Conversation focusing on commercial sexual exploitation of children

Salve Regina’s Administration of Justice Club and the sexual assault and trauma center Day One will co-sponsor a community conversation on the commercial sexual exploitation of children at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 in the O’Hare Academic Center, Room 260.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children is a growing issue in Rhode Island and throughout the United States. This training and panel discussion will cover definitions, general information and statistics, signs someone might be involved, treatment for victims and at-risk youth and an overview of the new statewide response.

Through this event, organizers aim to:

• Educate participants on the growing issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children
• Discuss the recruitment process used to lure people into human trafficking
• Share Rhode Island’s response to victims of human trafficking
• Inform students about potential careers dealing with the issue of human trafficking

Panelists will include:

• Gregg Catlow ’02, ’09 (M), detective with the Smithfield Police Department. He serves as the department’s juvenile officer, handling all juvenile matters in Family Court. Catlow is also a firearms instructor and teaches active shooter response.
• Dan Guglielmo, chief of the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General’s domestic violence/sexual assault unit. After living in Washington, D.C., where he worked for three members of Congress, he moved to Rhode Island, where he served as a legislative director before continuing his career with the attorney general’s office.
• Michael Iacone ’02, ’09 (M), detective with the Cranston Police Department. He is currently assigned to the special victims unit, where he handles all sexually based crimes as well as crimes against children and the elderly. Iacone also serves on the FBI and HSI task forces dealing with the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children.
• Roger Oliveira ’91, clerk magistrate pro tempore for the Bristol County Juvenile Court. He co-founded the first alternative juvenile lockup facility in southeastern Massachusetts and sits on the CSEC steering committee for Bristol County, Massachusetts.
• Maureen Philbin ’86, director of advocacy at Day One. She is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of experience managing nonprofit organizations in the fields of advocacy, child welfare, juvenile justice, elder care, mental health and system of care administration.