Child sex slave in Nashville prison for killing man who used her

[GMDino]

What a damn shame.  What is wrong with people?

http://fox17.com/news/local/fox-17-investigates-child-sex-slave-in-nashville-prison-for-killing-man-who-used-her

Quote:NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — UPDATE:

A child sex slave in Nashville is behind bars for killing the man who used her.

Cyntoia Brown was physically, sexually and verbally abused. The Department of Corrections declined Fox 17 News' request to interview her, but Filmmaker Dan Birman shared video from his seven years documenting Cyntoia Brown's case.

In the film, Brown explains her abuse and how it made her paranoid.

Brown is convicted of murder for killing a Nashville realtor who'd bought her for sex.

“She was picked up by a 43 year old man.” Birman said. “Cyntoia was 16 years old.”

Birman's documentary gave voice to her childhood horror.

“We started the conversation, this is a young girl who's at the tail end of three generations of violence against women,” Birman said.

Cyntoia, her grandmother, and mother were all raped.

“She had no chance,” Birman added.

In her 2004 trial, Brown explains how there was always a gun being pointed at her. She was being hit, choked and dragged. Derri Smith, the Founder of End Slavery TN, shares the perspective.

“She did kill someone, she deeply regrets it, but she was a child and she was being exploited,” Smith said.

Also in her trial, Brown testified she was fearful of the man, 'Mr. Allen,' who’d picked her up.

“He was a sharp shooter in the Army. I'm sitting here thinking if he does something, what am I going to do?” - Cyntonia

Further affecting impulse control, her mother testified drinking at least a fifth a day while pregnant. On appeal, her attorneys were able to show she suffered from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder which affected her brain and showed up on medical brain scans.

“She was being sex trafficked. The pimp's name was Kutthroat.” - Kathryn Sinback, Davidson Co. Juvenile Court Administrator

The jury sentenced Brown under the law at the time giving her life in prison. She’d only be eligible for parole is after serving 51 years. She would be 67.

Birman's film on Cyntoia helped change Tennessee law for children like her in 2011. Now, anyone 18 or younger can't even be charged with prostitution.

“[There's] no such thing as a child prostitute or a teen prostitute, I think we've had to have a cultural mind shift,” Smith said.

If Brown's case were heard today, the court would treat her as a child human trafficking victim.

Though Birman's not involved, there are now plenty who want her set free. It’s a very dedicated group of people working on a clemency campaign for Cyntoia. They want the Governor and the Parole Board to really look at the unique factors of her case.
Unique factors like the work she's done behind bars for years, long before anyone floated the idea of clemency.

Fox 17 was provided Cyntonia's graduation pictures from Lipscomb University for an Associates Degree. She's now working on her Bachelors while working side by side with the courts and the Juvenile Justice system as an unpaid consultant. She’s a friend of the system.

“I myself can create opportunities to help people [behind bars],” Brown said.

Brown is hoping for a second chance.

"She has used her experience to be able to make things better, juvenile justice, human trafficking and safety and security for youth and so I think what she has to offer is invaluable," Sickback said.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There’s a young woman sitting in a prison in Nashville for life, and there’s mounting pressure to set her free.

In 2017, Cyntoia Brown would be classified a sex slave. She was a little child manipulated and threatened, who didn’t stand a chance against the men who used her.

However, that wasn’t the case back in 2004 when Brown got arrested. The laws, which she later helped change, were completely different back then.

Fox 17 News explored what her case would be like if she were tried today under new laws that classify teen girls as victims of sex trafficking and manipulation rather than labeling them as teen prostitutes.

http://fox17.com/news/local/fox-17-investigates-child-sex-slave-in-nashville-prison-for-killing-man-who-used-her

Video at the link.

[*michaelsean*]

Just to make sure I'm clear. She was being used as a prostitute against her will, and therefore being raped? Sounds like a legit killing to me.

[GMDino]

(11-21-2017, 02:39 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Just to make sure I'm clear.  She was being used as a prostitute against her will, and therefore being raped?  Sounds like a legit killing to me.

Welcome to TN.  

[Millhouse]

Stories like hers make me wonder why they include the word justice in 'criminal justice system' they widely use.

[JustWinBaby]

(11-21-2017, 05:13 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Stories like hers make me wonder why they include the word justice in 'criminal justice system' they widely use.

Although I wonder if we would say the same about a 16-yr old boy who robbed a store so he could buy food, and then shot the owner when a scuffle ensued.

[GMDino]

(11-21-2017, 06:14 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Although I wonder if we would say the same about a 16-yr old boy who robbed a store so he could buy food, and then shot the owner when a scuffle ensued.

Seems a little different as the store owner wasn't doing anything wrong/illegal to the boy.

[*bfine32*]

Guess I'm missing something. If she were considered a sex-slave couldn't she still be tried for murder if she killed someone? I've saw nothing where the deceased forced her into anything; she simply said she was afraid of him because he was a sharpshooter in the Army; which really isn't all that great.

Now I have no issue if the pimp and mom shared cells beneath the prison.

[Benton]

(11-21-2017, 06:44 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Guess I'm missing something. If she were considered a sex-slave couldn't she still be tried for murder if she killed someone? I've saw nothing where the deceased forced her into anything; she simply said she was afraid of him because he was a sharpshooter in the Army; which really isn't all that great.

Now I have no issue if the pimp and mom shared cells beneath the prison.

Quote:Cyntoia Brown was physically, sexually and verbally abused.
...
In her 2004 trial, Brown explains how there was always a gun being pointed at her. She was being hit, choked and dragged.

Part of the issue for some of these girls/women is that the legal system prevents them from getting help. If you try to get out and go to the police — tell them you have been kidnapped or given to a sexual predator by your guardian — the system often ends up putting you back in that environment unless a crime has been committed. Crime, like prostitution? Well, this case helped change the fact in Tennessee, if you say that a person forced you into prostitution, legally, the police could charge the juvenile with prostitution. 

[JustWinBaby]

(11-21-2017, 06:32 PM)GMDino Wrote: Seems a little different as the store owner wasn't doing anything wrong/illegal to the boy.

And having sex with a prostitute doesn't justify being murdered.

So you agree it would be different?  Both put themselves into that situation, doing something illegal to feed themselves.  Yet you're only viewing the woman as a victim who was forced into it?

She committed murder.  We can buy the battered woman defense or not, and perhaps we don't really know enough.  But it's not necessarily crazy or "well, TN" that she was convicted.

[*bfine32*]

(11-21-2017, 07:03 PM)Benton Wrote: Part of the issue for some of these girls/women is that the legal system prevents them from getting help. If you try to get out and go to the police — tell them you have been kidnapped or given to a sexual predator by your guardian — the system often ends up putting you back in that environment unless a crime has been committed. Crime, like prostitution? Well, this case helped change the fact in Tennessee, if you say that a person forced you into prostitution, legally, the police could charge the juvenile with prostitution. 

And if there were anything that pointed to the person she killed hitting, chocking, pointing a gun; then that would be justification to kill him. Seems those were totally separate statements to illustrate her way of life, not what happened on that evening. She simply said I was afraid and IF he did something. As I said: that's the part of the story I'm missing.

If a kid grew up rough on the streets was beat, abused, and tortured. He was forced into the gang life as a juvenile because his dad and grandfather were in the gang. He goes in a robs a place and kills the cashier because the cashier is in a rival gang, a gang that had beat him up in the past. Is the kid responsible for murder? 

[Dill]

(11-21-2017, 07:16 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: And having sex with a prostitute doesn't justify being murdered.

So you agree it would be different?  Both put themselves into that situation, doing something illegal to feed themselves.  Yet you're only viewing the woman as a victim who was forced into it?

She committed murder.  We can buy the battered woman defense or not, and perhaps we don't really know enough.  But it's not necessarily crazy or "well, TN" that she was convicted.

We can "buy" the juvenile defense too.  

It doesn't sound like this girl, forced into sex trafficking, killed the guy "for having sex." 

There might be degrees of victimhood here.  But I don't see a very close analogy between a guy who threatens to rob someone else, even if the guy is threatended by his gang, and someone in fear of her life.  

If this girl set out to rob someone and killed him in the process, then the analogy to a store robber would hold.

[Mike M (the other one)]

(11-21-2017, 06:14 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Although I wonder if we would say the same about a 16-yr old boy who robbed a store so he could buy food, and then shot the owner when a scuffle ensued.

Not quite the same degree. No one forced the boy to do that. He did it of his own free will, don't try moving the lines. Your argument is weak at best.

(11-21-2017, 06:44 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Guess I'm missing something. If she were considered a sex-slave couldn't she still be tried for murder if she killed someone? I've saw nothing where the deceased forced her into anything; she simply said she was afraid of him because he was a sharpshooter in the Army; which really isn't all that great.

Now I have no issue if the pimp and mom shared cells beneath the prison.

Anyone that holding a gun at point blank range doesn't need to be a sharp shooter now do they? He used his status as a way to hold control over the girl.

[GMDino]

Always restores my faith to see people trying to find an excuse that makes someone raping and torturing a child at least a little bit okay.

Really warms my heart.

[*bfine32*]

(11-21-2017, 08:41 PM)GMDino Wrote: Always restores my faith to see people trying to find an excuse that makes someone raping and torturing a child at least a little bit okay.

Really warms my heart.

Quote anyone here that has tried to find an excuse to make raping and torturing a child a little bit okay.

Otherwise just stick to the memes and trolling. 

[GMDino]

(11-21-2017, 08:53 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Quote anyone here that has tried to find an excuse to make raping and torturing a child a little bit okay.

Really?  Really?

(11-21-2017, 06:14 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Although I wonder if we would say the same about a 16-yr old boy who robbed a store so he could buy food, and then shot the owner when a scuffle ensued.

(11-21-2017, 06:44 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Guess I'm missing something. If she were considered a sex-slave couldn't she still be tried for murder if she killed someone? I've saw nothing where the deceased forced her into anything; she simply said she was afraid of him because he was a sharpshooter in the Army; which really isn't all that great.

Now I have no issue if the pimp and mom shared cells beneath the prison.

(11-21-2017, 07:16 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: And having sex with a prostitute doesn't justify being murdered.

So you agree it would be different?  Both put themselves into that situation, doing something illegal to feed themselves.  Yet you're only viewing the woman as a victim who was forced into it?

She committed murder.  We can buy the battered woman defense or not, and perhaps we don't really know enough.  But it's not necessarily crazy or "well, TN" that she was convicted.

(11-21-2017, 07:17 PM)bfine32 Wrote: And if there were anything that pointed to the person she killed hitting, chocking, pointing a gun; then that would be justification to kill him. Seems those were totally separate statements to illustrate her way of life, not what happened on that evening. She simply said I was afraid and IF he did something. As I said: that's the part of the story I'm missing.

If a kid grew up rough on the streets was beat, abused, and tortured. He was forced into the gang life as a juvenile because his dad and grandfather were in the gang. He goes in a robs a place and kills the cashier because the cashier is in a rival gang, a gang that had beat him up in the past. Is the kid responsible for murder? 

(11-21-2017, 08:53 PM)bfine32 Wrote: ...just stick to the memes and trolling. 

Guess we just have a bunch of wannabe prosecuting attorney's....

Quote:Birman's film on Cyntoia helped change Tennessee law for children like her in 2011. Now, anyone 18 or younger can't even be charged with prostitution.


“[There's] no such thing as a child prostitute or a teen prostitute, I think we've had to have a cultural mind shift,” Smith said.


If Brown's case were heard today, the court would treat her as a child human trafficking victim.

[*bfine32*]

(11-21-2017, 09:08 PM)GMDino Wrote: Really?  Really?








Guess we just have a bunch of wannabe prosecuting attorney's....

So you can find nothing that makes it a little OK to torture and rape a child? The gist of the thread was if murder can be mitigated, which is exactly the opposite of the slant you try to put on the thread; however, this is to be expected as you often throw in an divisive post in efforts to degrade civil conversation, You do this because that you have displayed numerous times that you lack the acumen to participate in earnest discussion. So you have to try to turn the threads into one of petty insults so you can participate.

But it's OK; you're in good with the establishment. 

[GMDino]

(11-21-2017, 09:20 PM)bfine32 Wrote: So you can find nothing that makes it a little OK to torture and rape a child? The gist of the thread was if murder can be mitigated, which is exactly the opposite of the slant you try to put on the thread; however, this is to be expected as you often throw in an divisive post in efforts to degrade civil conversation, You do this because that you have displayed numerous times that you lack the acumen to participate in earnest discussion. So you have to try to turn the threads into one of petty insults so you can participate.

But it's OK; you're in good with the establishment. 

The gist of the thread is that the law was changed to protect girls like the victim in this case.

Yet she is serving a life sentence.

And there is something wrong with a society that does that to someone that was raped, abused and sold for sex.

Nothing else should matter.  And certainly nothing that tries to make it as if what she was going through wasn't "that bad".  I mean she didn't have a gun ponted at her when she killed the guy...right?  She might not even have been forced to have sex that night.  Who knows?  Right?

[*michaelsean*]

I guess it comes down to if the guy knew she was an unwilling participant. If he knew then he raped her.

[GMDino]

(11-21-2017, 09:42 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I guess it comes down to if the guy knew she was an unwilling participant. If he knew then he raped her.

Quote:Brown is convicted of murder for killing a Nashville realtor who'd bought her for sex.


“She was picked up by a 43 year old man.” Birman said. “Cyntoia was 16 years old.”

[*michaelsean*]

So do you think he knew? When it says bought her do they mean for a trick or actually bought her? If he knew she was unwilling I don’t have a problem with her killing her rapist.