Wellspring Living Brings hope to abuse victimsMarch 17, 2010

The Fayette Examiner's Maggie Worth sits down with Wellspring Living's Jenn McEwen to find out more about Wellspring Living. The article describes the problem of sex trafficking in Metro Atlanta and tells what Wellspring Living is doing to help the victims of this problem. It also highlights the Wellspring for Women program, the Wellspring Living Stores, and how volunteers can get involved.

Click to read more by The Fayette Examiner

Man arrested on sex trafficking chargesMarch 11, 2010

Kristi Swartz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Federal agents arrested a man who is accused of trafficking two children.

Click to read more by The AJC

Senate bill to protect young prostitutes gains momentumFebruary 1, 2010

Ernie Suggs reports on AJC.com that over 500 people "stormed the state Capitol" supporting a bill that would protect young girls forced into prostitution.

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Lawmaker Seeks to Set Age for ProstitutionFebruary 1, 2010

Fox 5's Darryl Carver reports that hundreds of child advocates joined with state lawmaker Renee Unterman to lobby on behalf of victims of human trafficking throughout the state at Georgia's State Capitol in Atlanta.

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A former Wellspring graduate shares her story with CNN's Sean CallebsDecember 1, 2009

CNN's Sean Callebs reports that many young Americans, often drug addicts and runaways, are modern day slaves in the sex trade. He speaks with Melissa, a graduate of Wellspring Living, about her experiences.

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Child Traffickers Target Runaways, "Throwaways" November 20, 2009

CNN.com reports on the recent trafficking case that grabbed the attention of the nation as a 5-year-old, Shaniya Davis, was sold into prostitution by her mother and later killed. CNN talks to Polaris Project founder Mark Lagon, who describes trafficking and says that government should "toughen its punishments for child trafficking."

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52 Children recovered, 60 alleged child pimps arrested in crackdown October 7, 2009

CNN reports on a large operation that took place over three days in which the FBI worked with state and local officials to make 690 arrests in 36 cities and 30 FBI divisions nationwide.

FBI: "Child prostitution continues to be a significant problem in our country."

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Georgia Reaches Out to Girls Lost in 'the Life' October 7, 2009

Women's eNews reports on Georgia's organizations that work with prostituted girls and teens. Working with prostituted girls can be very difficult.

Wellspring Living's Passion for Justice on WSB-TV September 30, 2009

Here in Georgia more young girls between the ages of 11 and 17 are affected by forced prostitution in one month than are killed by car accidents in one year. Wellspring Living offers a safe place for women and girls who are survivors of this trauma. But the nonprofit can't do it alone and its organizers are hoping through the art of dance, others will develop a passion for justice. Passion for Justice, a dance performance that tells the story of a trafficked girl who find redemption will be performed on October 4 at 6:30 pm at Perimeter Church in Duluth.

Man gets 30 years for pimping teen runaway August 6, 2009

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that an Atlanta man who pimped out a 14-year-old runawa y he met on Metropolitan Avenue pleaded guilty Thursday morning and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Ballard met the 14-year-old girl in 2005 and she moved in with him. He had sex with her, beat and pistol-whipped her. Eventually he began to prostitute her, sending her out to Metropolitan Avenue to solicit men. The victim’s mother spotted her on the street in 2006 and called police. Ballard was soon arrested.

Christian Index reports: Atlanta: a center of sexual exploitation July 30, 2009

Mary Frances Bowley, president of Wellspring Living, explained Atlanta's prominence in less-than-stellar categories. Georgia's capital has more strip clubs than Las Vegas, she said, and is among the top three cities in the country for child prostitution.

Fox 5 News Reports FBI, Atlanta Fight Child Prostitution July 22, 2009

For years, Atlanta has been called a hub for child prostitution. Now, the FBI has teamed up with local law enforcement to help stop the victimization of young girls. Wellspring Living, which runs a home to help adults, recently opened a home just for children rescued from the street. The girls in the home perform chores, cook meals and work on school work. The home's executive director Mary Frances Bowley said the girls learn what it is like to have a healthy, family-like relationship.

Sexual Abuse of Girls Must Stop Now July 2, 2009

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that in 2005 the mayor of Atlanta issued a report on the appallingly high number of girls under age 18 who are caught up in commercial sex trafficking in Atlanta. Despite aggressive FBI action to target prostitution and pimps rings, an estimated 300 girls are still forced into commercial sex transactions each month in our state, more than twice the number who are killed in auto accidents in a year.

Atlanta Man Convicted of "pimping" His First Cousin June 18, 2009

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on a Fulton County jury convicted a 26-year-old Atlanta man Thursday of transporting his 16- year-old first cousin to Metropolitan Parkway for prostitution.

Police Arrest Father and Son for Trafficking Women June 12, 2009

A father and son have been accused of trafficking women as sex slaves. Officers arrested Charles and Timothy Lee Thursday morning at the Red Roof Inn on Sidco Drive. Turns out that one of the women asked motel managers to call police.

Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 - US Department of State 2008 Report

"We are pleased that in the seven years since the creation of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, the United States and our friends and allies have made important strides in confronting the reality that human beings continue to be bought and sold in the twenty-first century. It has been gratifying to witness the determined governments, human rights and women's groups, faith-based organizations, and many brave individuals who are dedicated to advancing human dignity worldwide. Trafficking and exploitation plague all nations, and no country, even ours, is immune."

--Secretary Rice, June 4, 2008

Federal Bureau of Investigation - Human Trafficking

You can report trafficking crimes and get help by calling the Department of Justice Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line at 1-888-428-7581.

Three People Charged with Human Trafficking June 4, 2009

Three people are behind bars for smuggling an underage teenager from Mexico into the United States and forcing her into prostitution in Houston.

Craigslist Gets Ride of 'Erotic Services' Ads May 13, 2009

Craigslist will pull its controversial 'erotic services' section, called a front for prostitution by critics, following the arrest of a Boston medical student charged with murdering a masseuse he allegedly met on the classified ad site.

New York Times Article: Girls on Our Streets May 6, 2009

Jasmine Caldwell was 14 and selling sex on the streets when an opportunity arose to escape her pimp: an undercover policeman picked her up. The cop could have rescued her from the pimp, who ran a string of 13 girls and took every cent they earned. If the cop had taken Jasmine to a shelter, she could have resumed her education and tried to put her life back in order. Instead, the policeman showed her his handcuffs and threatened to send her to prison. Terrified, she cried and pleaded not to be jailed. Then, she said, he offered to release her in exchange for sex.

Governor Purdue signs Senate Bill 69 May 5, 2009

Senate Bill 69 expands mandatory child abuse reporting, including suspected instances of prostituted children. Having sex, knowingly or unknowingly, with an underage prostitute is child abuse, and legislation signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue today ensures mandatory child abuse reporters must report victims of sexual exploitation in all cases – not just those instances where a "parent or caretaker" is suspected.

2 People in Atlanta Use Craigslist to Traffic a Minor April 16, 2009

The Department of Justice indicts a man and a woman in Atlanta for the sex trafficking of a minor. United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the indictment, “The use of internet websites like ‘Craigslist’ to facilitate the sexual exploitation of minors is a growing problem. Fortunately, the efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies in this case have freed one young woman from the emotional, psychological and physical harm caused by sex trafficking.”

CNN Covers White Rose Campaign March 09, 2009

CNN's Don Lemon reports on Atlanta's effort to keep women and children from becoming victims of sexual exploitation. Wellspring Living partnered with other advocates for child victims of exploitation to ask the lawmakers at the Georgia State Capitol to pass Senate Bill 91, a piece of legislation that provides for the recovery of child victims through a surcharge on adult entertainment.

Fox News Report February 23, 2009

FBI, Police Rescue Child Prostitutes Around U.S The FBI has rescued more than 45 suspected teenage prostitutes, some as young as 13, in a nationwide sweep to remove kids from the illegal sex trade and punish their accused pimps.

Bills Opposing Commercial Sexual Exploitation February 2009

It's time to hold the adult entertainment industry accountable for the secondary effects their profiteering has on the community. Hidden in Plain View, a 2005 report by the Atlanta Women’s Agenda found a spatial relationship between adult strip clubs and the prostitution of children.

Portrait of Exploitation 2007

Kathleen Mitchell still wonders what happened to Carrie. Carrie (not her real name) was only 18 years old when she appeared at the shelter where Mitchell worked. Her two children, fathered by the pimp who had put her on the street when she was only 12, had been taken by the pimp's sister. While other girls her age were attending their senior proms and planning for college, Carrie was just trying to survive.

Hidden in Plain View Study September 2005

The prostitution of children is usually throught of as a third world problem, along with bad water and endemic diseases, but this adomination takes place all over the United States. In 2001, a groundbreaking study Estes & Weiner revealed that between 200,000 abd 300,000 children are believed to be at-risk for sexual exploitation in the United States. The sexual exploitation in the United States. The sexual exploitation of children has become the third-largest moneymaker for organized crime, right behind uns and drugs. Atlanta is not exempt; in fact, it has been identified as a hub for this appalling trade.