They aren't, they have been arrested for prostitution. I think one fled if I remember correctly. There have been zero human trafficking charges.
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"Everyone" may be a little bit of an overstatement, but not much. The procedure is usually to plead not guilty at the outset. You go through your motions to quash, your discovery and see what the weaknesses of the case might be. Then the prosecution might make an offer and the defendant might take it. As a general rule defendant does not roll over and play dead the instant he is charged, especially a defendant who can afford a good lawyer.
Point being you go through discovery and motions to suppress before you enter a guilty plea.
Th is not exacrly on point, but as an example, Houston police recently conducted a "drug raid" killed two people and got a lot of police shot. The investigation is showing the alleged drug dealers had pot in quantities indicating personal use, and no coal tar heroin, as alleged in the warrant, to be found. AND, now the supposed informant can not be found either. The search warrant was probably based on a lie, and at least one officer has been charged.
My theory is most "human trafficking" is a ploy to enhance budgets. If you can find a victim, it makes it easier to persuade whoever sets your budget to give you more money to save the victim. So the city council gives the police more money to "combat human trafficking", in effecting becoming a governmental Captain Save A Ho
So is the human trafficking a way to enhance budgets but also is it harder to prove trafficking since the women are adults and challenging to prove they were coerced (coreced with physical objects of violence like guns, shackles vs emotional coercion like manipulation)? Since adults should be capable of making decisions on their own free will?
Or maybe as some posters have mentioned the ladies had their massage licenses indicating they had ability to work legally but chose to venture into the illicit side of the business?
I think the police are probably chagrined this billionaire got caught in their trap. This is probably way more publicity than they wanted. They probably thought they could arrest some people getting cheap blow jobs, who would plead guilty because it is easier and cheaper than defending the case, and at the end of the year include the numbers with the other arrests, convictions and hoes saved.
It's not about money because clearly money is not an issue with him or other wealthy men. They could visit the Bunny Ranch where it's safe and legal but that's not what they want. They want the wrongness, taboo thrill because that's what gets them off/high.
I've known lots of cops and ex cops in my lifetime. They think it's hilarious (IMO) & probably akin to rolling up to a sting and finding the Easter bunny having sex with teen prostitute. Unbelievable, but it happened. Honestly after the rise of the Internet and 9/11 our definitions of what is possible in life have changed a lot (in the Westernized world.)
It looks like there was one person charged with human trafficking and multiple people were charged with racketeering, including prostitution-related crimes. This article has a list of everyone charged with crimes related to the Asian spas.
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/cr...ng/3173374002/
So there were 12 workers arrested and 250 customers arrested, including Kraft and a former CEO of citibank (!!)
Arrested is different from charged but the articles say "most" have been charged
The thing that really annoys me is that the Department of Homeland Security was created after 9/11, and we all thought it was to prevent another attack on our country by terrorists. Please tell me how any of these raids threaten US security?!
PS: their budget: 40.6 billion USD (2017)
Another odd thing - The above link showing the mug shots - Everyone was given a black cape / drape covering from the neck down. Reminded me of the drape used in 1060's yearbook photos that all the women wore... Everyone except pic 105 - the former cop. For him they found a pic wearing his badge.
I've been watching the comments section of the Boston Globe, there are a couple 'former trafficking victims' that are relentlessly citing studies that say "There can be no consent for paid sex work", that "no one would do it given the choice", "it is part of 'rape culture'", ... and... "That legalizing causes more trafficking because there would not be enough women to work to satisfy the demand".
I happen to think many, many women would be happy to work for $200 per hour, on their own schedule, giving massages with happy endings. (I happen to know a few, independents, not working in a studio, so setting their own rules and boundaries.) Many have moved on with other business ventures, happy to have left before this SESTA / FOSTA environment.
(Again I do not know the specific situation of the FL spas and what cut the actual women doing the work got, but the enemies to legalizing paint the whole industry with a broad brush, assuming all SW must be coerced, therefore not allowing an honest conversation.)
The Boston Globe commentators are there to read from the party line script, and we see how "mission creep" and "human trafficking" are expanding jurisdiction and budgets. There is nothing unique about this - it is the way bureaucracy works.
I am going to guess the news headlines of a billionaire in a Bentley trolling for sex in the hood is more salacious then some retired banking dude
Sole practitioners and their lower volume would be less noticeable. When business volume increases people begin to notice. People violate ordinances and/or deed restrictions running businesses from their homes because they don't have employees, customers and deliveries coming and going.
There's the whole sports angle, to New England Fans, it's the sports world conjuring up another 'gate' - VideoGate, deflateGate, now SpaGate. Perfect trifecta actually - the first ensnarled the coach, the QB in the second one, now the owner. I have to assume most of the PD and prosecutors favor the local Miami team, so are getting a good chuckle, let alone getting to watch their 'evidence videos'.
.....truly sorry ......that he got caught
He would have kept trolling hood spas otherwise.
He should donate some money to a women’s charity if he really respects women
I don’t know why but I have a hard time believing they make the full $200 per hour cause they have to payout a certain amount in fees and business expenses and are clients really coming in every hour / half hour?
Nah, that seems like for individual providers.
They are paying some kind of house fee, + they always figure out how to tack on extra payouts.