Human trafficking is insidious and pervasive throughout the United States and
internationally. It is managed by an intricate web of predators who delight in objectifying
the vulnerable in order to satisfy their lust for sex, wealth and power. Victims are lured,
trained, and stripped of their identity and voice. They are reduced to slaves whose only
value is in how much money they produce and how well they feed the appetites of their
captors. This web is so well protected by its perpetrators that many times it takes someone
on the inside to expose it at great cost. Even when uncovered, it takes an army of
courageous people who are willing to bring these horrific injustices to an end. The damage
to each victim is diabolical and may last a lifetime. Many end up dead. These crimes must
be exposed and brought to an end.
With the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) commencing September 5th and running
through September 15th, 2024 we will begin looking at the entertainment industry and its
influence on human trafficking. During these festivals, the possibility of new victims being
lured into all forms of trafficking is heightened for many reasons. We will look from the
vantage points of both the trafficker and the potential victim. This will increase awareness
and aid in the ability to recognize and report suspected activities. Looking closely, we will
see the centrality of the entertainment industry to many other industries including
hospitality (motels and hotels), restaurants, social media, etc. The entertainment industry
caters to all walks of life but is also more intricately connected to the realms of the affluent
allowing crimes of trafficking and their predators to remain covered.
Most recently Sean Combs, formerly known as P. Diddy, came under investigation due to
allegations from both women and one man for sexual assault and trafficking dating back to
2003. Combs began his career as a talent director at Uptown Records before starting his
record label “Bad Boy Records” in 1993. He is also known for his “White Parties” which he
hosted annually for A-listers from 1998-2009.
In 2022, R. Kelly, a.k.a. “King of R&B” had accusations of sexual abuse dating back to 1990.
He was prosecuted on charges of child pornography in 2002 and was acquitted in 2008. In
2019 Kelly was finally arrested and then in 2021 and 2022 he was convicted on several
charges involving sexual abuse of children. He was given a 31 year sentence.
Jeffrey Epstein became very successful and extremely wealthy in the financial industry.
This secured connections in elite circles with politicians, artists, professional athletes and
royalty. In 2005, he was first exposed by parents of a 14 year old girl with allegations that he
sexually abused her. He was finally convicted in 2008 after making a plea deal and served
only 13 months in custody with “work release”
. Eleven years later, on July 6, 2019 he wasarrested on federal charges for sex trafficking minors. He died in his jail cell from “suicide
by hanging” after all the video cameras stopped working that day. Epstein became
disposable just like his victims when people started getting to close to the web.
The above are just a few examples of how insidious and well protected these predatory
abusers have been. That is why it is so important to continue sounding the alarm and
bringing awareness and education to our communities both here and abroad. The more we
are aware, the sooner we can detect and report these atrocities so that victims won’t have
to suffer years of being silenced and abused. It is time to dismantle the webs and bring
justice to those enslaved.
Join us in our next post where we will shine light on some of the
ways predators operate and signs/behaviours of victims who are being exploited. We will
also look at different aspects of a film festival that may be used by predators to lure
potential victims into their grasp.