Prostitution Ad Ban Creeps Forward, Threatening Social Media and Sex Workers

A measure making prostitution advertising a federal crime passed the House Judiciary Committee this morning.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"This legislation is about more than just Backpage.com," said bill sponsor Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri), promising that the changes would "wreak havoc" on "hundreds of websites."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) crowed that the bill "empowers prosecutors with new tools" to hold human traffickers accountable.

But Goodlatte is lying—nothing in the bill addresses penalties for actual human traffickers. Instead, it would allow the government to treat websites and social apps as if they are human traffickers if bad actors should communicate through their digital platforms and tools. (For more about how this would work, see my post from yesterday.) The bill would also make posting or hosting prostitution ads a federal crime.

If H.R. 1865 becomes law, the FBI would be able to prosecute Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Craigslist, and myriad other sites where sex workers advertise and/or communicate with clients—even if the sexual exchange is only alluded to and never completed.*

Goodlatte said that in crafting the legislation, he "consulted with local prosecutors, and also with the Department of Justice." Notably, he does not mention consulting with any sex workers, tech companies, sex-trafficking victims, or any groups that work directly with sex-trafficking victims.

If he did, he might learn that digital advertising has revolutionized the sex trade, making it much more possible for women to work without the aid of abusive or controlling pimps; to screen clients before seeing them; and to generally take more control over their bodies, businesses, and personal safety. Meanwhile, it's also been hugely useful to law enforcement and families for finding victims of exploitation (something that would be all but impossible if street-based sex work were the only option or if traffickers start turning to the dark web.)

But in the delusional minds of folks like Goodlatte and Wagner, everyone engaged in sex work will simply stop if there are no web-ad platforms and all the sex traffickers will simply let their victims go. (Drugs went away when we made those illegal, too, right?) So their goal is to eradicate any web platforms where sex buyers might communicate with sex sellers.

After all, catching actual evildoers is too hard. "Advertisements rarely, if ever, will say the person advertised is a 'victim of sex trafficking,'" Goodlatte lamented. Easier for authorities to stop distinguishing between forced or underage prostitution and sex that free adults consent to have.

Read whole article here

Oakland Premier of Tales of the Grim Sleeper

Showing Wednesday, March 18, 2015 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Omni Commons
4799 Shattuck Ave.
Oakland, California 94609



Acclaimed new film documents the investigation of a notorious serial killer who terrorized South Central LA for over 25 years, targeting Black women. The film is a devastating expose of the lack of police effort in finding and stopping the killer, and the efforts of the Black Coalition Fighting Back Serial Murders to get accountability in the criminal neglect of law enforcement.The Black Coalition’s theme since the mid 1980s was Black Women’s Lives Count, reminiscent of today’s #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The film also shows the vulnerability to violence of sex workers as easy prey due to their illegality. The police referred to these murders as NHI - no humans involved. The film was short-listed for an Academy Award.Trailer:

Called By US PROStitutes Collective

Co-Sponsors: All of Us or None; Global Women's Strike; In Defense of Prostitute Women's Safety Project; Erotic Service Providers Union; Legal Action for Women; Queer Strike; Sin Barras.

Former dominatrix to receive civil liberties award

The former dominatrix who overturned Canada’s prostitution laws will receive the second annual Ontario Civil Liberties Award in Ottawa next month.
Terri-Jean Bedford, who operated a bondage dungeon in Thornhill, Ont., until it was shut down by police in 1994, challenged Canada’s prostitution laws in court, leading to last year’s landmark Supreme Court decision finding the laws were unconstitutional.
“It’s an outstanding example of what the Ontario Civil Liberties Association stands for,” said Joseph Hickey, executive director of the organization, in an interview Monday morning.
“I want to be remembered for standing against secret rules” said Bedford in a news release. “My motto is that I’ll fight for my rights whether you like it or not.”
Bedford last made headlines when she appeared at a Senate committee hearing in September, in her trademark leather.

Bedford was ejected from the hearing after she threatened to name politicians who employ sex workers.
“If this law passes I’m going to make you guys forget about Mike Duffy, because I’ve got more information and more proof on politicians in this country than you can shake a stick at, I promise,” she said, smacking the table with her riding crop.
Bedford and her supporters are threatening to name names in protest against the government’s bill C-36, which will ban the purchase of sex.
The government introduced the law after Bedford’s successful court challenge. The court gave the government a year to come up with a new law.
Bedford and sex workers argue that the new law will pose the same risk to their safety as the old law, since prostitution will remain illegal, preventing sex workers from taking steps to work safely.
The bill’s supporters argue that the law will help sex workers leave the industry by cracking down on clients and pimps.
The law passed third reading in the House of Commons earlier this month. It is now headed for final hearings in the Senate.
Three weeks ago, Bedford sent a letter to sex workers’ advocacy groups across Canada seeking their input on a plan to publicly “out” politicians who employ sex workers.
smaher@postmedia.com

Slactivism at it's Best!

(Original post by Amy on ProvidingSupport.com)

We all shop at Amazon...don't try to deny it! And anyone who has made a purchase recently knows they are doing this wonderful charitable match thing now where you can select a charity to receive .5% of your total purchases as a donation from Amazon every quarter. Well, Sex Workers Outreach Project has just become one of those charities! If you don't know SWOP, check out www.swopusa.org or http://swopbay.org/ . Our local chapter has worked hard to help everyone affected by the MyRedBook closure, speaks out against shaming and john schools, and continues to do street-based outreach programs to help the least fortunate of us. If you would like to have your .5% go towards an organization that actively helps YOU and your community, you can follow these simple instructions!

1.) You (or someone else) buys something on amazon using http://smile.amazon.com or the following link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/26-2264638

2.) They indicate they want to donate to Sex Workers Outreach Project.

3.) SWOP-National gets .5% of all donations at the end of each quarter!

It's pretty easy, and costs you nothing! Slactivism at it's Best!

~A

Feds Successfully End All Sex Crimes with the Seizure of MyRedbook

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

More thoughts about the “take down’ of MyRedbook.

I was doing some more research into the latest news on the MyRedbook ordeal, and I came across this comment in a reddit thread. User name ‘nacho-bitch’ had this to say,

‘So my friend Annmarie is one of the defendants (I got to pick her up from federal court the other day since the FBI was just going to leave her stranded in San Francisco). She is a contract employee (has a 1099 so it's all legal) that does all the moderation for the site. Her whole job was basically to make sure that there was no child porn. So yeah, she is now on house arrest and her child is in CPS because she spent her day keeping child abuse off that site.”

Well how to you like that? Yet another example of cruel irony. This was all done under the guise of keeping children safe. Yet, kids are five times more likely to die from physical abuse and eleven times more likely to be sexually abused under state run “child protection” care.

My heart just goes out to her. Although I don’t know her personally, she was always very nice to me in chat and came across a sincere person. I wish I knew how to get in touch with her so I could find out exactly what we can do to help her during her time of need. I’m sure that she must be in need of funds for her legal defense, as well as general living expenses. I don’t know what kind of money she was making working for Red, but I’m sure that if she was able to save up anything substantial, the Feds most likely seized it.
There has to be some way we could start a fundraiser for her. I’ve done a few in the past for friends of mine that turned out to be very successful. MRB had a huge following, I’m sure that if everyone who ever appreciated MyRedbook and is now devastated that it’s gone, managed to chip in, even just a small amount, it would make a huge impact on her situation.

ATTENTION #MyRedbook FAMILY

The Irony of the Seizure of MyRedbook happening so close to "Independence day"

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

MyRedBook.com Seized by the Feds

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

California fire chief arrested in stabbing death

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A former California fire battalion chief who eluded authorities for more than two weeks has been arrested in the stabbing death of his girlfriend, Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Lisa Bowman said in a statement Friday.
She could not immediately provide additional information on the arrest of Orville "Moe" Fleming.

Fleming had been wanted since the body of 26-year-old Sarah June Douglas was found May 1 inside the south Sacramento home they had shared for the past two years.

Authorities say Fleming, 55, had considerable outdoor skills, was familiar with California's mountains because of his career as a wildland firefighter, and had keys to state fire facilities throughout the state.

He was fired from his job as a battalion chief and instructor with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection after failing to show up at work for a week after the slaying.

"We are pleased that this search is over and the Sheriff's Office has apprehended Mr. Fleming," said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "We will continue to support the sheriff and the district attorney in any way we can as the judicial process continues."

Investigators previously said Fleming moved in with Douglas after meeting her as an escort who advertised on the Internet.

Fleming filed for divorce from his wife in Fresno County Superior Court in October, according to online records, but the case has not been finalized.

Fleming's estranged wife, Meagan Fleming, had sought a protective order against Douglas last fall, alleging Douglas was harassing her and her adult children in an attempt to get money from Orville Fleming. The request was denied a day later without being considered, when a judge said Meagan Fleming had not properly filled out the required form.

There was no answer at the telephone number listed for Meagan Fleming's home on Friday, and she did not immediately respond to an email.

Orville Fleming vanished after he abandoned his official California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pickup in a Sacramento suburb before sheriff's investigators learned of Douglas' death.

Investigators received hundreds of tips, including unsubstantiated sightings as distant as Oregon and Los Angeles.

Cal Fire Chief Wanted for Homicide of stacy_love_diamond

SACRAMENTO, Calif. A Cal Fire battalion chief wanted on suspicion of killing his fiancee in South Sacramento is on the lam and is known to frequent the Santa Cruz mountains and the Yosemite Valley, authorities said.

Detectives suspect Orville "Moe" Fleming murdered 26-year-old Sarah Jane Douglas at their home on May 1.

Fleming and his fiancee met through an online dating and escort service website called myRedbook.com.

On Wednesday, sheriff's deputies said they suspect Fleming received help from an escort he also met on myRedBook after the homicide to escape from the South Sacramento area. The chief's Cal Fire truck was found abandoned in Elk Grove, Calif.

Fleming, 55, was a 24-year veteran of Cal Fire. He likely still has keys in his possession to fire gates, trails and Cal Fire facilities throughout the state, investigators said.

Officials said Fleming has spent a lot of time in the Santa Cruz mountains and is an avid outdoorsman. Santa Cruz County deputies said they are keeping an eye out for Fleming.

Douglas suffered a brutally violent death.

According to an arrest warrant, her body was face down in the master bedroom when her sister and a friend found her. A sheet was tied around her neck and she had been stabbed numerous times. Blood was splattered on the bedroom's bed and walls.

Detectives who were called to the home said they smelled gas in the garage when they arrived, and found large wrenches near the water heater, indicating someone may have been trying to cause a fire or explosion.

Stephanie Douglas, Sarah Douglas' sister, told investigators that the night before her sister's death they went with their mother to a casino. Sarah told them she intended to leave Fleming.

Stephanie called her sister after returning from the casino and heard Sarah and Fleming arguing, the arrest warrant states. Stephanie told police that she heard her sister scream and someone grab the phone before it went dead. When she tried calling back, the phone went straight to voicemail. Sarah also never replied to any of Stephanie's text messages.

After the killing, “We believe someone picked him up and took him somewhere,” Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Sgt. Lisa Bowman said. “We do not know who that is."

Fleming is believed to have two guns with him -- a .45-caliber pistol and a .25-caliber pistol.

Fleming worked in a Cal Fire office in Ione, Calif. He has since been fired by Cal Fire because he failed to report to work for five consecutive days, Cal Fire officials said.

Deputies are asking anyone who may have had contact with Fleming to call the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department at 916-874-8477.



Read more: http://www.ksbw.com/news/central-california/santa-cruz/cal-fire-chief-wanted-for-homicide-goes-on-the-lam/25881426#ixzz31ZK9umt2

 Click on image to enlarge:

Hawaii Law Lets Police Have Sex With Hookers

Hawaii Debates Whether to Let Cops Have Sex With Prostitutes in Order to Bust Them

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By Amanda Marcotte

Cops in Hawaii would like to retain the right to have sex with prostitutes, if you don't mind.

Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Right now, it's legal in Hawaii for an undercover police officer to pretend to be a john, have sex with a prostitute, and then arrest her after the fact. Some legislators in Hawaii are not too happy about this and, in a new bill aimed at cracking down on prostitution, have attempted to get rid of the provision that allowed for it. But police leadership in the state is fighting back. The Associated Press reports: 

Authorities say they need the legal protection to catch lawbreakers in the act. Critics, including human trafficking experts and other police, say it's unnecessary and could further victimize sex workers, many of whom have been forced into the trade.

Police haven't said how often — or even if — they use the provision. And when they asked legislators to preserve it, they made assurances that internal policies and procedures are in place to prevent officers from taking advantage of it.

Small-town sex scandal: Naming names OK?

Link to OP:  http://www.hlntv.com/video/2012/10/17/small-town-sex-scandal-naming-names-ok

A stripper allegedly videotapes her clients … and now, the names of 21 men in Kennebunk, Maine, have been released by police. There are more to come. They've been charged with engaging in prostitution allegedly with fitness instructor Alexis Wright. She pleaded not guilty to more than 106 counts, including promoting prostitution.

If we stand in judgment of the alleged prostitute, why not judge the men as well? HLN’s Dr. Drew gets the opinions of legal Nevada prostitutes Sunny Lane, Courtney Cross and former prostitute and porn star Shelley Lubben.

Interview with the Scientist and Former Prostitute, Brooke Magnanti (aka Belle De Jour).

I think that Brooke is brilliant. The interviewer was really starting to get on my nerves though.

Police Raid and Arrest 10 People at Adult Porn Studio In Arizona

See OP at: http://jrlchartsonline.net/JRL2010/index.php/2013/06/police-raid-and-arrest-10-people-at-adult-porn-studio-in-arizona/#sthash.li417JOY.dpuf

By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer
PaulG@JRLChartsOnline.com

PHOENIX, AZ -   A total of 10 people have been arrested at an Adult Film Company that was raided last night in what police are describing as a prostitution string operation.

The raid is the conclusion of a six-month investigation by local Arizona Vice police and Federal agents.  Once again the Adult Entertainment Industry is being spotlighted with a negative tone!

According to Sgt. Steve Martos, the FBI assisted the Phoenix Police Department’s Vice Squad division on the 6-month investigation.

The Adult porn label known as New Media Studio, allegedly had been conducting illicit activities for more than a year at their office-park building located off of 40th Street and University near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.  According to investigators, the Adult Film Label marketed and advertised their business services exclusively online.

“It is my understanding that individuals would come here … select a female, and this business would charge them $140 for a half hour, and they would receive either still photographs or a video,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Steve Martos told FOX Channel 10  News.

Sgt. Martos continued…”What they were advertising was pretty open… which obviously caught the attention of investigators.”

Among the 10 people arrested on prostitution charges was the Adult Film Label owner William Hartwell.

No word yet if bail has been granted to any of the employees who were taken into custody last night including owner Hartwell.

Ill. Boy Hires Hooker, Gets Piggy Bank Stolen

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3021071.shtml?cat=1

A 14-year-old boy in Illinois got the opposite of lucky when a prostitute, with whom he arranged a date while his parents were out, instead made off with his piggy bank, reported ABC News.

After arranging to meet the boy over the Internet, Dareka R. Brooks, 22, allegedly followed him to his bedroom in Prospect Heights, Ill., a Chicago suburb, and told him to remove his pants, said Margie Bolger of the Prospect Heights Police Department.

As the teen sat on the edge of his bed, Brooks sprayed him in the face with pepper spray and proceeded to steal his piggy bank and iPad, police said.

Authorities would not confirm how much money was in the bank.

After the alleged robbery, the teen called police.   Cops “pinged” the iPad after Brooks turned it on, allowing them to track her to a motel in Elks Grove Village about 10 miles from the boy’s home, Bolger said.

Brooks was charged with armed robbery and ordered held on $10,000 bond on Thursday.

She did not enter a plea at the time and did not yet have an attorney.

The case is reminiscent of the 1983 Tom Cruise film “Risky Business” in which an Illinois teenager is robbed by a prostitute when his parents are out of town.

Story and photo contributed by ABC News.

Resources for Cam Model Moms

Here's some articles I found related to being a parent that works in adult entertainment.
(Please add any that you find in the comments section)

Inside the Life of a Mom Who Strips

How To Have "The Talk" With Your Child

How I support my family as a sex worker

Thoughts on deciding whether or not to tell your kids you're a sex worker

and here's a good one about managing your time (article not directed specifically towards being a parent though)
Cam Girl Tip: Time Management


Videos

Here's a movie I saw when I was a kid, and when I became a mother, I made sure to watch it with both of my kids as well.
(Make sure to watch it alone first so you can judge on whether or not it's age appropriate for your child. This movie deals with some things of a sexual nature in a few scenes.)
I Know My First Name is Steven


Other Stuff

For home schooling
Free Homeschool Curriculum & Other Resources

Here's a good website dedicated to fighting the "legal kidnappers" CPS.
It has lots of great info and legal resources for every state.
Since we are technically considered "Sex Workers", this puts us at a greater risk of having a run in with this child abduction mafia.


Here's a link to a site for anyone that may be going through a custody battle.
SPARC

Another good site with lots of info and resources for parenting in general

Heidi Fleiss Tom Sizemore Howard Stern Radio Show interview 2001

Prop 35

I know it's a bit late, but for some reason I made sure to post my feelings about Prop 35 everywhere else but my own blog [face palm]. So here's a short youtube video I made talking about the subject, and other additional info on the bill...

Crank Yankers

Cammie the Stripper calls a Ghostbuster

Sex Toy Store