Global human trafficking news roundup ( March 5, 2010)

NORTH AMERICA

Maryland: The authority may be censoring certain dating websites in an effort to combat human trafficking in the near future. A new proposed bill will require criminal and marital background checks  on those wanting to view profiles and engage in online dating. 

Alabama:  Though incidents of human trafficking in the state continues to rise, Alabama currently has no legislation to fight against the crime. Therefore the Senate urgently created a bill and proposed it in the Statehouse. 

Texas: A man was arrested for trafficking 13 illegal migrants from Mexico. He confessed that he was going to get paid 100-200 dollars from each person for transporting them. 

Florida: Authorities encourage the community participation in rescuing human trafficking victims. A 15 year old trafficking victim from Guatemala was rescued by a woman who built a friendship with her over a year. She called the police after suspecting that the girl is being exploited by her traffickers. 

New York: Sex trafficking is growing issue in Queens according to the authority. The district attorney says that the rate of conviction in Queens was 81.7%, which exceeded that of the city. 

Georgia:  A new bill's effectiveness to deter human trafficking and regulate massage parlor is questioned. According to the report, approximately a half of the massage parlors in the state is illegally operating in the state. The report also states that though the bill is necessary, it is not enough to regulate massage parlors and prostitution in the state. 

Wisconsin:  A man was sentenced to spend decades in prison for trafficking teenagers. He used his son to recruit teenage girls for sexual exploitation. He took nude photos of the victims and posted on Craigslist. 

Connecticut: A couple was indicted on child trafficking charges. They allegedly recruited two 14 years old girls and prostituted them at a local hotel in July 2009. 

ASIA

India: Number of missing children continues to rise in Delhi. While 17 children were missing on a daily basis in 2008, none of them were found. Authorities have yet to found out the causes behind missing children, but advocates suspect that the children are trafficked by the human trafficking ring. 

China: China puts 23 suspects on trial regarding infant trafficking case. The authority suspects that they trafficked approximately 50 babies, which is one of the biggest child trafficking cases in the country. China daily reported that the traffickers bought the baby boys for 2000 -3000 dollars in Southern China and sold them  for $5800 in Northern region. 

Nepal: U.S. warns against adoption from Nepal. The investigators states that the adoption documents are often falsified as the children are kidnapped and illegally adopted without their biological parents' consent. 

AFRICA

South Africa: The authority estimates that 40,000 prostitutes will arrive before the World Cup in June. He added that many of them were likely to have been recruited from Eastern Europe. Also, the concern over school children trafficked for sexual exploitation is rising the country as the holidays for school will be extended.