House member wants crackdown on human trafficking

Children allegedly forced into prostitution

Joel Sheltrown is taking aim at human traffickers.

State Rep. Sheltrown wants the Michigan Senate to take quick action on a House plan that will give law enforcement officers and prosecutors the tools they need to go after these criminals.

His request comes after the discovery of an alleged child prostitution ring in Arenac County.

“Our local authorities lack the tools to prosecute these human trafficking rings the way they attack other criminal organizations,” The West Branch Democrat said. He added: “This package will empower our local and state authorities to take on these vile criminals and protect the thousands of innocent children and adults enslaved by them.”

Police say children were allegedly forced into prostitution at a home near the north shore of Saginaw Bay. Roger Burgess, 43, and his daughter April Burgess Stokr, 22, were arrested late last week and are jailed without bond. Burgess, who works at a grocery store in Au Gres, was charged with five counts of first-degree sexual assault.

Burgess also faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault, police said.

Stokr is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault, but a state police official told the Bay City Times that the Battle Creek woman is as much a victim as she is a suspect.

Continued -Prosecutors claim the pair sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl in their Turner Township home during a two-year period that ended 18 months ago. Police say the alleged assaults started in 2002, after Burgess’ two daughters, then ages 15 and 17, made friends with the victim.

Police say the victim, now age 14, told her parents about the abuse only within the last few weeks. They contacted authorities to report the incident. Police also say that girl and others were forced into prostitution and more arrests and charges are expected.

Another sponsor of the bill package, Rep. Dudley Spade, D-Tipton, said, “As legislators, we have the responsibility to ensure that when terrible tragedies like this happen, our law enforcement has the tools it needs to bring all the perpetrators to justice. Too often, our laws only allow us to go after those individuals who directly assault the victims without giving law enforcement the tools to prosecute all the guilty parties. Our children deserve better.”

The package of bills passed by the House will add human trafficking to the list of offenses that qualify for prosecution under Michigan’s racketeering statute so that prosecutors can go after the individuals who support and fund human traffickers as well as the offenders themselves. It will also provide for the seizure and sale of any assets used in human trafficking, the funds from which can be used to fund further trafficking enforcement. The bill also contains provisions for restitution for the victims to help compensate them for lost wages.

After the package of bills passed the House, it was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It has not come to the Senate floor yet.