There doesn’t seem to be a video online of the interview yesterday, and I know a few people were interested.

Here is the transcript and I’ll look into getting a copy of the interview online.

Transcript can also be accessed at: http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0806/25/cnr.06.html

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LEMON: Cracking down on the child sex trade — today the FBI announced a nationwide round-up of suspected customers and purveyors of child prostitution. The FBI says 345 people have been picked up in the dragnet and 21 children were taken to safety. The arrests went down coast to coast in cities including Washington, D.C. , Los Angeles, even Toledo, Ohio. Now the announcement comes on the fifth anniversary of the Innocence Lost Initiative, which is credited with rescuing hundreds of children from the clutches of sexual predators.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUELLER, FBI DIRECTOR: Our efforts have led to the recovery of 433 child victims. Just this past week, the FBI joined our law enforcement partners in a five day national enforcement action. This operation, known as Operation Cross Country, included takedown operations in 16 cities across the country and led to the removal of 21 children from the cycle of victimization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, authorities say the children most vulnerable to sexual predators are runaways.

PHILLIPS: Well, Carissa Phelps knows firsthand what it’s like to be sexually exploited. Years ago, when Carissa Phelps was just 12 years old, her mother dropped her off at juvenile hall. She ended up on the streets of Fresno, California. Well, a pimp found her and her life as a child prostitute began.

She tells her disturbing story in the documentary, “Carissa.”

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARISSA PHELPS, SURVIVOR OF CHILD PROSTITUTION: There’s a trucker that drove me behind that motel in an empty lot. There’s (INAUDIBLE) in crack cocaine and forcing me to smoke it in Palm Court Motel. I really didn’t want to smoke. I really didn’t want to smoke it. And he forced me to smoke it. And he said I would like it. And I — I started faking a seizure. I didn’t know what else to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, since then, she’s gotten off the streets and earned an MBA and a law degree from UCLA.

Carissa Phelps joins me now live from Fresno.

You are one amazing woman, Carissa. I’m just going to start right out with that.

PHELPS: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Tell me…

PHELPS: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We set up what had happened.

But how did you get out? PHELPS: It was luck, pure luck, I think. At the time, children like me, runaways, were just seen as a nuisance — a public nuisance and shifted around from group homes in and out of juvenile hall and were never really asked the right questions about what was going on with them on the streets. And kids — kids that have been molested, kids that have been raped, even adults, don’t talk about these abuses readily.

So people were just shifting me in and out of juvenile hall, in and out of group homes. And I was continuing to be exploited on the streets every time I went out and thinking that that was the life that I was destined for maybe forever, until — until some really great luck.

PHILLIPS: Well, what’s the memory that haunts you the most?

And when did that luck change?

PHELPS: It’s being held by a pimp and told that I was nothing, being degraded and forced, like I said in the video, at 12 years old, to smoke crack. I was terrified. And I think I thought my life was over at that time. I didn’t think anybody was looking for me and I didn’t think that anybody cared, until I met Ron Jenkins, actually.

He was a counselor in juvenile hall who had his own rough childhood and decided to work with kids. And he still works with kids today. And he was amazing. He just reached out to me and he asked me for the first time in two years what had happened to me on the streets. And once that information was out, then I was able to get the counseling that I needed — the counseling that I needed, the support network that I needed. And Ron was a central figure in all of that.

PHILLIPS: It always takes a mentor or a role model.

Well, the FBI announced this arrest of 300 plus people, Carissa, that were involved in this child prostitution ring.

Is that moving in the right direction, is that enough?

Or do you look at that and think that’s not even the beginning?

PHELPS: I think we’re moving in the right direction. I’m really going to be interested to see how these cases play out when they’re prosecuted, because we have the Traffic Victim Protection Act that will protect U.S. citizen victims — child victims of sex trafficking. And we’ll see if this gets enforced, if the U.S. attorney does the job that it should do, we will see what happens.

And I think that what comes out of those cases will need to be publicized so that people understand that they will be held accountable if they engage in sexual activities with minors. These aren’t — just because they’re runaway kids, just because nobody is looking out for them or has taught them maybe right from wrong, they are not going to be ignored by our communities and our society anymore.

PHILLIPS: Well, I know that you meet with a lot of these kids.

And when you look them in the eye, especially the 12-year-olds, you probably see yourself.

What do you say to them?

PHELPS: I just let them know life is going to be OK. It’s going to be great. And that they’re going to be able to get through it. They need to ask for the help that they need and deserve and really get involved in therapy, get the help that they need and find a safe place to be. A lot of us, when I was on the streets, we didn’t want to be at home. And we didn’t know how to ask the right people how to place us in group homes or foster care. And I think that’s another big, big fault with the system is that kids aren’t given a voice. And they really need to be able to ask for what they need.

PHILLIPS: Well, you’re a courageous woman, Carissa Phelps.

I encourage everyone to see your documentary, Carissa.

And thanks for sharing your time with us today.

PHELPS: Thank you so much.

June 25, 2008 Wednesday — You just never know…and then CNN calls

You just never know what your role is when you’re trying to create a social movement, or a paradigm shift. These are things that don’t happen overnight, or with one movie, one song, or one person. It’s a widespread effort. There are so many people and projects fighting to recognize the forgotten victims on the streets…the children who are without families, and without any protection. And today we all got a little bit of our payoff.

This morning I broke out of my study routine, and my usually sweat pants and tank top attire, for a CNN interview. Seems that as I have been taking practice exams and hitting the books, the FBI Innocence Lost Project has been working on a crack down on child prostitution rings in the U.S.

Here’s the story: http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/FBI-Announces-Child-Prostitution-Takedown/1$42006

I’ll post my interview with CNN as soon as I have it. (If anyone records CNN it was on at around 1240 p.m. PST.)

The crack down, and the fact that 21 children were brought to safety made me so appreciative for all of you.

THANK YOU for getting this message out.

Like I said earlier, you just never know what your role is when something like this happens, but I think it’s important for all of us to take a moment and realize we can make a difference. It started this week with the FBI saving 21 young lives.

The US Attorney will prosecute most of the cases against the pedophiles, pimps, and adult prostitutes. During the trials the most important job the US Attorney will have is to ensure that the 21 children are properly cared for. The only way to do that is to work with the experts. Rachel with GEMS in NY, Lois with Children of the Night, and a handful of other people in the country who know what they’re talking about when it comes to caring for children that have been victimized by pimps.

Unfortunately, most of the time the children do not have family’s that can work through these issues. Most of the children that are preyed upon are runaways and throw aways. Some are even sold into prostitution by their families.

I will do my best to inquire about the care for the 21 children. We should ensure they are not punished, and that they have a chance at having a normal life. The work does not stop at breaking up the prostitution rings. This nightmare really is not over until the healing process begins, and childhoods are lived out.

So, what will happen after the case is closed?

I think it’s my job to ask the right questions. If there is not a plan, then I’d like to help create one. If there is no money for a plan, then let’s get some. Let’s try to get the $10 million for emergency shelters that was cut out of the Traffic Victim Protection Act of 2005 put back in the budget (I heard sadly it was an easy cut to make to help pay for the war).

Let’s not let these 21 saved lives, or any others, get lost in the system again.

I’m looking forward to getting back to work on this in a big way when I am a licensed attorney. Until then, let’s pray for the children that were saved, and the thousands more that are still out there.

Thanks to all of you for your support, I do believe that we’re making a difference!

Thanks to the FBI Innocence Lost Project, I know they’re working hard to end this nightmare and I support them 1000%!!!

————————

One more note about the CNN interview that deserves it’s own book. When I was asked how my life turned around, I talked again about Ron Jenkins. I can’t wait to share more about this amazing mentor in my life…it really does belong in a book or feature film.

Ron was my counselor in juvy when I was 13 years old. He was also the first person to ask me what happened to me on the streets. I lost contact with Ron for over a decade, and only reconnected when I was graduating from his alma mater, Fresno State! (GO DOGS!!!)

If you haven’t seen it yet, Ron is the star of the documentary. He’s also the star of my childhood, because he saved it!

All these years later, Ron is still the most positive role model I could ask for. He’s my saving grace, and when you watch the interview, you’ll see me go from somber to lit up when I talk about him. We all need a Ron, and we should all remember it’s not too tough to be a Ron either. You just have to do your job and ask the right questions.

Thanks again for all of YOU and YOUR support!

Carissa

March 29, 2008 Saturday — Baseball practice, rest, and showing my appreciation for community.

I am so happy to announce the correction on ABC Ch 30 11 o’clock news last night! I can’t tell you how much it helps me to move forward with the fight against the sexual exploitation — the prostitution — of children.

Most of you understood exactly what I was getting at, especially Dr. Lois Lee with Children of the Night, a tireless advocate for children that have been involved in prostitution. (Please refer anyone you know who has been involved in prostitution as a child to Children of the Night, they give children hope for normalcy — an actual childhood — after the trauma. 800-551-1300. www.childrenofthenight.org)

I met Dr. Lois Lee towards the beginning of filming the documentary. I had already returned to the Villa Motel on Parkway Drive, where the nightmare began, and we had put together a few minutes of footage to share with the kids at Children of the Night. I sat in the living room with a dozen kids who were just like me. We all cried, first as I watched the Children of the Night video, and heard their stories, and then as they watched mine. Afterwards we didn’t talk about the trauma, we just talked about normal stuff. We had some lunch and I heard about their school days, their interests, and their outings.

That was the first day I met Lois. I remember so clearly that when we sat in her office at the end of the day she said to me, “the painful part was just starting. It is going to get worse.”

She knew what I did not…that there would be countless misunderstandings with the media, and with friends, and with family.

I get it now. And I can see why she does not recommend or encourage kids (or adults) to talk about what they have been through with the public. There are still too many misconceptions in the media, and in our own hearts.

I am so grateful to be in a community that has stood up for what was right. It truly does give me the courage and the determination to keep this fight up until we break down the barriers of misconception to get help to kids that are alone and afraid — and trapped — first by those that exploit them and then later by the public and their peers.

Thank you to all those that called and emailed, and thank you to ABC 30 Local for standing up for what is right!

***************

Yesterday I spoke at Lemoore’s West Hills Community College Leadership Conference! It was amazing. There was a great turnout and I enjoyed questions and comments following my presentation. I am encouraged by the number of people in the Central Valley that are survivors — keep up the fight!

And besides having to write this entry (to give you & ABC credit) I had a completely normal day today that included baseball practice, bbq, and rest! It’s taking time to settle in to the fact that life is so good, especially when you’re doing what you love! That said…I did make the big decision to take the bar exam this July. I’ll keep everyone posted. Expect that you might be getting some law review on these blogs as I plow through the thousands of pages and dozens of law books over the next two months!

March 27, 2008 — Thursday: What is wrong with the title?

I feel like the label that was recently given to me in a news story is a picture on the back of Highlights children magazine. You know the one that you circle all the things WRONG in the picture…or just out of place.

After hearing from tons of family and loved ones about the report on Channel 30 I decided to make the point here that there is a difference between a “prostituted child” and “a prostitute!”

It matters to people to know whether I was forced into prostitution when I was 12 years old or whether I was turning tricks on Motel Drive at 20! (Though I know the 20 year old and have empathy because according to research it probably started for her when she was around 14 or younger…after she was abused at an even younger age.)

I was involved in prostitution as a homeless kid on the street — where I was sexually exploited by adults. I was 13 when all of that ended for good!

I think my point is best made when you think about victims of sexual abuse in general. Would it make sense to say that someone who is raped or molested as a child became “sexually active at 8 years old?” It doesn’t make sense and it puts the blame in the wrong place.

To a lesser degree, I also do not believe that I am an activist in the everyday sense of the word. Even though I love activists, I don’t measure up to them. I am passionate, but I also love to relax and enjoy life. I go on vacation, I enjoy my free time, and I spend a ton of time with family and friends — chilling out. Maybe all “activists” do this, and it’s just my perception.

If I am an “activist” then after an MBA from UCLA Anderson, I’m not the usual one! I have invested time and money in learning how to participate in government and business. Besides, I guess what I truly believe is that activism in business sometimes means progress — it’s the difference between Steve Jobs and everyone else!

I guess that I could also be an activist because I care about the future of a community, and want to see the end of prostitution of children on Motel & Parkway Drives. But then again, are people that were molested by Catholic Priests truly “activists” when they file suit to bring an end to a once overlooked abuse? I don’t think you’d call them “activist” in the true sense of the word because they are fighting for their own justice.

I am similarly fighting for my own justice by organizing a community!

PLEASE COMMENT ON THE DISTINCTION IN AN EMAIL AS THE STATION HAS ALREADY RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/feature?section=resources/inside_station/station_info&id=5793938

In case you can’t email: 559-442-1170

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=6041865

Watch GMA this Friday November 23! The interview with Chris Cuomo is scheduled for Friday after Thanksgiving. We’ll keep you posted here if something changes.

GMA November 23, 2007

Listen to a live interview this Saturday, 11/3, at 7am PT with Well Woman Radio.

The interview will run for approximately an hour, and will focus on what I have overcome and what I plan to do in the future, including how I will use the film to raise awareness and create positive change. Please listen in or catch the broadcast later. It’s East Coast time, so I’ll ask about archive and be sure my PTers have a way to tune in later.

The broadcast can be heard online at www.wamoam.com. The interviewer’s name is LaVerne Baker Hotep.

Director Community Education and Outreach at The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime
http://www.cvvc.org/index.php

LaVerne Baker Hotep

As Director of Community Education and Outreach, LaVerne Baker Hotep oversees school and community-based violence prevention programs. LaVerne and her staff have developed community training and education programs unique to the violence prevention landscape, which include producing and hosting �Peace It Together Pittsburgh”TM, a radio talk show focusing on issues of peace building.

Over the past 16 years, LaVerne has channeled her expertise and creativity toward promoting women’s health and wellness. First, she served as Minority Outreach Specialist for the American Cancer Society, and then on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s National African American Advisory Council. In 1998, she founded SisterTeach Council, an organization that designs and publishes culturally relevant health education materials and programs for women of color. In addition, she is creator, producer and host of “WellWoman Radio Retreat”TM, a program which focuses on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of women.

Ms Baker Hotep sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the South Pittsburgh Peace Coalition, and the steering committee of the Girls Coalition of Southwestern PA. Recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier as one of Pittsburgh�s 50 African American Women of Influence, Ms Baker Hotep has received numerous awards including the coveted Women in Communications Matrix Award and the YWCA 2004 Racial Justice Award for her work as a community outreach specialist and educator.

We had our first bit of television press, a piece by Maureen Naylor of ABC Fresno. She came down on Monday of last week, interviewed Carissa, Ron and me, and managed to turn out a 3-minute segment for the Friday, 11:00 news in Fresno.

Check it out at:

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=5318483

While it certainly sensationalized Carissa’s “time on the streets,” and had some quite over-the-top language in it, it got the facts right and conveyed the essence of the relationship between Carissa and Ron. Given that it’s a local news piece, overall it was better than I would have expected.

(Can I be excused for talking about my own appearance, even if it lasted barely two seconds? I must say that I hate the way I look with my huge director-like-cliche hair flopping in the wind and my ridiculous hand gestures, though I’m cool with the quote they used from me.)