Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

June 13, 2012 | Filed under: Americas | Posted by: Fiifi Bright

Sergeant Craig Friesen speaks with an alleged prostitute in Orange County, California.

Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

Editor’s Note: CNN Freedom Project this week is reporting from the front lines in the fight against sex trafficking – not in the poverty-stricken developing world but in affluent Orange County near Los Angeles, where prostitutes are now treated as trafficking victims rather than criminals.

By Martin Savidge

Anaheim, California (CNN) – It feels odd to be in a car sat next to a guy texting a pimp. Even more odd, he’s pretending to be a prostitute. It can all get a little strange in the digital pursuit of human traffickers.

I’m sitting in the front seat of an SUV in a part of Orange County, California only the locals see – where the hotels are not chains and have names that cops and criminals alike know well. The “prostitute” beside me is actually Sergeant Craig Friesen.

Nearby, either parked or patrolling, are four other vehicles holding the rest of his undercover team.

Earlier, we saw a pickup truck in a parking lot across the street approaching several women. The guy wasn’t having much luck – which was too bad since he was on Friesen’s crew.

Over the radio the detective relayed that after propositioning one lady she did offer a sex act – telling him he should go F$@# himself.

It’s an example of how prostitution can bring down a neighborhood, making it so a woman can’t go to the store without being harassed by some john who’s looking for sex.

He sees texts on the phone that appear to come from her pimp, and he responds as if he is the woman. Which is how I came to be seated in an SUV in Anaheim with a prostitute, um, pretend prostitute.

Since her guy thinks she’s gone off with a client, Friesen waits a while, then sends the message that the client left her at a hotel and she needs the pimp to pick her up. He gives the location as a hotel Friesen and his team have already staked out.

A reception committee of several armed officers waits inside the hotel, other spotters are nearby, and Friesen and I are parked across the street as he continuously sends messages to the pimp. “He left come get me.”

Then there’s a problem.

The pimp texts back he wants her to call him which, of course, Friesen can’t do. He quickly improvises and texts back the phone has a problem: “My phone trippin’” and she can only text.

He knows it’s a weak ploy… But what else can he do? The fingers still fly and the digital conversation goes on, but it becomes pretty clear the pimp is suspicious.

The team continues to wait, but after an hour the pimp’s a no-show and the texts stop coming. The operation is finally called off.

Months later, through phone records and surveillance, they finally turn this virtual conversation into a real arrest.

But although they think they have the man who they suspect is forcing a young woman into prostitution, the district attorney’s office doesn’t find enough evidence to make charges stick, and the man is let go.

source: CNN

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Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

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Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

Life gets strange hunting traffickers in the U.S.

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