Carter: ‘No Tolerance’ in DOD for Human Trafficking

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- In a meeting at the White House Friday of the president’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said sexual assault and human trafficking will be met with “absolutely no tolerance” in the Defense Department, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

In a statement on the deputy secretary’s participation, Little said Carter joined Secretary of State John F. Kerry, Attorney General Eric Holder, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Transportation Secretary Raymond LaHood, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett and other senior administration officials in the meeting.

“Deputy Secretary Carter noted that as the largest purchaser of goods and services in the federal government, the Department of Defense has a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not contribute to human trafficking and forced labor,” said the press secretary said.

Carter further noted that the Defense Department requires all its military service members to take training on how to recognize and report human trafficking, which will be updated to reflect recent changes in the law and an executive order on strengthening protections against human trafficking in federal contracts, Little said.

Other human trafficking and sex crimes related articles on Patch, dealing with the military community:

• Human Trafficking numbers on the rise
• Fort Bragg Officer facing sex crimes charges

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