PAST
PAST HOUR. >>> TAKE ME SOMEWHERE.
THEY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO KILL
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> DID YOU KNOW MINNESOTA HAS
THE THIRD HIGHEST RATE OF CHILD
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN THE
NATION?
NATION?
NATION? YET A NEW KARE 11 INVESTIGATION
DISCOVERS MINNESOTA COURTS ARE
NOT HOLDING SEX TRAFFICKERS
FULLY ACCOUNTABLE.
FULLY ACCOUNTABLE. >> WE HAVE MORE ON WHAT'S NOT
BEING DONE AND THE PEOPLE
GETTING HURT BECAUSE OF IT.
AJ?
AJ?
AJ? >>
AJ? >> Reporter: TONIGHT WE ARE
SHARING THE STORY OF A VERY
BRAVE YOUNG LADY WHO WITH THE
FULL SUPPORT OF HER FAMILY IS
COMING FORWARD IN HOPES THAT BY
SHARING HER PAINFUL STORY, SHE
CAN HELP OTHER YOUNG WOMAN.
THIS REPORT CONTAINS CONTENT
THAT BY ANY ACCOUNT IS
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING. >> THE PRETTY MUCH PUT HER
THROUGH
THROUGH
THROUGH >> GANG RAPED.
>> Reporter: 22-YEAR-OLD JOE
DALE SURVIVE TELL.
>> I WAS KIDNAPPED.
SIX TRAFFIC.
SIX TRAFFIC. >> Reporter: BUT HAVE A HABIT --
OF HANGING ON.
>> FLASHBACKS.
>> FLASHBACKS. I GET FLASHBACKS.
TAKE ME SOMEWHERE.
IF THEY SEE ME THEY WILL KILL
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> Reporter: THIS FLASHBACK IS
SIX YEARS AGO.
MOMENT ST. PAUL POLICE RESCUED
JOE DALE.
JOE DALE.
JOE DALE. >> I WANT MY MOM.
>> Reporter: THE GIRL IS 16
YEARS OLD AND DEVELOPMENTALLY
DELAYED, SHE RAN AWAY WITH AN
18-YEAR-OLD FRIEND TO MEET SOME
BOYS A FRIEND NEW DOWN ON THE
CITY'S.
CITY'S.
CITY'S. THOSE BOYS FONATI DIGGS AND
TIMOTHY CROSS TURNED OUT NOT
TO BE FRIENDS.
THE GIRLS WERE TAKEN TO THE ST.
PAUL MOTEL.
PAUL MOTEL. ROOM 229 IS WHERE JOE DALE'S
BEGAN.
BEGAN.
BEGAN. >>
BEGAN. >> I HAD A KNIFE FIT TO MY NECK
WHEN I WAS BEING RAPED.
>> REPORTER:.NET SHE SAID THOSE
MEN SOLD HER.
>> THEY HURT ME BAD.
>> Reporter: TURN BY TURN, TO
THEIR FRIENDS.
THEIR FRIENDS. >> THEY TOLD ME THEY OWNED ME
AND I HAD TO GO TO WORK.
>> Reporter: GO TO WORK, THAT
MEANT THE NEXT MORNING ORDER TO
WALK THE STREET OFFERING HER
BODY FOR SELL.
JODEL HAD OTHER PLANS DESPITE
THEIR THREATS TO SHOOT HER IF
SHE DID NOT OBEY THEM.
SHE CALLED HER MOM.
>> CRYING AND SCREAMING
HYSTERICAL.
HYSTERICAL. MOM, THEY TOOK ME AND THEY WANT
ME TO BE A PROSTITUTE.
>> Reporter: JUDY TOLD HER TO
CALL POLICE AND ST. PAUL
OFFICERS RUSHED TO HER RESCUE.
>> I WAS SO SCARED.
THEY ARE GOING TO COME BACK AND
HURT MY FAMILY NOW.
>> Reporter: THEY WERE
CONVICTED OF SEX TRAFFICKERS AND
JODEL RETURN HOME.
SHE ESCAPED HILL , BUT NOT THE
DEMONS.
DEMONS.
DEMONS. >> THE NIGHTMARES I RELIVE THEM
WHAT THEY DID TO ME.
>> Reporter: TO HELP YOUNG
VICTIMS LIKE JOE DALE -- JODEL
GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED,
MINNESOTA PASSED A LAW IN 2011
THAT MANDATES ALL TRAFFICKERS
AND BUYERS, SO-CALLED PIMPS AND
JOHN'S PAY A SPECIAL FINE.
IT'S CALLED A PROSTITUTION
ASSESSMENT.
ASSESSMENT. AND RANGES BETWEEN $500-$1000
PER IT GETS SPLIT THREE WAYS,
40% TO POLICE FOR ANSWER --
ENFORCEMENT AND TRAINING TO
COMBAT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
20% FOR TRAINING TO COMBAT
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION. THE REMAINING 40% TO SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE CARE
FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED YOUTH.
THE LAW IS REALLY CLEAR.
IT SAYS THE COURT MAY NOT WAIVE
PAYMENT OF THE ASSESSMENT.
>> THE LEGISLATURE IS PRETTY
CLEAR.
CLEAR.
CLEAR. THERE SHALL BE A FINE.
AND IT MAY NOT BE WAIVED.
>> Reporter: STATE SENATOR
MICHELLE BENSON SAYS HIS THE
JUDGE DOES NOT OPPOSE THE
ASSESSMENT, THEY ARE VIOLATING
THE CLEAR INTENT OF THE
LEGISLATURE.
LEGISLATURE. BUT KARE 11 DISCOVERED CONVICT
DID PAM'S FONATI DIGGS AND
TIMOTHY CROSS NEVER HAD TO PAY
THAT ASSESSMENT.
THAT ASSESSMENT. WHY?
WHY?
WHY? COURT RECORDS SHOW JUDGE LEZLIE
MAREK NEVER DID IT.
WE EMAILED THE JUDGE ASKING WHY
THE FAILURE TO FIND?
SHE REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED
SAYING I DO NOT COMMENT ON MY
CASES NOR ON MY DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
PROCESS. SO KARE 11 DECIDED TO FIND OUT
IF THE CASE OF THE MEN WHO SOLD
JODEL FOR SEX WITH AN ISOLATED
OVER CIDER PART OF A PATTERN
OF JUDGES KETTERING SEX
TRAFFICKERS A BREAK AT THE
EXPENSE OF CARE FOR SURVIVORS.
WHEN WE ANALYZE SEVEN YEARS OF
STATEWIDE COURT DATA, WE FOUND
FROM 2011 TO 2017 THERE WERE 196
SEX TRAFFICKER SINCE.
118 OF THEM, 60%, HAD NO
PROSTITUTION ASSESSMENT IMPOSED.
>> WOW!
>> WOW!
>> WOW! >> Reporter: WE DISCOVERED
CRIMINALS WHO EXPLOIT UNDERAGE
GIRLS LIKE JODEL ARE MORE
LIKELY TO GET THE ASSESSMENT
FINE WAIVED THAN THOSE WHO
TRAFFIC ADULT WOMEN.
>> I CANNOT FATHOM HOW SOMEBODY
COULD LOOK AT A CRIME AGAINST A
CHILD AND TAKE IT LESS
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. THEN THEY TAKE CRIMES AGAINST
ADULTS.
ADULTS.
ADULTS. >> I THINK IT'S AN AWARENESS OR
UNAWARENESS ISSUE.
UNAWARENESS ISSUE. >> Reporter: ROBERT SMALLS A
RETIRED JUDGE AND THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE MINNESOTA
COUNTY ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION.
>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT JUDGES
AND PROSECUTORS.
AND PROSECUTORS. HOW CAN IGNORANCE OF THE LAW
THE ACCEPTABLE?
THE ACCEPTABLE? >> THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
AND -- HOPEFULLY WE'LL DO A
BETTER JOB.
BETTER JOB. >> Reporter: JUDGE SMALL SAYS
AFTER HEARING FROM KARE 11 HE
PUT THIS REMINDER FOR
PROSECUTORS AND HIS
ASSOCIATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
TO ASK JUDGES FOR THE FINE.
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER GIVEN
THIS IS MONEY THAT IS SUPPOSED
TO BE USED TO HELP TRAFFICKING
SURVIVORS LIKE JODEL RISE ABOVE
THEIR LIVING
THEIR LIVING >> I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.
IT IS STILL IN MY HEAD.
>> Reporter: WE WANTED TO KNOW
IF IT'S JUST THE SEX
TRAFFICKERS WERE ARE THE BUYERS
THE SO-CALLED JOHN'S THAT FUEL
MINNESOTA SEX TRADE, ALSO
GETTING AWAY WITH NOT PAYING
THIS MANDATORY FIND?
AND ALSO JUST HOW MUCH MONEY
MEANT TO HELP VICTIMS IS BEING
LOST. OUR INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES TOMORROW NIGHT AT 10.
>> HOW IS IT THEY CAN BE
UNAWARE?
UNAWARE?
UNAWARE? I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE THE
JUDGES COULD BE UNAWARE.
>> WE WERE ASKING IS IGNORANCE
OF THE LAW AND EXCUSE IF YOU'RE
A JUDGE.
A JUDGE.
A JUDGE. NOT A SINGLE MEMBER OF
MINNESOTA'S JUDICIAL BRANCH WILL
DO AN INTERVIEW OR RESPOND TO
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> HOPEFULLY THIS MAKES THEM
MORE AWARE.
MORE AWARE. PART TWO TOMORROW NIGHT.
THANK YOU AJ.
>>> IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW
IS A VICTIM OF SEX TRAFFICKING,
YOU CAN