As quoted in this article, there have only been two successful prosecutions under that Florida State Human Trafficking law. Both were prosecuted in Orlando this past summer. The Florida State Human Trafficking law was passed in 2004 and was amended in 2005. I know that there have been a handful of cases that have been brought to the state level but most of these cases have been dismissed. One case that received a lot of attention was found in Pinellas County. It is known as the “Treasure Island” case. However the first trial did not go very well and the “transporter” of this case was found not guilty.
At this time it is important that our state judges and prosecutors receive training on human trafficking and it complexities. Human Trafficking cases are not easy cases to investigate or prosecute, especially labor trafficking and domestic servitude cases. This is why most of the cases reported on are sex trafficking cases. Most state judges and attorneys are not familiar with human trafficking and may not comprehend the crime. It is important that we urge our state officials to receive training on human trafficking. Once they receive the proper training, than hopefully we will be able to see more prosecutions under the state law.
On another note, Congratulations to law enforcement and the state attorneys office in Orange county, as they have made history in the area of human trafficking. They have accomplished something that other agencies in Florida have attempted but not accomplished. Keep up the good work!!
FloriDUH
Woman accused of prostituting daughter will not face human trafficking charges
By Barbara Hijek November 26, 2010 06:55
Prosecutors on Tuesday declined to pursue human trafficking charges against Noemi Ramos, 40. She was accused in October of forcing her daughters to buy drugs and, in the case of one child, forcing her to prostitute herself. But Ramos will face four counts of aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony punishable by a maximum 30-year sentence in jail and a $10,000 fine, reports the Naples Daily News.
At the time of her arrest, one Colllier County detective described the case as one of enslavement.
Fort Myers detectives claimed the Fort Myers woman regularly beat her four children and forced them to buy pills from drug dealers. One of the girls was continually put in the presence of older men and encouraged to have sex with them for money, according to an arrest affidavit.
Florida has seen only two prosecutions under its 2004 human trafficking law, both of them in Orlando in 2010, Giselle Rodriguez of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, told the Naples Daily News.
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