Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/97768
hiding in plain sight of sex trafficking of women and children on a global scale, and provides resources for those who are rescued. National Enforcement Efforts In June 2012, the sixth deployment of "Operation Cross Country" conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement agencies liberated 79 child victims of sex trafficking and arrested more than 100 traffickers. Pre-sweep preparation involved researching online advertisements for sexual services, including those under the guise of massage therapy. Since its inception, this operation has resulted in 1,107 convictions of traffickers.9 Iowa Publishes Photos In April 2012, 17 people were arrested in a sex trafficking sting in Coralville, Iowa, including 78 massage & bodywork a dentist, an associate professor at the University of Iowa, and an anesthesiologist. All were pictured in the newspaper, along with their names and places of employment. Some of these individuals are married, have children, and were considered pillars of the community. Chicago Takes Two Steps Forward After Three Steps Back In April 2012, Datqunn Sawyer was sentenced to 50 years in prison for trafficking several girls over a number of years, including a 12-year-old child. The case set a precedent as the harshest penalty on record for trafficking in Chicago, and was applauded by the antitrafficking community and the general population. Unfortunately for massage therapists and their clients, confusion still abounds in the Windy City. In 2010, despite strong opposition from Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), and the national chain Massage Envy, an ordinance was passed (with a vote of 30 to 8) to restrict new applicants for massage establishment licenses to heavy commercial and industrial areas of the city—those typically zoned for used-car lots and warehouses. This measure was intended to prohibit illicit activity in residential areas (and apparently to allow it in others), but clearly missed its target, instead perpetuating confusion about the massage industry and putting undue hardship on legitimate businesses and their customers. january/february 2013