Lemon Grove Filmmaker Jim Ellis Creates 33-Minute Documentary for Children, Parents to Watch Together

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

February 18, 2013 (Lemon Grove)--Nikki’s story is all too typical of the ones told in Lemon Grove filmmaker Jim Ellis’s new 33-minute documentary, Indoctrinated: The Grooming of Children Into Prostitution. At age 18, to raise the money to go to college, she took a job in a strip club. There she met an older man who helped her out financially, bought her nice clothes and accessories, and got her to fall in love with him and ultimately move in with him. Then he put the hammer down and told her that in order to keep her lifestyle — and his affections — she’d have to have sex with other men, for which he, not she, would be paid. Nikki’s story ends more happily than most such tales; she got out of “the life,” as prostitutes call it, and in her 20’s is trying to piece her life back together. She’s sufficiently self-assured that of all the present and former prostitutes Ellis interviewed, she was the only one who agreed to show her face on camera instead of having it electronically blurred.

October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – There are numerous important initiatives on the November 6 ballot. Topics include education funding, clean energy, criminal penalties, taxes and labeling what’s in your food. For our nonpartisan analysis and arguments on both sides of each proposition, click the links below.

Prop 30 aims to raise funds to stem budget cuts in public education

Prop 31 seeks to change state budget cycle

Prop 32: Political reforms or silencing voices?

Prop 33: Insurance reforms or consumer scam?

By Thea Skinner

San Diego has one of the highest rates of child sex trafficking in the U.S.

October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 35 would increase prison sentences and fines for anyone convicted of human trafficking — the illegal trade of human beings for sex slavery or forced labor. Prison sentences would be increased to 15-years-to life, with fines up to $1.5 million. Prop 35 would also require anyone convicted of sex trafficking to register as a sex offender and disclose identities they use on the Internet, along with which sites they visit. 

In a rare show of unity, this proposition is supported by both the California Democratic and Republican parties.

AB 2212 gives law enforcement new tool; AB 2126 streamlines campus administration

September 10, 2012 (San Diego) -- Assemblymember Marty Block (AD-78) today announced that Gov. Jerry Brown signed his measure to give law enforcement a new tool to shut down human trafficking, AB 2212, and another bill, AB 2126, which helps the California State University (CSU) system streamline its regulation process.

April 2, 2012 (San Diego) – San Diego has become a hotbed of human trafficking and it includes more than undocumented immigrants. Law enforcement have identified San Diego as an international gateway for sex trafficking and one of the 13 cities in the nation with the highest incidence of child prostitution, including local teens. Forced marriages and modern slavery are also critical issues. Worldwide, trafficking is an estimated $40 billion industry affecting every country. 

Survivors of Human Trafficking/Commercial Sexual Exploitation Among Those Getting Help  

March 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- Four new regional projects have received more than $1.7 million in federal funding for the first time thanks to efforts by County Housing and Community Development, the lead agent for the Regional Continuum of Care.  The new projects will provide transitional and long-term housing and support services for homeless people. 

Family wants case reopened; believes daughter may have been sold to human traffickers

 By Miriam Raftery

April 13, 2011 (Sacramento) – Legislation authored by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-AD78) to provide law enforcement with better tools to fight the growing epidemic of gang-related criminal sexual exploitation and human trafficking, cleared its first Assembly committee today. AB 918 was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee by a vote of 6-0.

Pimping and other exploitative crimes are now second biggest revenue source for gangs in San Diego County

April 8, 2011 (San Diego) – To help law enforcement tackle the growing problem of gang-related criminal sexual exploitation and human trafficking, Assemblymember Marty Block (AD-78) today was joined by San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore to support AB 918. 

The bill, authored by Block and sponsored by San Diego County, would give law enforcement better tools to combat criminal street gangs that commit the crimes of pimping, pandering or human trafficking--the second biggest income source for local gangs.