Sex Traffickers claim ownership of women by branding them with tattoos. How can you tell the difference between a tattoo that is used for possession and one used for self-expression? When comparing tattoos, here is what you can hypothetically look for:

1. Is the tattoo one of the following gang symbols or signs?
   • Crown, Diamond, Barcode, Phone Number, Dollar Sign, Money Bag, or Hearts
2. Is the tattoo accompanied by a man’s name, a (street) nickname, someone’s initials, or a number?
3. Where is the tattoo located on the body?
   • If the tattoo is hidden or in a secretive spot, then this may be a form of self-expression. Why? Because when pimps label their sex slaves, they have two goals in mind: to mark ownership and to verify that other men know whose ‘property’ belongs to who.
   • Think about this for a minute – what would be the point of hiding a tattoo in a secret spot under the clothes if the gang-member wants another pimp to always know who her boss is?
   • Is the tattoo located in an obvious spot such as the chest, wrist, leg, arm, or front or back of the neck?
4. What size is the tattoo?
   • For example, let’s say it’s a crown. How big is it on the person’s body? Is it small? Giant?
5. What color ink is the tattoo?
   • You rarely see a human trafficking victim’s tattoo marked in pastel, bright or neon colors. However, it does happen as noted in the picture for “King Pooh”.
   • If you do a Google image search on victim tattoos of sex trafficking, you’ll find that most often (but not always) the ink is a neutral-color, brown, black, gray, or green.

     

     

Reference:
Toronto Star Investigation: Ontario Canada
Ink180 Trafficking in America
Fawco: Human Rights Bulletin News
Cancer in Cytes: Rebranded by New Life
Controversial Times: Disturbing ‘Crown’ Tattoos

*Note to the Reader: These ideas and suggestions are solely the opinions of writers and bloggers of the Skeptical World website and do not confirm or guarantee information about a victim except to provide awareness into the subject. 

Do you have an opinion or would like to add something to this topic? Email Us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com 

Human trafficking occurs in Greater Lansing Michigan. Are you aware of this? Did you also know that Lansing is in the top 6 cities of the state to report the most phone calls of sex traffickers? Currently there are ‘sex rings’ going on right now in Mid-Michigan. Any child or minor can be a victim as well as college students at Michigan State University.

Just recently, a young woman was assaulted, beaten, and sexually exploited by a pimp for three days. How did she get involved in the first place? The female claimed she knew the male and they had been friends for at least a year. Then one day the man takes her to a townhouse in Ingham County at LaRoy Froh Housing on Reo Road near the corner of Jolly and Waverly. At this point, the victim is physically abused by both the pimp and his girlfriend. Then he takes photos of her body to post an ad online.  The next day she is taken to another location and forced to have sex with a random guy who saw the online ad and paid the pimp $100 cash.

Why is it important to watch the news and read about what’s going on in your city? Because you need to understand that kidnapping and modern day slavery does occur in our hometown, and sometimes it’s happening a few miles away at a nearby motel, townhome, or apartment complex.

What can you do to help if you witness suspicious activity?

If you are a safe distance away, then try to take a picture with your cell phone of the people involved and and a vehicle license plate. Capture a brief description of the men and women involved by noting their physical appearance, clothes, accessories, car make & model. Report this information and your photo to the local police by calling or emailing.

Email Us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com

Reference:
Lansing State Journal: 3 Days in ‘House of Horrors’ Held Captive
Detroit Free Press: Woman Sex-Trafficking Minors
Owosso MI Girl: Victim of Modern Slavery
The House of Promise: Refuge for Women and Safe Place to Heal

How many sex traffickers are using Instagram to recruit wealthy clients and underage youth for their illegal prostitution business? We may never know for sure. Is it possible to search for these criminals and report them? Nothing is a guarantee, but here are some ideas or suggestions that may help in finding pimps (both of whom are men and women) on Instagram and arresting them:

1. Search specific hashtags that are relevant:

• What hashtag would a rich client type in the search bar to get a ‘quick hookup’?
  • #money #dollars #booty #boobs #sexy
  • #cash #rich #luxury #gold #millions

2. Search photos of cash

• Someone in the photo might be showing off large amounts of cash or counting  their money (video)

3. Search photos of women with tattoos that are carved with the following signs:

• Crown, Diamond, Barcode, Dollar Sign $, Money Bags
• A Man’s Initials alongside any of the above symbols
• A Street Nickname in combination with any of the above symbols
• Did you know? Certain tattoos can distinguish a victim of sex trafficking

4. Search photos of luxury lifestyles:

• Gucci or Louis Vuitton bags, shopping at expensive clothing stores, fancy dinner meals, or nice cars

5. Observe the user’s profile page

1. When you click on a suspicious photo in the gallery, you can see the user’s profile page who uploaded that photo. Checkout what he wrote in his profile description as well as on his posts. Does he mention any of the following:
   • “Interested in making extra cash?”
   • “Inbox me to make easy money”
   • “DM me” or “DM for a quick hookup” or “WhatsApp Me”
   • “Confidential Services”
   • Note – Chances are, he or she will not leave a phone number. But rather they are hoping to be contacted through the Instagram messenger service.

6. Look at their Grammar in Post Descriptions and the Profile Page

1. Is it sloppy? Does it show poor usage of the English language? Everyone uses typical slang but that’s not what I’m referring to.
2. Here are a few examples:
   • “My girl bouta go shopping” or “just touchd down wit our cuts”
   • In the examples above, notice that some words are missing a letter or not spelled correctly

*Note to the Reader: These image screenshots taken from Instagram cannot be identified as actual or real human traffickers. However, it is our belief that these users and their posts have arose suspicion.

Do you have an opinion or suggestion on how to find male and female predators on social media? Email Us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com 

Did you know sex trafficking occurs in Greater Lansing and near the Michigan State University campus?

How do sex traffickers stay in business? They need wealthy clients and a place to prostitute underage youth. So where do they go? Truck stops, hotels, apartment complexes are just a few places. How do they find rich clientèle? Almost any city has an upper class ‘wealthy’ community and these are the clients. 

So how does it work? Gang members will post an ad online to try and sell these minors into prostitution on websites such as Backpage.com or Craigslist. These ads often contain graphic and provocative images of the young person’s body. They will also take advantage of social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram. For example on Instagram, the pimp may write a message in his profile page or directly on the post to indicate how he would like to be contacted usually through ‘DM’ or direct message.

Back in 2015, a 14 year old girl from Mason (Ingham County) was abducted by a 23 year old Michigan State college graduate student named Jordan Ireland. She met this man online. They were communicating through social media apps called Whisper and Kik. Her parents had no idea that she was talking to this older guy on the internet. When she got into his car, he took her to his friend’s apartment at Spartan Village across from the MSU campus, not far from the Breslin Center. This specific apartment complex is often considered ‘married housing’ and presumed to be a safe place to live. The predator took disturbing photos of her body and then posted an ad on Craigslist.com. Luckily, the victim was able to escape shortly thereafter.

How can we learn from this girl’s story? Parents, Guardians, Mom and Dad: It’s important to get educated on the topic of human trafficking in the Midwest. Why? Because it can affect your children at any given time!

Ask yourself these questions and see if you can honestly answer the following:

1. “What happens when I do not pay attention to what my child is doing online?”
2. “What phone apps did my kid download on his or her cell phone?”
3. “What social media websites am I familiar with?”
4. “What social media applications does my child use to communicate with friends?”
5. “Is my son or daughter communicating with an older adult who I don’t know? Or, have they ever been contacted by a stranger in the past?”

Talk to your kids about what they do online. You need to be aware of people in your local community because human traffickers are not just men, they are women as well and both have the manipulative desire to kidnap and sexually exploit your teenage boy or girl.

Have you witnessed criminal behavior near or around MSU? Contact the local campus police (517) 355-2221 or complete their online form.

Email Us – SkepticalWorld@gmail.com

Reference:
Detroit Free Press

Whether you grow up in Owosso, Durand, or Lansing Michigan, can you still be a target for human trafficking? Yes! One story told by a woman named Jeannie Kennedy who joined a Genesee County Job Corps in Flint Michigan when she was 22 years old. The training program placed her in Las Vegas. She explains that on the first day of her arrival, she was immediately approached by a well-dressed and friendly man. When she notices his luxurious car and the gorgeous woman seated inside, she said that she immediately felt at ease.

His personality and luxury lifestyle was one way to deceive her into joining his ‘profitable business’.

As he starts talking to her, she decides to go with him. She states, “We end up at his house where there are eight or nine other women living there and they love him and he loves them, so they think. ” Then he takes her shopping at the local mall and buys her expensive clothes, jewelry, and shoes, “spending $600”. Once he pays for the items, he informs her, “now you have to pay back.”

In her situation, she was very lucky because she had the chance to escape this dangerous life after 3 days of being sexually exploited by the pimp. She realizes how fortunate she was because she says, “The average life span of a prostitute is seven years.”

Nearby in Shiawassee County, about 33 miles away from Genesee Co., police believe at least 20 or more people are involved in sex trafficking just in this small town. So yes, you can become a victim in your local township.

Did you witness suspicious criminal activity involving abuse or unwanted threats? Contact the local authorities in your city. If you are at a safe distance away, try to capture a snapshot of the incident with your cell phone or take a photo of the vehicle license plate. This can help cops locate or identify the predator or gang member.

Would you like to share your untold story that happened in the Midwest? Email Us: SkepticalWorld@gmail.com 

Reference:
Owosso Female Shares Experience
Owosso Independent Newsgroup 

Did you know Michigan is ranked # 2 in the United States for Human Trafficking as of 2017? Do you currently live in Lansing, West Michigan, Flint, or Detroit where sex traffickers are prominent? 

Is 32 years old considered too old to abduct and sexual exploit? Apparently not, according to a news story shared by MLive.com earlier this year. In this situation, an older female in her 30’s was shopping at the mall with her friends when a man came up to them and claimed to work for a modeling agency and wanted them to come with him down a hallway. At this point, the woman immediately knew something was disturbing about this situation and therefore decided not to go along with him.

We often think that pimps only target underage youth between the ages of 12-17, but we can see that this is not always the case.

You need to be aware of your surroundings when you go on a walk, hang out at the bar with friends, or use social media. With the popularity of social apps in today’s technological society, social media is a free way for gang members and predators to communicate with teenage girls and young college students in hopes of recruiting them as slaves for prostitution.

Michigan Statistics and Fast Facts:

1. Which MI cities have reported the most phone calls of trafficking activity?  Ann Arbor, Mackinac Island, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Detroit.
2. Michigan ranks second in the country, Nevada is number one.
3. Did you know at least 2400 children are on the Internet for sale in West Michigan right now? Soliciting minors on websites such as Craigslist and social media (Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tinder).
4. Where do minors get prostituted out? At local truck stops and then sent to hotels in Ohio.
5. Do pimps and gangs ‘pick up’ victims in public places? Yes! Where at? Super Bowl parties and events such as ArtPrize and the North American International Detroit Auto and Car Show.
6. 1 in 5 children who runaway from home become involved in sex-trafficking
7. How many cases have been reported of missing kids each month? At least 1000

How do I report a child or adult who is at risk of becoming a victim? Call the Michigan Health and Human Services Department 855-444-3911, or contact the FBI Detroit Branch Office 313- 965-2323 or, email the Michigan State Police Missing Persons Clearinghouse MSP-MissingPersons@michigan.gov

Do you have a story that needs to be told about your experience here in Michigan? Email Us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com 

Reference:
MDHHS Human and Labor Trafficking
Flint News January 2017 
Northern Michigan Human Trafficking Awareness Summit
Fox 2 Detroit News
Lincoln Park Neighborhood Watch Program

How do human traffickers and pimps brand ownership of their ‘property‘? Many sex slaves are branded by their boss with tattoos on their body. These markings are usually in the form of a pimps’ initials, his name, the victim’s street name, gang member symbols, or a combination of any of these. What are some different types of gang-related signs portrayed on a victim’s body?

1. King’s Crown
2. Dollar Sign (Currency) $
3. Money Bag
4. Barcode
5. Diamond
6. Stars or Hearts

Certain tattoos can help distinguish a victim of sex trafficking. Why is it important to educate ourselves on the exploitation of modern slavery? Because next time you’re shopping in the mall, observing odd behavior in public, or scrolling through content on social media, become aware of suspicious pictures or activity posted on the Internet.  Although there is no guarantee that these specific tattoos confirm that a victim is associated with  traffickers, it does however illustrate the need for an awareness in the United States.

Have you spotted disturbing photos on social media of women marked with common gang symbols on their bodies? Report it on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter or any social media outlet where it was observed. Then take a screenshot photo and email it to local authorizes or non profit organizations who can take further action to stop these sex traffickers from solicitation. Email Us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com

Reference:
Dailymail.co.uk: Return of Slave Branding
Independent Journal Review: Crown Tattoos Forced on Females
State of Florida Department of Children and Families: Human Trafficking Screening Tool
CNN Freedom Project – YouTube Video

Further Blog Readings:
Children’s Dilated Cardiomyopathy
2 Signs that Congenital Heart Defects are found in a Pregnant Woman’s Fetus
8 Ways to Help CHD Cardiac Babies Eat, Gain Weight, and Poop

How many human traffickers use Instagram to recruit?  There may be at least two ways that sex traffickers use recruitment methods on Instagram. The first method is recruiting young girls to abuse and exploit. By this, the pimp entices underage youth to visit his profile page. How do they do this? His account will consist of photos illustrating luxury items such as handbags or shoes, fancy clothes and expensive places to shop. Clearly this illustrates someone who is very deceptive. In another specific example, an accused criminal previously used this social media application to entice girls and young female adults by showcasing photos of his lifestyle on instagram. Traffickers will also lure the minor by directly contacting him or her through messenger on Twitter or Facebook. 

The second method may be soliciting to wealthy clients who are willing to pay to sleep with these women. In this case, the gang member may post multiple photos of ‘sexy’ females (of any race) to persuade the purchaser (his clients) to buy or ‘shop’ his property.

Below is a possible example of what a human trafficker’s profile page could look like, or that created by one of his gang members. In this example, he clearly solicits these women by stating in the description, “DM for hookup”. He may be attempting to lure rich men to visit this account in hopes of getting contacted by them via DM or Direct Message.

So how can we tell if the black woman in the picture below is a victim of human trafficking and slavery? We may never know for sure, however look closely and you will notice a few tattoos on her body. Specifically a large tattoo of a king’s crown marked on her chest. From published articles across news channels, we can gather that this woman has possibly been marked by her pimp to identify the fact that he owns her.

What hashtags would a pimp use in his posts? In this example, he uses the following: #rich #money #luxury #ass #sexy #boobs.

Why are so many women on his details page dressed in military uniform? Is it possible that this pimps’ goal is to find wealthy clientèle who have a fetish for women dressed up as a soldier?

Have you found suspicious activity on someone’s Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or Twitter? Report it immediately to local authorities or nonprofit organizations by sending them an email with a screenshot picture of the profile page. Or, you may email us SkepticalWorld@gmail.com

Reference:
VentureBeat: Lure Vulnerable Teenagers into Sex Work
DailyMail.co.uk: Suspected Sex Trafficking Using Social Media to Display Luxury Lifestyle with Louis Vuitton Bags and Lobster Dinners
Forbes: Life and Times of an Accused Human Trafficker

Sex slaves are being branded by their pimp and sex trafficker. What is the purpose of this exploitation? To mark ownership and territory, who owns who. To remind other pimps which minors belong to which group of criminals. It allows gang members to control their women. A gang member marks the body of a young woman that he ‘owns’ because she is his ‘property’. In this case, branding can be in the form of tattoos as the pictures illustrate below.

These tattoos are clearly identified across the victim’s chest, face, arm, wrist, thighs or the front and back of the neck. In some cases, the tattoo marks the man’s name or gang symbol.

For example, the trafficker labeled his property (the female girl) with a tattoo entitled, “Black’s Beauty”. Another example includes a tattoo across a female’s crotch with the abbreviation “ATM”. A third example includes the bar code sign that was branded across a woman’s wrist.  By coercing victims or threatening them to get marked, the ‘bosses’ manipulate teenagers and underage youth into marking their bodies with images, words and symbols to get what they want.

Reference:
CNN News Survivors Reclaim their Lives 
CNN News Slavery Marks on Victims
DailyMail Modern Day Slave Branding 
Sex Traffickers Recruiting and Dating Minors
Sex Traffickers on Instagram

Do you have your own personal abduction story or witnessed an account of human trafficking in Michigan or in the United States? Would you like it posted as a blog on our website? Email us Now: SkepticalWorld@gmail.com

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Congenital Heart Disease and Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Newborns
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