Update from Global Human Trafficking Roundup

NORTH AMERICA

New York: New York doctor is held in prison in Cambodia for molesting a 14 year old boy. He went to Cambodia for volunteer work at a children's hospital. He was arrested in February for purchasing sex from a minor. If convicted, the doctor could face up to 15 years in jail.

Tennessee: Two Nashville men are charged with child prostitution and child porn. The two were arrested after the law enforcement saw the online advertisement for commercial sex of a minor on Backpage.com. The investigators said that one of the men was a photographer, and another was involved in exploitation.

Rhode Island: The UAE colonel case reflects growing problem of human trafficking in New England. One ICE officer says that ICE launched 651 investigation last year, more than twice the number in 2006.

Washington: Governor signed a bill to step up its effort to fight against human trafficking. The new bill expands the definition of human trafficking to include, forced labor, involuntary servitude, commercial sexual abuse of minor, and criminal sex acts. Law enforcement says that current human trafficking statute makes it harder for them to prosecute traffickers. They hope that the new statute will give clearer definition of the crime and make it easier to prosecute traffickers.