Ricketts saves again on day of 100th cap

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Donovan Ricketts is the elder statesman of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz.

It was close toss-up between him and debutant defender Wes Morgan, for he was the outstanding player for Jamaica in Friday night’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Panama away.While Morgan distinguished himself at the heart of Jamaica’s defence, Ricketts was busy plucking out balls aimed at his goal whenever the frustrated Panamanians found a way through.Plus, the game was Ricketts’ 100th as an international, and that in itself, is worthy of commendation of a man who started out more than 16 years ago at the senior level.“It’s a special feeling because not many players get to play 100 games at this level, so I have to say it’s one of my crowning moments in my football career,” said the 35-year-old Portland Timbers goaltender.Never one to dwell on self-glory, Ricketts quickly turned the focus on his team’s 0-0 draw against Panama on Friday night in a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifying match where victory was a must to put the crusade on track.“It wasn’t really a brilliant performance, but we had a job to do and get three points; it wasn’t pretty, but we stuck to the task and fought hard even when we went down to 10 men.”The true leader he is, Rickets, popularly called ‘Tall P’ for obvious reasons, was modest when asked about his input on Friday, preferring instead to shower praise on his teammates.“For me, it was just a regular game and I mopped up whenever I was called to mop up… nothing special.“However, Wes Morgan was outstanding last night (Friday) as he really defended well, and Mr (Shaun) Cummings wasn’t bad either, and was solid when he was at left back and when he was switched to the right, so overall it was pretty impressive from our debutants last night,” said the former Los Angeles Galaxy standout.Looking ahead to Jamaica’s next assignment on Tuesday, Ricketts said in a must-win match-up, goals have to be scored, a lack of which has put the Reggae Boyz’s World Cup desires in shambles.“As you can see, we haven’t been scoring. So in a must-win game we must defend as well as we did in the last game and put away our chances. If we don’t win, then it’s all over, so we must come out and score goals because we have quality strikers,” he argued.Jamaican captain Donovan Ricketts (foreground) leads his team on to the pitch for Friday night’s World Cup Qualifier at the Rommel Fernandez Stadium in Panama City, Panama.(PHOTO: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

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Ricketts saves again on day of 100th cap

FBI "saves 105 trafficked children"

29 July 2013 Last updated at 14:24 ET “The FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimisation,” Ron Hosko said The FBI says it has rescued 105 children and arrested 150 pimps in 76 US cities over the weekend, in an operation against child prostitution.

The largest numbers of children rescued were in San Francisco, Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver and New Orleans.

FBI assistant director Ronald Hosko said the Operation Cross Country VII raids had been the agency’s largest action against child exploitation.

The FBI said 2,700 children have been rescued in such US raids since 2003.

The victims in the most recent raids were almost all girls and range in age from 13 to 17.

They had been prostituted in a variety of locations, including truck stops, casinos, motels as well as on social media and online advertisements.

Mr Hosko said the accused had preyed on vulnerable teenagers, exploiting them over a period of time.

“Girls are enticed with compliments or offers, [asked] do they want to make some money,” he said.

“Then they are trapped into this cycle that involves drugs, that involves physical abuse. It may involve torture.”

Since 2003, some 1,350 people have been convicted in such cases, including life prison sentences for 10 pimps, the FBI said.

Assets of more than $3.1m (£2m) have been seized.

The US justice department has estimated as many as 450,000 children run away from home each year.

It says a third of teens living on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

Some lawmakers have said further legal protections are needed.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has introduced a bill to require local police, as well as foster care and child welfare programmes to identify children lured into sex trafficking as victims of abuse and neglect, making them eligible for protection and services.

“In much of the country today if a girl is found in the custody of a so-called pimp she is not considered to be a victim of abuse, and that’s just wrong and defies common sense,” Sen Wyden said during a hearing last month.

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FBI "saves 105 trafficked children"