Latest news with #exploitation
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
12 men arrested for soliciting a minor in Eden Prairie human trafficking sting
The Brief Twelve men were arrested in a human trafficking sting in Eden Prairie Monday. The men were arrested for attempted exploitation of a minor. The men allegedly attempted to solicit a 17-year-old girl online, who was actually an undercover officer. EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A dozen men were arrested for soliciting a minor in a human trafficking sting in Eden Prairie on Monday. What we know Eden Prairie police announced Friday that a human trafficking sting led to the arrest of 12 men for attempted exploitation of a minor. The men believed they were arranging to pay for sex with a 17-year-old girl, who was actually an undercover officer. The operation involved a multiple-agency task force that focused on trafficking and exploitation in the Interstate 494 corridor. According to police, the men ranged in age from 24-46, and were from all over the Twin Cities. Dig deeper So far, nine of the men arrested have been charged with one count each of prostitution of a minor. The men charged are: Thai Lor, 25 Ross Orren Nordean, 25 Roberto Carlos Geronimo, 24 Angel David Agustin, 27 Jose Isaias Perdomo Elias, 27 Mohammad Reza Pourmand, 45 Abdullahi Yussuf Sheikh Nur, 46 Said Rahman Amanzai, 42 Eduardo Solis-Perez, 32 According to the charges, authorities had posted a "decoy" ad online advertising sex services, and provided a phone and photos of an undercover officer. Lor contacted the number on the ad asking about availability and rates. The undercover officer responded, and told him she was younger than the ad said, saying she was 17. Lor continued to arrange to pay for sex and meet up with her, court documents state. Lor was arrested at the meet-up site, and had $380, a loaded firearm and a cell phone with him, charges say. When Nordean contacted the undercover officer attempting to solicit, he acknowledged several times that the undercover officer was 17, and it was illegal for him, the charges allege. At the meet-up location, when police closed in on Nordean, he attempted to flee in his car but crashed into a tree. Officers found $940 and a cell phone. According to the charges, when Geronimo solicited the undercover officer, she asked him "u ok with you[n]g", to which Geronimo responded "yeah". The undercover officer asked Geronimo to bring Sour Patch Kids as an early birthday present. When Geronimo was arrested at the meet-up location, officers found $6, a bag of Sour Patch Kids and a cell phone, charges said. Agustin called and texted the undercover officer asking if she was available, court documents state. The undercover officer told Agustin she was young and was "like almost 18", and asked if he was "good with that". Agustin responded, "He was OK with that and 'don't worry'". He also asked the undercover officer to Facetime and asked for a photo, the charges said. When Agustin was arrested at the meet-up location, he had $250 and a cell phone on him. The charges say when Elias was told by the undercover officer, "im [sic] almost 17," he responded with "Really, and where do you live?" Elias then arranged to meet-up with the undercover officer. He was then arrested and had $216, condoms and a cell phone with him. After Pourmand reached out to the undercover officer for sex, she told him she was only 17-years-old, to which Pourmand responded that he "liked them younger" and asked to confirm the undercover officer's birthday. She said she was born in December 2007, and Pourman responded "you almost 18" and "its okay", the charges stated. Pourman was arrested and had $503.45 and three cell phones on him. The undercover officer told Nur after he reached out that she was younger, "almost 18" and that the ad ""will be taken down if I say 17." Nur continued to arrange to meet the undercover officer, and he was arrested at a golf course in Eden Prairie, charges said. He had $250 on him and a cell phone. When the undercover officer told Amanzai she was young and 17, and said "I don't want u pissed," Amanzai said she's lying and proceeded to attempt to meet her, court documents state. He was arrested with $274 and a cell phone on him. Solis-Perez was told by the undercover officer she was 17, and asked him if he was good with that. He responded saying he was OK with that and said, "got me worry your age," court documents said. He then asked for a photo of the undercover officer and for her address. Solis-Perez didn't stop at the location but slowed by the entrance. He then drove past and turned around. Police then tried to conduct a traffic stop on Solis-Perez, who then fled police. Police had to conduct a PIT maneuver to stop Solis-Perez, who was then arrested with $200, a condom, cocaine, methamphetamine and two cell phones, charges said. The charges say that for all these men, a confirmatory text was sent by officers to the number used by the men to communicate with the undercover officer, and the texts came through on all the men's phones. What they're saying Eden Prairie police say since 2016, they have taken part in 38 sting operations, which led to 401 arrests for trafficking-related offenses. Investigators have also been able to connect with 117 victims and provide support to them. The Source A press release from Eden Prairie police, and court documents from Hennepin County.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Absolutely Haunting' crime thriller compared to The Handmaid's Tale rockets up Netflix charts - as viewers beg 'give us more like this please!'
Though it was released in Nigeria back in March, Baby Farm only became available on Netflix UK on June 20th 2025. The series follows young Adanna (Onyinye Odokoro), who falls pregnant out of wedlock. Faced by her parents' reprimanding attitude, she runs from home to find her boyfriend in Lagos, but instead, is seduced by an exploitative baby farming scheme called The Evans Foundation, masquerading as a benevolent NGO. The Evans Foundation is run by a pair of married British expatriates, who, living in Nigeria, exploit vulnerable pregnant women for profit. Adanna and her similarly imprisoned peers, including Ebun (Genoveva Umeh) and Emem (Ruby Akubeze), discover that at the heart of the Evans Foundation is a sinister operation with a hidden agenda. 'The series draws chilling parallels to real-life horrors, grounded by a powerful performance from Onyinye Odokoro as Adanna, a woman pushed to the edge, yet never backing down,' said Black Film Wire in their review. 'But it's Genoveva Umeh that left me cold. Her portrayal of Ebun isn't just haunting - it's the kind of performance that burrows under your skin and refuses to leave: layered, grounded, and absolutely haunting.' Other compared the show to dystopian hit The Handmaid's Tale, which sees women oppressed by a Christian theocracy and forced to carry babies for the rich and powerful amid a global fertility crisis. The Lagos-set series aims to highlight the reality of women trapped in exploitative baby factory institutions across the world. 'When I started to research (the script), it was very eye-opening and very horrific,' said Odokoro, in an interview with Arise. 'I believe that film has to make comments about what's happening in society. It is very important and very relevant.' This series is more than just a thriller – it's a powerful story rooted in real-life issues told through the lens of bold, cinematic African storytelling,' said the show's executive producer Mo Abudu. 'With breathtaking visuals, a gripping narrative and an outstanding cast and crew, Baby Farm will keep audiences on the edge of their seats while sparking vital conversations. We can't wait for the world to experience it.' Its popularity signals global momentum for Nollywood, as Baby Farm sparks impassioned conversation online. One fan said: 'This is giving me Handmaid's Tale and I am getting angry all over again.' Another chimed in: 'Baby Farm on Netflix gives me a Get Out vibe. 2 episodes in, and I'm unsettled. Who is the actress playing Nurse Bolade? She creeps me out.' 'Baby Farm left me absolutely impressed! The movie was fantastic! My favourite character was Ebun, I could really see how her childhood shaped her personality. 'Her goofiness was the bare minimum she classified as love, which was both heartbreaking and eye-opening,' one fan added. 'Just finished Baby Farm on Netflix! It was so good fr, yet it somehow flew under the radar,' someone else said. Its popularity signals global momentum for Nollywood, as Baby Farm sparks impassioned conversation online 'Meanwhile, some other movies with way less depth or weaker storytelling get all the hype just because they feature popular actors or because of social media buzz.' 'I just finished watching Baby Farm on Netflix. I didn't expect to, but I was gripped. Great storytelling. And Genoveva Umeh? That girl is a superstar,' one fan wrote. While another added: 'I know I'm late and that's cos Netflix finally pitied us but Baby Farm was so good! You people didn't talk about it enough.' Baby Farm is available to stream on Netflix.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Should commercial surrogacy be allowed in Australia?
A review into Australia's surrogacy laws is currently looking at whether commercial surrogacy should be allowed in Australia. Advocates say the number of couples going overseas for surrogacy arrangements has increased significantly, and allowing Australian surrogates to get paid would make it more accessible for intended parents here. But those who want to see commercial surrogacy stay banned, say allowing it would lead to exploitation.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Manitoba hotel owners charged with trafficking employees who were underpaid, threatened with deportation: RCMP
A couple who own a hotel in the rural municipality of Portage la Prairie have been charged with human trafficking following a months-long police investigation, where four employees from India reported being underpaid, forced to work 15-hour days and threatened with deportation. Jai Inder Sandhu, 62, and Satbir Sandhu, 48, were charged with trafficking in persons and receiving material benefit from trafficking, Sgt. Cathy Farrell with the Manitoba RCMP human trafficking unit said at a Thursday news conference. Jai Inder Sandhu was also charged with withholding or destroying documents and uttering threats. The investigation began on Feb. 9, when Mounties got a call about a disturbance at the hotel west of Winnipeg, where the four employees lived and worked. Two female employees later came forward to report their situation to police, and another woman and a man were later also identified as victims, according to RCMP. "Our goal from the outset was to help these victims of labour trafficking," Farrell said. "They all came to Canada in good faith believing they were going to work legally and be protected. Instead, they were threatened and forced to work for very little pay." Farrell said all four were promised fair wages, affordable living and legal work in Manitoba through federal labour market impact assessments — documents issued to employers by the federal government that allow them to hire foreign workers if they can't find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill a position. Until recently, those assessments both allowed foreign nationals to work legally in Canada and increased their chances of becoming permanent residents by adding points to their permanent residency applications. In the Portage la Prairie case, while three of the employees eventually got the assessment document, which would have legalized their work, the employer didn't meet the conditions outlined. Another of the employees never got one, RCMP said. The employees reported being paid roughly half of Manitoba's minimum hourly wage, and said they faced threats of deportation and other intimidation tactics. In one instance, one person said their identification documents were withheld from them, Farrell said. The four did "pretty much everything" at the hotel, from working the front counter and the restaurant to doing housekeeping and cleaning duties. One person was recruited through friends of family, while others got involved through word of mouth or advertisements online. All had been working at the hotel for between 10 months and a year, Farrell said. Victims urged to reach out for help Janet Campbell, president and CEO of human trafficking awareness group the Joy Smith Foundation, encouraged people to get in touch with her organization to learn more about the topic and report potential trafficking cases. "We certainly understand that reaching out for help isn't always easy. When somebody has been isolated, threatened, misled, there's a lot of fear and uncertainty that goes along with that, and what will happen to them if they speak up," Campbell said at the news conference. "I think if people understand the issue of forced labour more broadly, the community can be an incredibly powerful tool in the effort to identify these things and speak up." Dianna Bussey, executive director of correctional and justice services at the Salvation Army, said that organization is also involved in helping people exploited by traffickers, adding they've seen an increase in human trafficking cases, with the past year in particular a notable one for labour trafficking cases. The RCMP's Farrell said determining how common similar situations are is difficult, even though trafficking is an issue she described as "often hidden in plain sight." "There's a lot of apprehension … [about] coming forward to the police," she said. "It is one of the most underreported crimes that we have." Migrant workers, newcomers and vulnerable people are considered the most at-risk for labour trafficking, a form of human trafficking that involves recruiting, moving and holding victims to coerce them into working, she said. That coercion often involves force, threats, mental and emotional abuse, and manipulation, said Farrell. Industries where it often happens include construction, agriculture, manufacturing, food processing, trucking and the restaurant business, she said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Former Sask. ed assistant released on bail pending appeal of convictions for sexual crimes against teens
A former small-town Saskatchewan educational assistant convicted of sexual crimes against teen boys has been released on bail as she awaits the outcome of her appeal. Following a Regina trial in March, a jury found Stacey Duke guilty on two counts of exploitation, two counts of making sexually explicit material available to a child and two counts of luring. She received a 28-month prison sentence that was handed down earlier this month by Court of King's Bench Justice Neil Robertson, who stayed the luring charges based on a legal principle that states a person cannot be convicted of more than one offence for the same act. The two victims were once students of Vibank Regional School where Duke formerly worked as an educational assistant. They cannot be identified due to a standard publication ban. As a result, their names, specific ages and other information has been withheld. A key issue at trial was whether Duke had been in a position of trust or authority over the boys at the time of the offences, all of which were found to have occurred in the fall of 2022. Each charge required the Crown to prove Duke was in a position of trust or authority over the related victim at the time of the alleged offence. Very shortly after she was sentenced, Duke filed an appeal, suggesting Robertson made errors in the handling of her case. Along with that, she filed a notice of application for bail, stating her intention to seek release while her appeal is pending. According to a document obtained by the Regina Leader-Post, the Crown consented to Duke's release on conditions, after which the Court of Appeal issued an order for her release dated June 13. Duke is subject to a series of conditions that she must abide by while on release. They include: keeping the peace and being of good behaviour; attending court when required; notifying the court of any change in address; having no contact with a number of people associated with the case; and not mentioning the case, witnesses, or appeal on social media. Duke is to have no contact 'electronically' with anyone under age 17, except for immediate family members. Her conditions also include some aimed at stopping her from consuming alcohol or drugs not prescribed to her. At trial, Duke testified that she suffered from a drinking problem as well as depression and anxiety at the relevant time. She must also file appeal paperwork on time, not leave the province, and surrender into custody should the outcome of her appeal dictate she must serve time. bharder@ Former Sask. educational assistant gets 28-month sentence for sex crimes against teens Stacey Duke appeals conviction of sexual crimes against teens, seeks bail The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
