Human trafficking is real. So are the unintended consequences of the industry built around fighting it
American Crime Journal investigates the investigates the vast ecosystem surrounding human trafficking, from genuine victims, criminal enterprises, and exploitation networks to trafficking frauds, professional victims, advocacy organizations, nonprofits, law enforcement initiatives, media narratives, political movements, and the unintended consequences of an industry built to combat exploitation.
Through investigative reporting, public records, court documents, and original analysis, we examine the people, institutions, incentives, and narratives that shape public understanding of human trafficking.
Our mission is simple:
- Follow the evidence.
- Separate fact from fiction.
- Distinguish evidence from advocacy.
- Hold institutions accountable.
- Question narratives accepted without scrutiny.
Because no cause is served by misinformation. And no movement should be exempt from scrutiny.
Investigating trafficking, trafficking frauds, professional victims, advocacy organizations, and the institutions that shape the modern anti-trafficking movement.
The End of the Sascha Riley Story
What I Sincerely Hope Will Be My Last Word on this Epstein Conspiracy Editor’s note on April 16, 2026 at the bottom. A quick note on pronouns: In the last 2 articles, I referred to Sascha Barros Riley using “he/him” pronouns, trusting that Lisa Noelle Voldeng got Sascha’s pronouns right. In the only live footage…
The Thomas Hildebrand Case: Before It Was Called Trafficking
The Thomas Hildebrand Case, the Coalition That Changed American Law, and the Questions Nobody Went Back to Answer In the summer of 1993, a 59-year-old unemployed Fort Lauderdale boat captain was driving to Cooper City High School in the middle of the school day, calling ahead to excuse specific students from class, picking them up…
“I Have Debunked Your Article On Sascha Riley”
No, you didn’t. So I don’t always know when to quit. Last week I did a dumb thing and wrote an article about a story that I saw sweeping social media and that several of my friends were personally interested in. This was the account of Sascha Riley’s story identifying himself as an Epstein survivor in the…
“Believing Victims” – A Primer
Helpful and unhelpful understandings of an important idea Last week I did a dumb thing and wrote a blog about a figure who I have seen attracting a fair amount of attention on social media and in my social networks: Sascha Riley, who claims that he is an early Jeffrey Epstein victim between 1979-85, or thereabouts. In…
Sascha Riley and the Long Hangover of the Satanic Panic
The continuing allure of ritual abuse stories, in 2026 Update on Feb 11, 2026: Voldeng et. al. rearranges timeline for releasing evidence, now says there will be no Part 2 of her blog. Read more here. Editing note on Jan 22, 2026: Please see the footnote below for an update related to the Snopes report released Jan 21,…
Eliza Lies: Will the Real Eliza Please Stand Up?
Model. Groupie. Singer. Actress. Cosmetologist. Stripper. Sex worker. Sex worker advocate. Yang Gang Loyalist. Devout Trumpist. Sex Trafficking Victim turned Advocate and Expert. All in a day’s work. Editor’s Note: While it was never our intent for Eliza Bleu aka Eliza Morthland to be the debut report of Damion Moore’s “COLLATERAL DAMAGE: The Anti-Human Trafficking…
Coco Berthmann Charged
Coco Berthmann 28, was formally charged with communications fraud, a second-degree felony in Utah’s 3rd District Court today. Professional human trafficking victim known to suffer from occasional bouts of cancer was formally charged with communications fraud, a second-degree felony in Utah’s 3rd District Court. According to charging documents, Berthmann was charged under Utah Code Ann.…
Utah vs. Berthmann: The Charging Documents
Editor’s Note: For full transparency, the following documents are public records and were released and obtained through FOIA filings. We obtained the documents without redaction and have made the decision to do our best to redact the names of victims & witnesses in an effort to respect their privacy, maintain standards and set an example.…
13 Minutes: Coco Berthmann’s Cancer Fraudstream
Anatomy of a Cancer Scam If the video is hard to watch, you’re not alone. After numerous posts on Instagram and after a GoFundMe was established in her name, it was time to speak with her supporters and fans. Some had been following Berthmann for years, others had just learned of a poor 28-year-old woman,…
Coco Berthmann Asking for Donations, Claims Cancer Diagnosis
ACJ has obtained Coco Berthmann’s February 5, 2022, Instagram livestream from a follower who “knew something was off” and decided to hit record. In the 13-minute video, Berthmann reveals her cancer diagnosis and prognosis, her symptoms, pain, and the struggles ahead. She also “feels bad for asking” for help in any kind of “financial way”. Fool…
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