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RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Hartford
December 8, 2008
Raymond Bechard
Founder & President
Ahava Kids
Post Office Box 498
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
I was pleased to hear from you about your non-profit organization, Ahava Kids, which
seeks to rescue victims of human trafficking. I also greatly appreciate your kind words about the
agreement my office recently reached with Craigslist.
Craigslist has assured me that it will donate any funds collected through credit card
verification. My office has been asked whether there are any charitable organizations --
especially any aiding victims of human trafficking -- that might wish to receive proceeds from
the revenue generated from these advertisements.
I will forward a copy of your letter and my response to Craigslist and ask them to contact
you directly.
Thank you for your great work on behalf of children and please do not hesitate to contact
me or my Special Counsel Anthony Jannotta if you need further assistance.
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
RB/AJ/ug:s
Department of Public Safety
Division of State Police
Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force
294 Colony Street, Bldg. #7
Meriden, CT 06451
203-238-6550
January 9, 2008
Raymond Bechard
Director, Ahava Kids
P.O. Box 498
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Dear Ray,
How can we possibly thank you enough for your constant support during our recent
investigation into Prostitution and Human Trafficking. Your suggestions and assumption
of responsibility for the well being of one of our victims/witnesses is critical to our
investigation. One of the most amazing things is that you said you would do specific
things to care for the victim and then did them; a rare commodity.
We are grateful as well for the efforts of Leslie A. Hodges; she has a gift when it comes
to working with our victims.
Iknow you share our frustration with the lack of shelter space for these girls in
Connecticut. Ihope somehow that this situation is soon resolved; we could then conduct
our mission and common interests more efficiently.
Sincerely,
AY-9~=--
Lucien St Germain
Commanding Officer SOCITF
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April 9, 2009
I am writing in support of Ray Bechard and Ahava Kids. Specifically. I would like to see Ray and
Ahava Kids recognized in the "Heroes" section of the State Department's annual Trafficking in
Persons (TIP) Report.
I have only known Ray for a short time but in that time he has impressed me with his commitment
to the young victims of human trafficking. He has traveled the world and witnessed multiple
cases of young people enslaved in the world of trafficking. He has traveled to Iraq and other
locations in the Middle East to investigate Child Trafficking. He has given iectures to bring
awareness to this issue and has written the book "Unspeakable: the Hidden Truth Behind the
World's Fastest Growing Crime". Additionally, he has recently opened two Safe Houses, one in
Connecticut and one in Georgia and established a nationwide 24-hour Rescue hotline.
As the Founder of Ahava Kids, an organization dedicated to rescuing and caring for young victims
of human traffiCking, he and Ahava Kids are making an impact. As a member of Soroptimist
international, I have heard him speak at many club meetings and at the Northeastern Region's
Spring Conference. He is working with Soroptimist to bring attention to this crime. When we had
a production of "Body & Sold" he served on a pane! to answer questions from the audience, many
of whom did not realize that this was a problem in the United Statos.
As President of Klingberg Famiiy Centers, I had to call on Ray for assistance in locating one of
our foster care girls that had run away. She had been missing for five days and three police
departments were searching for her. Ray and his staff were able to locate her and she was
rescued from the trafficker who already had her working on the streets.
I am so impressed with the level of commitment of this gentle man and his humility as he works to
make a difference in the lives of young vulnerable children. He is very deserving of this
recognition.
Sincerely yours,
,-i]/)J;.mO-t~ trt~L
Rosemarie Burton
Fre;:sident
(~eJI;~ ~
May 30, 2009 ' e~~I'e?c~ /
/
Your participation enabled a young person to learn about the community and about
themselves. You gave my student a glimpse into an interesting and important setting, and
enabled them to make a meaningful contribution. You also helped my student to develop
self-understanding and to get insights into fulfilling career choices.
I will be teaching the course again in spring, 2010, and will contact you at some point in
the winter with more detailed information. It has been great working with you, and I hope
you will be able to participate again next spring.
Sincerely,
~~
Frances V. Moulder, Ph.D.
Urban & Community Studies Program
(860) 459-4304
frances. moulder@uconn.edu
Dear colleagues,
Enclosed please find a report of the Task Force on Domestic Violence in Immigrant
Communities. The task force was established by former Speaker Jim Amann to develop
best practices in the areas of victim services, offender management, the judicial system
and the field of law enforcement in the State of Connecticut.
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the work of the task force. Some
of our recommendations will serve as the basis for a committee bill being drafted in the
Judiciary committee.
We anticipate a public hearing on the bill in the next two weeks and we encourage you to
support our recommendations.
Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Sincerely,
--;::;:-p ~
TO~~-+~~~~---
Gera a Fox, III
State Representative, 42nd District State Representative, 146th District
FINAL REPORT
JANUARY 2009
Chaired by:
Representative Gerald Fox
Representative Tom Reynolds
Report Prepared by
Heidi Alice Voight, Policy Aide
Office of the Speaker of the House
Victim Services
Access to Services: 2417 Shelter Staffing, Translation Services, Services for Children
Educational Outreach: Immigrant Communities & Stakeholders in Immigrant Communities
Preserve Funding for Civil Legal Services
Family Justice Centers
Offender Management
Recommendations Concerning CSSD Domestic Violence Contracted Services Programs: Solutions to "Wait
Lists," Increasing Multilingual Course Offerings, Programming for Female Offenders, Uniformity of Access
Educational Outreach: Cultural Norms & Current Federal and State Laws
Judicial
Enhanced Training for Judicial Personnel on If-Visa Issues
Enhanced Training on Dual Arrests
Interim Services for Victims Filing for Ll-Visa Protection
Specialized Domestic Violence Dockets
Funding for Family Violence Victim Advocates
Increased Staffing Levels for Public Defenders
Funding for Certified Language Interpreters
Reducing Disparities in Case Disposition Among Geographical Areas
Expansion of Time Limits for Vacating Guilty Pleas
Resolution of Support for the U-Visa Program
In-state Housing for ICE Detainees in Connecticut Legal Proceedings
Law Enforcement
Reducing Disparities Regarding Dual Arrests and Probable Cause
Designation of Law Enforcement Official for Certifications of Helpfulness
Policies Regarding Citizenship Status Inquiries When Victims Report To Law Enforcement
TASK FORCE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES 5
FINAL REPORT
JANUARY 2009
Membership
The following individuals were members of the Task Force:
Public Officials
Speaker of the House James A. Amann
Members
Raymond Bechard: President, AHA VA Kids
Michelle Cruz: State Victim Advocate, Office of the Victim Advocate (Hakima Bey-Coon, Designee)
Deborah DelPrete Sullivan: Legal Counsel, Designee for the Office of the Chief Public Defender