NGOs, Law Enforcement, and Major Organizations Stand with Sheriff Tom Dart in His Request to Card Companies to Fight Trafficking

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Upon news that U.S. District Judge John Tharp granted a restraining order against Sheriff Tom Dart, Cook County Police Department, whose work in curbing trafficking has been covered by human rights advocates such as Nicholas Kristof, the following national leadership expresses its strong support for a Sheriff who works to find predators, protects trafficking victims, and reaches out to corporations such as Visa and MasterCard to obtain their support for his efforts limiting services that could aid in human trafficking.

Credit card companies and other companies that could be contributing to the increase of trafficking through the use of products or services should naturally be preventing any processing where trafficking is or has been found.  Companies especially have a role in doing what they can to prevent trafficking and in discontinue the use of services associated with illegally trafficking the innocent. Illegal activity curbing and human trafficking prevention, have no connection to censorship, or in curtailing profits for legitimate business transactions.

Sheriff Tom Dart is applauded and supported by the following groups and leaders who stand with him in his request to companies to fight trafficking. These leaders also call on all companies whose offerings can be or are being used to aid traffickers in sex trafficking, including online boards, websites, payment processors, Bitcoin, Internet service providers, search engines, technology and hospitality companies to do the same. 

TED BAEHR, PUBLISHER
MOVIEGUIDE®

JODY CONOPHY     
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CULTURE REFRAMED

DAVID FOWLER
PRESIDENT
THE FAMILY ACTION COUNCIL OF TENNESSEE, INC.

DAWN HAWKINS
VICE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

DONNA M. HUGHES
PROFESSOR & CARLSON ENDOWED CHAIR IN WOMEN'S STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
CO-FOUNDER, CITIZENS AGAINST TRAFFICKING

LIEUTENANT OSCAR MEJIA
PRESIDENT
NATIONAL LATINO PEACE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION – NORTH LOS ANGELES COUNTY CHAPTER

MICHELE MOREK
DIRECTOR
UNANIMA INTERNATIONAL

PENNY NANCE
CEO & PRESIDENT
CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA

TONY NASSIF
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
PREVENTING ABUSE FOUNDATION

ANN SCHOLZ, SSND
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR SOCIAL MISSION
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OF WOMEN RELIGIOUS

TIFFANY VAUGHN
CHIEF LIBERATION OFFICER
THE GENTLEMEN'S POSSE

ANTOINETTE WELCH
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
THE HANNAH PROJECT

YVONNE WILLIAMS
PRESIDENT
NETWORK FOR CULTURAL CHANGE

Contact: [email protected] 
813.335.7060

SOURCE The Gentlemen’s Posse