Video: Trafficker at 16 Years Old
He’s 26 years old, he spent the last eight in a penitentiary having been convicted of child trafficking when he was only seventeen. He agreed to speak with us because he doesn’t want other kids and teenagers to follow in his footsteps. He asks us to call him Vladimir, to protect his identity.
Vladimir says that he was recruited in May 2010, when he was just 16 years old, by a Norwegian citizen originally from the Russian Federation. The head of the network needed him to identify new victims. It was the moment when Victor transitioned from victim to trafficker. Victor’s role in the network was important. He had to please clients who wanted boys younger than 16 years old.
The network was huge, covering all of Moldova, including Transnistria. Arrests followed, court cases and heavy convictions, including the head of the ring who is serving a 24 year sentence. The Greek client walked away, after presenting his diplomatic passport.