Traveling Sales Crews

A recent complaint filed with our office. 

"Subject : Another Kind Of Cult - Traveling Sales Crews

Your Message : My nephew got caught up in another sort of cult - the traveling sales crew. The young adults are often a bit adrift, no marketable job skills and they see an ad in a newspaper promising fun and big money if you join their "team."  These kids have to make a decision right away!  The team is leaving soon!  They get shipped off to some other part of the country where they know no-one.  They are never alone.  They have "sales meetings" every morning, lots of manipulation, threats, and coercion. If the kid doesn't sell enough sketchy home energy plans as in the case of my nephew, they will not be allowed to eat, or they will often get left behind thousands of miles from home.  The team leaders pocket the money and the kids only get a pittance and often go home with the same amount of nothing the started out with.  The brainwashing techniques are similar to what you shared in you video.  Amway and other personal selling pyramid schemes also take on a cult like feel as well."

 

In a report by the anti-trafficking charity Polaris, entitled "Knocking at Your Door: Labor Trafficking on Traveling Sales Crews provides an in-depth analysis of the factors that allow this crime to persist and encourages greater understanding of the extensive abuses within the industry.

”Cult-like tactics on Sales crews” It was a freaking cult! We lived with our co-workers who took every opportunity to end your contact with the outside world beyond your door-to-door ventures... We started every morning with JUICE [Join Us In Creating Excitement] chants, and were not allowed to drive our own cars to the work sites. When we came back after a long 8 hours of walking in dress shoes, we were not allowed to lean against the wall. I was once pulled to the side and told not to lean because it was a sign of weakness and it would bring the rest of the group down. The group was taught to ignore people who leaned or showed any ‘negative’ gestures." 

The report makes several recommendations, including:

• Congress should amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in order to cover door-to-door sales,
• The Federal Government should investigate abuses of the J-1 visa program
• Law enforcement should pursue bad actors at the top of the sales network instead of focusing on crew members violating local anti-solicitation laws,
• Service organizations should recognize crew members as victims of labor trafficking so they can receive support,
• The publishing industry should ensure transparent business supply chains in their magazine sales, and
• Consumers should use caution when buying magazines or other items from sales crews."

The F.A..C.T. Team 

An Epidemic of Pedophile Priests

"20 Years 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reform."

"It's not just a recent problem: In all, since 1998, roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, the newspapers found. That includes those who were convicted, credibly accused and successfully sued, and those who confessed or resigned. More of them worked in Texas than in any other state.

They left behind more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches, left to themselves to rebuild their lives. Some were urged to forgive their abusers or to get abortions.

About 220 offenders have been convicted or took plea deals, and dozens of cases are pending. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school teachers. Deacons. Church volunteers."

Read Full article and watch videos footage here:  https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Southern-Baptist-sexual-abuse-spreads-as-leaders-13588038.php

Our churches are riddled with pedophiles and abusers from the Catholic Church to Baptist Churches to Jehovah's Witnesses to the little country no-name church in the middle of nowhere. Why is this such an epidemic?

Joe Navarro is an American author, public speaker and former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and supervisor. Navarro specializes in the area of nonverbal communication and body language and has authored numerous books, including What Every Body is Saying, Dangerous Personalities, and Louder than Words. Here is a glimpse of what Joe Navarro has to say about Why Predators are Attracted to Careers in the Clergy:

"1. Predators have access to a ready available pool of potential victims. Within a religious order, those potential victims are identified for the predator, who knows how often they will get together and where (Sunday worship service at 11 a.m., at the local chapel, for example)

2. Some religious organizations require members to expose their faults, since or frailties in public. This is "manna from heaven" for predators who then use that information to better access or target their victims. Information like that serves to provide all the exploitable weaknesses a predator needs.

3. People gossip in most organizations, and in religious organizations it is no different. These informal social channels can be very effective in divulging who got promoted and has extra cash; who is going on vacation; whose spouse is overseas for seven months; who is naive and gullible: who needs financial help; or who is having marital problems and is now lonely or vulnerable.

4. Within a religious organization, individuals of different social strata associate with one another with greater ease than in society. This gives the predator of low social status access to people who often live and socialize within restricted or gated communities and who otherwise would be impossible for them to target.

5. Many religious organizations preach forgiveness, even for felonies. For predators this is truly a godsend. This means that if they get caught, they can ask for forgiveness and chances are it will be given.

6. Another advantage for the predator in a religious organization is that if caught, he/she can very conveniently say it was "Satan's" fault.

7. If the predator is in a position of authority within a religious organization, he or she can claim persecution by the "enemies" of the church or the organization. Any outside scrutiny subjecting the predator to the sanitizing rays of light is thus characterized as "them", the unbelievers "against us"..

8. If the predator becomes a leader or the head of a church of religious group, then he or she is immediately cloaked with power and authority (moral power). Keep in mind that most people still have a high respect for their church leaders and are willing to give them greater latitude and the benefit of the doubt.

9. Parents may be more trusting of a religious leader than of the average person. As history has taught us, they may dismiss allegations made by their own children as to sexual abuse by a religious leader or they will remain quiescent so as to not "rock the boat".

10. In most cultures, children pay deference to authority figures, especially religious ones. Knowing this, the predator can almost certainly count on children abiding by their sordid requests and keeping such matters "secret". There is ample evidence of this from history, social psychology, and thousands of lawsuits."

Read more by Joe Navarro on this topic here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201404/why-predators-are-attracted-careers-in-the-clergy

The F.A.C.T. Team

Here's How Sexual Predators Groom Their Victims

Some may find this post offensive or triggering. This posting is to help raise awareness about the specific, well thought out and planned tactics used by predators to groom their victims.

This week in Florida - 

"ORMOND MAN ARRESTED IN PLOT TO RAPE 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL

**Warning: Difficult to read, and not for young audiences**

Volusia County sheriff’s detectives have arrested an Ormond Beach man on charges of conspiracy to commit sexual battery on a child after the discovery of a series of text messages containing a plot to groom and rape a 3-year-old child.

Lafe Best, 37 (DOB 2/26/1981, pictured at left), of Golf Avenue in the Ormond Beach area, was arrested Tuesday evening and taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he remained in custody today without bond.

His arrest stems from another case in Ormond Beach involving Best’s friend and sexual partner, 39-year-old Benjamin Worster (DOB 5/25/1979, pictured at right). Worster was arrested by Ormond Beach police in January on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious conduct and 21 counts of possession of child pornography.

That case was prompted by the discovery of text messages on Worster’s phone. The 3-year-old victim and her mother had moved into Worster’s apartment on Hand Avenue in December. Soon, the 3-year-old girl told her mother Worster had touched her. On Dec. 17, Worster was taken to the hospital after an apparent overdose, and the victim’s mother found his phone lying on his bed. That’s when she discovered a text message thread with someone named “Lafe,” and a sickening description of a plan to groom and rape the 3-year-old girl, whether she was conscious or not.

A portion of the messages are included below because they demonstrate how predators work to groom young children for sexual abuse.

***WARNING: These aren’t a complete record of the text messages exchanged between Worster and Best, but they’re still graphic.***

Worster: “Single mom&Has a 3 year old daughter&Shes not a very good mom and she ignored her daughter constantly&2nd day of meeting her daughter she ran up to give me a hug and buried her head right in my crotch&So im gonna get to work on that”

Worster: “And at 3 im working with memories that wont stick”

Worster: “Think I migbt casually accidently let her see it a few times see how she reacts maybe bring her by to watch a movie at your place when your roomates aren't home get her used to you too"

Worster: “Im looking up things under an anonymous browser on things that will safely make kids pass out for a couple hours:”

Best: “Cant wait lol”

Worster: “Me either&Gotta take this opportunity while I can at my age who knows when something like this will land in my lap again"

Best: “I know right. I've got all kinds of Visions dancing in my head right now lol”

Best: “Would love to bury my tongue in some little (REDACTED). Among other things lol"

Best: “You never know if her junkie mom can't come up with rent one month she might ust give her to you lol wishful thinking”

Best: “I'd prefer awake if we can manage it without repercussions”

Worster: “Yeah but beggers cant be choosers&Gotta feel this one out and see what shes like and how she can keep secrets and how easily she can be trained before I worry about the drastic things”

Worster: “But im over 100% sure I can at least get her knocked out alone and naked to at least fondle a d defile to my hearts content”

On Friday, the State Attorney’s Office notified a sheriff’s detective of Best’s involvement in the Worster case, and the Sheriff’s Office took over that aspect of the investigation as Best lives in an area of Ormond that falls inside county jurisdiction. Sheriff’s detectives executed a search warrant at Best’s residence on Tuesday, and discovered what appeared to be child pornography on his cell phone, in addition to his texts with Worster. Additional charges are expected as the evidence is forensically examined and the investigation continues.

Best was living in a home with two people who have a child who’s about 20 months old. At this time, it’s not believed he was a victim of any abuse; however, authorities will continue to follow up as the investigation continues."

In a comment on this facebook posting the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said:

"Just want to say it was difficult to post some of these details on Facebook, and we really do apologize to anyone who finds it offensive and disturbing. It absolutely is. The reason for posting it was not to shock or offend, but to show the type of grooming behavior that takes place when a predator has access to a child. Please be alert, protect your children and call our Child Exploitation Unit if you believe your child may be a victim. 386-323-3574"

 Please share this to help us raise awareness and educate people about the grooming tactics of predators.

Thank you, 

The F.A.C.T. Team

"We Want Our Daughter Back" - Grace Church CMU

"We want our daughter back" said Elizabeth Antkowiak

“We got a call from her spouse, and he told us not to contact her anymore," said Elizabeth. "He said that if we needed to contact them, to only go through him."

Read Full article and watch video here: Grace Church at CMU Campus 

Here is the official website of Grace Church in Mt. Pleasant, MI : https://gracemp.org/who-we-are/leadership/

UT Bill Would Allow Churches to Apologize for Abuse, But Not Admit Culpability

"A bill being drafted in the Utah State Legislature would allow churches and other nonprofit organizations to apologize for abuse, but not admit culpability.

The forthcoming bill, sponsored by Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, is an effort to provide abuse victims with some measure of comfort.

"We want to empower these organizations to reach out and minister and help and support victims in their most dire time of need," he said in an interview with FOX 13.

Rep. Ivory said an apology wouldn't mean an admission of liability in a civil lawsuit, nor would it block any litigation."

Read Full Article Here

The F.A.C.T. Team

The NY Child Victims Act - It's About Time !

From the Blog of The Zalkin Law Firm

By Irwin M. Zalkin, Esq.

"For over a decade, child sexual abuse survivors, survivor advocates and supporters like our law firm, have been battling against powerful institutions like the Catholic Church and elements within the Hassidic Jewish Community and others to amend New York’s archaic child abuse statute of limitations. That persistence of survivors and their advocates has finally defeated the Goliath detractors who have helped to block state legislation year after year that would allow older victims of child sexual abuse access to civil justice.  On January 28th, 2019, the New York State legislature almost unanimously approved A 2683, The Child Victims Act, and sent it on to Governor Cuomo for signature.

Under the new law, victims of childhood sexual abuse can now file civil lawsuits until the age 55. There is also a one-year “look-back window” in the new law that gives victims with old claims that had already passed the statute of limitations, the right to sue during that one year period. In addition, the new law now allows prosecutors to bring criminal charges until a victim turns 28.

This access to civil justice is long overdue in New York.  As early as May 2009, I wrote an article for Huffington Post titled “States Need to Stop Telling Child Victims They’re SOL” about the brave efforts of New York Assemblywoman Margaret Markey’s efforts to pass the “Child Victims Act” at that time.  This was at a time when our law firm was one of the lead firms involved in resolving nearly 1,000 cases against the California Catholic Dioceses for over one billion dollars, as the result of legislation that was passed in California in 2003, a law similar to this new, New York law, that allowed for a one-year window for older victims to be able to file civil lawsuits for monetary damages as a result of the abuse they suffered as children.

The Zalkin Law Firm has been representing child sexual abuse victims in New York for almost a decade, despite the obstacles to civil justice presented by the just changed New York statute of limitations.  Finally, ten years after we began representing victims in the state, there is now a pathway to justice for our clients who were victims of childhood sexual abuse in New York, a pathway that has long been open to our clients in California and other states.

The one year "look back window" in the new Child Victims Act means that victims who seek justice and compensation through the courts need to act quickly to secure experienced legal representation. Our firm has been contacted by many victims and we are already moving ahead with their cases.  We encourage anyone who was a victim of abuse to contact us at http://www.zalkin.com/ as soon as possible so that we can evaluate your case and get started on this pathway to justice.

The scourge of child sexual abuse is not limited to the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, we have been called upon to help victims within the Jewish, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Orthodox Greek Church communities.   The sexual abuse of children knows few boundaries and is a national problem within our schools, youth sports organizations, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers and Sisters and other youth serving organizations.

As we have learned from our past experiences in California and other states, when restrictive statutes of limitations are removed or amended, and the financial burden shifts to where it belongs, on the backs of the institutions responsible for harboring and protecting pedophiles, change happens. The New York Child Victim’s Act will undoubtedly help protect today’s children from institutional predators, and offer justice and hope to those who have been denied for so long."

https://www.zalkin.com/news/the-new-york-child-victim-s-act-it-s-about-time?fbclid=IwAR3u6-BY8cmPb9sr0gF8oHeU6Db8TMnvGC7yUjIQNH4qesRfR6CI1bjTDVk

Thank you Zalkin Law Firm for all you have done and continue to do!

Sincerely,
The FACT Team

Founder of Florida Mega Church - Bob Coy Accused of Child Molestation

Recent story about Florida's largest Mega Church - Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale and the Founder Bob Coy!

"Calvary Chapel is one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the United States. However, the church has been plagued with allegations of protecting pedophiles and sexually abusing children. The Miami New Times reports:

The revelations come at a sensitive moment for Calvary’s national network of about 1,800 churches, which have been riven by legal infighting and dogged by claims that bad pastors have been allowed to run amok. In fact, at least eight pastors, staff members and volunteers in Calvary Chapel’s network around the United States have been charged with abusing children since 2010. In one case, victims claimed the church knowingly moved a pedophile to another city without warning parents.

Here is the link to read the full Article

Thank you, 

The F.A.C.T. Team