Arts & Entertainment

Author Unveils Seedy Past of Turnpike

Details of human trafficking are documented in his new book.

Raymond Bechard unveils his new book, The Berlin Turnpike: A True Story of Human Trafficking in America, Tuesday May 24 from 6-8 p.m. at The Olympia Diner, 3413 Berlin Turnpike, Newington.

For more information please visit www.TheBerlinTurnpike.com

The book's website reads:

Find out what's happening in Berlinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

One hour on the Berlin Turnpike. That’s really all it takes. If you look closely, over two centuries of American history and culture - the very best and worst of who we are and have been – are ensconced along this twelve-mile stretch of concrete.

On this journey, you will discover our nation’s heritage, our legacy, where we are as a culture, how we got here, and perhaps, where we are going. The Berlin Turnpike holds the evidence to all this and more. And while its story is unique, it is by no means exclusive. There are thousands of corridors like it - both real and virtual - across the United States and throughout its cyber-cousin, the internet. Yet, few recognize the dire urgency of a social phenomenon that has been prevalent along the highways of this nation for nearly two centuries.

Find out what's happening in Berlinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is a true story of human trafficking in America as told through the testimony of a landmark federal trial which took place at the heart of one of the country’s wealthiest states, Connecticut, over the course of eight days in 2007. The trial of United States vs. Dennis Paris provides a rare and detailed account of how a specific type of trafficking - commercial sexual exploitation - is thriving because it has left the street corners and entered our homes. This one case contains every element of a crime so reliant on secrecy; shrouded behind a scintillating veil of growing legitimacy. Yet it is buried just below the surface of our culture’s mainstream perception.

The myth is that human trafficking of this kind disguises itself as a different monster; an evil face that is easy to recognize. The truth is far more devious and complex. In the shadows of our daily lives, this silent explosion of crime and abuse hides behind a deceptive mask of false innocence and legitimacy. For the first time we will openly examine this heretofore ignored truth with no agenda or motive other than to expose its stark reality.

This trip to The Berlin Turnpike will take you to the core of how and where these events take place from the perspective of all those involved: the victims, the police, and the perpetrators. Never before has one story so accurately represented the dangerously magnetic commonalities shared by thousands of roadways, neighborhoods, businesses, publications, private homes, and websites.

When you see what is happening today on the Berlin Turnpike – in all its forms - you will finally discover what has been lurking in every American community for so long.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here