Organized Gangs – Pimping, Prostitution, and Human Trafficking
Jeffrey Miller, Investigator, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
See a new insurgence of organized gangs who make money through pimping, prostitution and trafficking of woman. Learn how gangs and other persons recruit, teach, and earn profit from these crimes. Jeff will provide a specific case study of a gang that operated for nearly 6 years in San Diego . Learn current, real-life investigative techniques, skills, and knowledge for those line-level investigators. Students will take away specific information and methods for victim interviewing, evidence suggestions, corroborating cases, and key considerations for successful prosecution. Jeff was successful in securing the first Human Trafficking sex trade conviction in California under its new state law. See a view into the case, learn key components of this law, and the do’s and don’ts he discovered in these types of cases. Jeff has over 15 years experience with the San Diego Police Department, and is currently with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Jeff is considered a subject matter expert in pimping, prostitution, and human trafficking for California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST).
How to Conduct Advanced and High Profile Prostitution Investigations
Mark Gilkey, Detective, Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department
This course will cover advanced prostitution investigations
- The Human Trafficking Aspect
- Pimp Investigations
- Escort Agency
- Massage parlors
- Brothels
- High Profile Prostitution Investigations
- D.C. Madam
- Elliott Spitzer
Learn about high profile prostitution investigations.
All of the above information will include how to investigate and prepare for prosecution these types of cases. It will also include the most important information, “Training Undercover Officers and Detectives to successfully obtain the best information for prosecution.”
Mark is a 27 year veteran of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and is a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force. Mark has developed and implemented many successful undercover operations targeting major escort services. He is the one of the founders and serves as a facilitator of one of the most successful John School diversion programs in the country. Mark also assisted in the implementation of the Prostitution Court of the District of Columbia Superior Court. He has personally been an Undercover Officer in several thousand arrests involving all aspects of prostitution including but not limited to street prostitution and escort services. Mark is the regional expert in the field of prostitution investigation for Metropolitan Police Department and serves as the expert witness for the United States Attorney’s office of the District of Columbia. He is frequently sought out as an expert in several venues. Most recently, Detective Gilkey appeared on the nationally syndicated Larry King Live show.
Human Trafficking Challenges in the Courtroom
Gretchen Dahlinger Means – Assistant District Attorney San Diego, California
Learn what it takes to successfully prosecute a human trafficking case. A prosecutor’s view of the essential components of a human trafficking investigation and the prosecutorial challenges these cases pose once issued. Victim management, working with NGOs and federal agencies, immunity, and the need for protocol development will be discussed.
Gretchen Dahlinger Means has been a prosecutor since 1999. She is currently assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit of the Office of the District Attorney in San Diego. In the Sex Crimes Unit, she prosecutes sexual assault, human trafficking, and pimping and pandering cases; she also handles sexually violent predator commitments. Gretchen is currently prosecuting several gang pimps using California Penal Code 186.22 allegation to enhance traditional vice and human trafficking crimes. Gretchen teaches human trafficking prosecution and effective vice investigation and prosecution nationally. She has lectured extensively on the topic of sexual assault in the military, and prosecuting sexual assault cases involving high risk and mentally retarded victims. Before becoming a prosecutor, Gretchen worked with at-risk youth in Maryland and California.
Investigative Response to Domestic Prostitution and Trafficking Victims
Sergeant Byron Fassett
Dallas Police Department Child Exploitation Squad
Dynamics Domestic Prostitution/Trafficking of Children:
Investigative/System Response (4hours)
Module Description
During this presentation participants will be provided with information regarding the scope of the problem of domestic prostitution/trafficking of children across the country, dynamics of child prostitution/trafficking, characteristics and profile of the victim/child prostitute, and the offender/pimp. The pathway to victimization and recruitment techniques will also be discussed. This presentation will define the High Risk Victim and demonstrate the correlation and commonalities between the chronic runaway, repeat victims of sexual abuse, and the child victimized through prostitution. Participants will receive a unique and rare look, “a first-hand, insider’s view,” of the how children are victimized through prostitution from the victim’s and the perpetrator’s, “pimp’s,” perspective.
· Scope of the problem, framing the problem locally
· Profile of a child victim of prostitution, pathway to victimization
· Profile of a pimp and the recruitment process
· Identifying/Locating
Investigative/Intervention Strategies/Techniques ‘Making the Child’s Statement Real (4 hours)
Module Description
Participants will learn how these investigations and intervention differentiate from traditional child sexual abuse investigations, how to identify investigative challenges/issues related to these cases, and overcome these challenges through non-traditional proactive investigative techniques. Investigative techniques/strategies will be given to corroborate the investigation, “Making the Child’s Statement Real.” Case example will be utilized to illustrate where mistakes were made and successful investigative techniques worked.
· Investigative Challenges/Issues
· Types of Investigations
· Changing Investigative Models/techniques
· Corroborating the Investigation
Sergeant Byron A. Fassett has been with the Dallas Police Department for 27 years. He served as Patrol Officer and a Detective before moving to the Child Exploitation Squad in 1990 where he has specialized in conducting investigations involving the sexual abuse and exploitation of children for the past 18 years. The Child Exploitation Squad which Sergeant Fassett is responsible for supervising handles approximately 1,100 cases a year, consists of 15 detectives, and is divided into 3 teams; the Investigations Team, the High Risk Victims and Trafficking Team, (HRVT) and the Internet Crimes Against Children Team (ICAC). These teams investigate; child abductions, child pornography, victimization of children through prostitution, sexual assaults of children by non-family members/strangers, Internet facilitated sexual abuse of children, and other forms of sexual abuse and exploitation of children. He has been designated as a Special Investigator for the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Texas and a Special Deputy for United States Marshall's Service.
Developing and Organizing a Major Conspiracy Investigation
Joseph Delia, Lieutenant
Maryland Heights Police Department
Learn how Joe turned an ordinary traffic stop into the federal prosecution of the “Evans Family” national prostitution ring. This was the largest juvenile prostitution ring ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Learn how the use of link analysis, chronologies, analytical charting, medical records, and the federal grand jury system proved to be invaluable tools for the US Attorney’s Office. Joe’s experience includes 22 years as a police officer with 10 years assigned to IRS and DEA task forces. He is also a supervisor with the Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad. In 2000, Joe received the NAPO “TOP COP” Award and the United States Attorney General’s Award for his work on the Evans case.