Although prosecutions in the U.S. for human trafficking are few and far between, those who are convicted are receiving severe sentences.

Case in point: the 24-year sentence given to an illegal Mexican alien who trafficked two teenagers into the U.S. to work as prostitutes in California migrant camps, according to news accounts.

All the elements of the classic trafficking situation — fraud, coercion and vulnerability — were present in a case involving Adrian Zitlalpopoca-Hernandez, 33, who was prosecuted for 10 counts of sex trafficking by force and harboring illegal aliens.

Zitlalpopoca’s case ranks possibly in the top five of “serious” and “callous” criminal behavior that U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said he’s seen in his 13 years on the bench.

Benitez told the defendant that he preyed upon the emotions of the 17- and 18-year-old illegal immigrants, promising them a better life than they had in Mexico. “You promised them marriage. You promised them love,” the judge told the defendant. “You were their entire world. I can’t believe that anybody could really do this.”

In addition to the 292-month sentence, Benitez ordered Zitlalpopoca to repay the victims $1.4 million to cover what they could have earned had they not been forced into prostitution and cover therapy and other necessities. Once his prison term is completed, Zitlalpopoca faces deportation back to Mexico.

While it is uncertain whether severe sentences like the one Zitlalpopoca received actually deter others from trafficking, there is one undeniable benefit from such convictions: the news media perks up and pays attention, which helps raise awareness of the ugly presence of modern-day slavery.

Tags: Human Trafficking, sex slavery, Sex Trade, sex trafficking

Posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 9:20 am in News, Slavery Today.
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