exhibit signs of physical violence, multiple sexually transmitted diseases, tattoos or brands from an iron, or bruises. They are often homeless, or have an older, dominating male companion. Traffickers, on the other hand, display controlling and violent behavior, are easily jealous, make promises to their victims that seem too good to be true, are often vague about their jobs, and encourage their victims to send them sexually explicit photos of themselves.
Staying safe from the threat of sex trafficking requires a combination of awareness, vigilance and practicality. Lingenfelter advised always being cautious about sharing personal information online; using different screen names in chat rooms, and avoiding posting details that reveal your identity or location. Traffickers are likely to lure their victims on social media by asking them to chat outside groups or chat rooms, offer vague solutions to financial problems with the promise of fast money, or blackmail victims with their nude or suggestive photos unless they follow demands.
Lingenfelter noted that children are trafficked by immediate family members in 36 percent of cases; by a parent’s boyfriend in 20 percent of cases; by family friends (14 percent); employers (14 percent) or strangers (9 percent).
“I thought this was very informative,” Tommy Lanham, the Glen Cove Christian Church pastor, said after the presentation. “Some of the statistics shocked me, especially the one about who would traffic a child. That is the statistic that shocks and hurts me. We’ve always heard and taught our kids to be on the lookout for strangers. This is telling me to be on the lookout for your immediate family — the ones who are supposed to be looking out for you. That’s a heavy statistic.”
Victims of human trafficking, and those who suspect instances of it, are encouraged to contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, at (888) 373-7888. They can also text HELP or INFO to BeFree at 233733, or e-mail NHTRC@PolarisProject.org.

Additional reporting by Tammy Lanham.