Convicting Sex Traffickers in the Modern World
Friday, Feb. 9, 2018
This symposium covered information about the laws and evidence needed to convict sex traffickers in Minnesota.
This event featured John Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as the keynote speaker and three expert panels. They discussed the different convictions sex traffickers receive under federal and state law. The speakers discussed how they’d like to see the laws change, the evidence needed from law enforcement in court, and what they have learned by working with victims and through court observation.
Agenda
Panel 1: Investigative agencies
- Bobbi Jo Pazdernik, Special Agent, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Amber Cooper, Analyst, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Staca Shehan, Executive Director, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Grant Snyder, Detective, Minneapolis Police Department Special Crimes Investigation Division
Panel 2: County approaches to sex trafficking
- Imran Ali, Assistant Washington County Attorney
- John Choi, Ramsey County Attorney
Keynote Speaker John Clark, CEO and President, Missing and Exploited Children
Panel 3: Nonprofit approaches to sex trafficking
- Nick Cichowicz, Executive Director, WATCH MN
- Ellen McDaniel, Program Manager, WATCH MN
- Jennifer Gaines, Legal Advocate, Breaking Free
- Beth Holger-Ambrose, Executive Director, The Link
- Quisha Stewart, Safe Harbor Division Director