In your experience with human trafficking in Hampton Roads, how would you describe
interactions with victims of human trafficking gone?
2. In my research on this topic, the federal law that continued to be referenced was the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Are there other key federal laws and/or regulations I
should research that drive the FBI’s policy of human trafficking?
How impactful is it to a victim of sex trafficking that there exists the possibility of prosecution for prostitution?
3. What impacts does the possibility of prosecution for prostitution have on the victims of
sex trafficking? (How do you view John Doe laws?)
4. Are there ways that the federal government seeks to transition victims of sex trafficking
back into regular life?
5. I know that recently the federal government has begun to stop websites such as
Craigslist from being used as an avenue for sex trafficking to occur. Have you seen traffickers
begin to modify their behavior and/or change their methods as a result of this?
6. In my research, I came across different types of coercion that traffickers use; economic,
chemical, psychological, and violence. What are the future effects that chemical coercion, or
the forced usage of drugs, have on a victim?
7. One of the concerns that people have about Bitcoin is how the cryptocurrency is
untraceable, so it is particularly desirable to criminals. Have you seen instances in which
cryptocurrencies has been used as a payment method to facilitate sex trafficking?
8. What areas in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking do you believe that
state and local law enforcement can make improvements upon?
9. Are the primary perpetrators of sex trafficking in our local areas gang-related or
individuals?
10. In my research, I came across a paper written by Northeastern University and the Urban
Institute Policy Center that spoke of compartmentalization between local and federal officials
when it comes to sex trafficking. It says
“Local law enforcement officials expressed concern about referring cases federally since
federal prosecutors often took too long to make a decision about whether or not to
accept the case for prosecution resulting in “good” cases being dropped. Federal
prosecutors also specified that even when cases meet a federal threshold, they might
decide to reject cases based on errors that have occurred in earlier stages of the
investigation. Because a majority of human trafficking cases are identified and initially
investigated by local law enforcement, federal prosecutors receive these cases from
local law enforcement agencies as opposed to federal law enforcement agencies.” (Farrell,
McDevitt, Pfeffer, Fahy, Owens, Dank, & Adams, 2012)
Do you believe that this characterization is accurate? Commented [1]: Maybe you type out the card on a
separate sheet (with citation), so he can read it
11. I have read that in many areas of law enforcement, the method of procedure is highly
scrutinized in court. Does that hold the same when it comes to human trafficking, and if so what
particular areas of typical methods of procedure are scrutinized the most?
12. I read about how the FBI gives jurisdiction over human trafficking cases to both your
Civil Rights Program and the Violent Crimes Against Children program. How closely do you
interact with that program, and how much overlap is there when it comes to particular cases?