So many people are concerned about the plight of us poor sex slaves... most of us in the sex industry are not sex slaves nor are we victims of human trafficking... but here's the reality: the US government's 2011 report of investigated human trafficking cases for the two and a half year period showed they opened 2,515 investigations, but of that number, 30% were found to be actual human trafficking, 38% NOT human trafficking and the remainder undetermined. Let's put this into perspective: 301 cases per year of confirmed human trafficking, while there were 88,000 reported rapes in the US in one year, of which 20% of the rapists were apprehended. The US Government also reported that there are 12 MILLION incidents of intimate partner violence and 1 MILLION incidents of intimate partner rape each year. Let's see, 301 victims of human trafficking compared to 88,000 rape victims and 12 million victims of intimate partner violence-and 1 million victims of intimate partner rape... what shall we do to help THOSE victims? Shut down all sites that advertise for 'matches' that lead to marriage? When domestic violence is so prevalent? What about dating sites which could lead to date rape? Here's an idea.... How about when we sex workers are victims of abuse, we are allowed to go to the police LIKE EVERY OTHER EMPLOYEE IN OTHER JOBS, and file a complaint about our abuser? We make victims of rape and domestic violence go to the police and file reports- we don't arrest their perpetrators without a complaint from them... so are the victims of rape and domestic violence less important to you than us prostitutes? Stop treating consenting adult prostitutes like we were children... decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex and we promise to call you when we need or want your help.
I don't think YOU get it, sir Coward, it is all about adults and sex. The whole point of the lawsuit against VillageVoice and Craigslist was to abolish ALL prostitution... ANYWAY THEY CAN.
You may have had to watch the side effect of sexual abuse, but I have had to watch the side effects of police corruption and abuse- and rape of adult prostitutes- ALL because of the abolitionist philosophy of eliminating ALL prostitution.
I do not want ANY children involved in any adult activity, whether it be sex or marriage or whatever adults can do that children are not permitted to do. The fact is that 90% of those children who are sexually abused are abused by members of the clergy, cops, teachers etc. ad nauseum. Family members are the primary abusers... so HOW do we eliminate that problem or the problem of adults forcing children into prostitution if we attempt to abolish all prostitution- including consenting adult?
Apparently your using ALL CAPS to help ME UNDERSTAND better is because YOU THINK THAT I AM NOT LITERATE? Many years ago, when I worked for the Los Angeles Police department before I grew tired of the corruption I witnessed on a daily basis and decided to become an honest prostitute, I was evaluated after an on duty injury, and according to a top psychologist used by the LAPD, my intelligence was "grossly above average." So I don't think you need to patronize me by inferring that because I was a sex worker, I have less of an aptitude for understanding.. and what I understand best is that moral hypocrisy to 'save the children' from being sex slaves when far more are being abused by EVERYONE but those who may find them on the internet and that NO ONE seems to want to address that issue.
If you should want to research it more, you can go to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics to find the recently published (April 2011) report "Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010" and the previous report from 2007-2008, which give some very interesting statistics.
For the two and a half years covered in the most recent report, total number of incidents of found victims of human trafficking was 2,515, of which 2,065 were classified as sex trafficking (this number includes children as well as adults). Of these, 30% were found to be actual cases of trafficking, 38% found NOT to be human trafficking and the rest were undetermined at the end of the study. Data in this report are from the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS), which was designed to measure the performance of federally funded task forces.
HTRS is currently the only system that captures information on human trafficking investigations conducted by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. So while the abolitionists posit that there are hundreds of thousands of victims every year, the federally funded agency says that of the 2,065 cases (over the two and one half year span that this report covers), only 218 were confirmed to be sex trafficking, 267 were found not to be sex trafficking and 229 were pending or unknown status. Where are the rest of the victims? Why can't they be found?
As for ranting, I will rant anywhere that ignorance on this important issue rears its ugly head.
I suggest that you do some research like I have and find the untold cases of cops, FBI agents and judges who are pedophiles and do not find their victims on the internet. They find them wherever they work. If you are truly concerned about children being used not just as sex slaves but as sex toys of pedophile priests, cops, judges etc. then you will have to conclude that if we do not decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex, we will not have the resources to help ALL the victims of pedophiles- wherever those pedophiles find their victims.
There are currently between 400,000 to 500,000 untested rape kits in police evidence lockers nationwide... these are cases where a woman or girl was raped, went to the police for help, underwent an intrusive and arguably traumatic procedure to obtain DNA evidence- and then went home and waited, and waited and waited... nothing. No rapist caught. No rapist punished.
According to the government's studies on domestic violence and intimate partner rapes, there are 4.8 MILLION cases EACH YEAR that are reported and very few times is there a suspect (the intimate partner) arrested and incarcerated. Why? Because we do not have the financial resources to deal with that amount of abuse in terms of court costs and incarceration.
According to those who keep track of child sexual abuse statistics, 90% of all cases of child sexual abuse are at the hands of someone the child knows- and 68% are family members. Teachers, clergy members, cops, boy scout leaders and other 'trusted' sources are the second greatest threat to children as far as actual sexual abuse is concerned. There are literally hundreds of cases of those trusted community leaders who engage in child sexual abuse and child pornography.
But you want the police to have a dedicated hooker-ad troll team? Seems to me that you have no idea what goes on in the real world. Why not leave the adult hookers and their non abusive, non violent clients alone and allow the police to go look for the rapists, child molesters and spousal abusers.... wouldn't that make more sense than having the cops troll for adult men and women who sell what they could otherwise legally give away? I would be happy to provide anyone who wishes with the sources for my accusations above. Or you could do the research yourself and find it like I did.
Your presumption is that most adult women who may engage in adult activities for money or other consideration are incapable of making their own choices. The fact is we are quite aware of what our human life is worth and we are not being trafficked as you are led to believe by the abolitionists who think (in their bizarre fantasy) they have a right to prevent consenting adults from consorting with each other for whatever reason. The reality is that forced prostitution is not nearly as common as you think.
Unfortunately, those with an agenda to abolish all prostitution will tell you that women are 'forced economically' to engage in sex work, while not bothering to be concerned about women who are economically forced to stay married to men who abuse them, or women who are forced into domestic service (would you willingly clean the toilets of other people?), or who are forced to remain in a job they hate working as a secretary/ waitress/ maid/ whatever.... you don't seem to care that many people are "Forced" to work in jobs they may or may not love, but if it is sex, then you think it is appropriate to prevent them at all costs from engaging in such work because it upsets your moral sensibilities! For goodness sakes, you folks who think that all us sex workers are uneducated docile females really need to get out in the world!
It all boils down to how you view sex. If you think sex is dirty and evil, then of course you will believe that those who engage in commercial sex are also dirty and evil. However, if you believe as I do that on a scale of 1 to 10, murder is the worst thing you can do to your fellow man, then giving someone an orgasm (for money) has to be one of the best things you can do. Unless of course you don't think pleasure is important or morally acceptable. It is your right to think that way, but not your right to impose that thinking on the rest of us! It is a matter of responsibility for people like you to mind your own business and allow other grownups to mind theirs.
Prostitution is sex for money or other consideration. (BTW Women who marry for money are not excluded from this definition). Even the police can't just arrest someone because they suspect that prostitution might be taking place- so how is it that an individual who may be viewing the ads is more likely than the cops to KNOW that it is an ad for prostitution, unless they respond to the ad and are 100% certain that it is prostitution? When the cops do a sting operation, they must get the 'suspected prostitute' to break the law in front of the nice officer so they can arrest the 'victims' of exploitation... because that's what we do to 'rescue' consenting adults who may be selling that which they can legally give away to anyone they want and to as many partners as they want- so long as NO ONE GETS PAID!
So why again is it the job of craiglist or backpage to contact the police when they do not actually know that a woman is out there being 'exploited' when she places an ad?
How do we solve the problem of domestic violence and spousal abuse when marriage is legal? How do we solve the problem of rape when consenting (non commercial) sex outside of marriage is legal? You cannot solve a problem by making the net so large and the laws so over broad that you drag in those who are not victims. And when the cops are often times the perpetrators of the abuse against sex workers, who do sex workers turn to for help?
Decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex and allow sex workers to turn in those who abuse them without being arrested for being a criminal. Not one single child is saved by arrested adult prostitutes and their non violent, non abusive clients. Scare and valuable resources are squandered and the system is overwhelmed by the number of arrested adult prostitutes. This helps NO ONE!
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Norma Jean Almodovar.
Re: I agree...but also disgree- but what about victims of rape and domestic violence?
: Re:Getting away with what?
You may have had to watch the side effect of sexual abuse, but I have had to watch the side effects of police corruption and abuse- and rape of adult prostitutes- ALL because of the abolitionist philosophy of eliminating ALL prostitution.
I do not want ANY children involved in any adult activity, whether it be sex or marriage or whatever adults can do that children are not permitted to do. The fact is that 90% of those children who are sexually abused are abused by members of the clergy, cops, teachers etc. ad nauseum. Family members are the primary abusers... so HOW do we eliminate that problem or the problem of adults forcing children into prostitution if we attempt to abolish all prostitution- including consenting adult?
Apparently your using ALL CAPS to help ME UNDERSTAND better is because YOU THINK THAT I AM NOT LITERATE? Many years ago, when I worked for the Los Angeles Police department before I grew tired of the corruption I witnessed on a daily basis and decided to become an honest prostitute, I was evaluated after an on duty injury, and according to a top psychologist used by the LAPD, my intelligence was "grossly above average." So I don't think you need to patronize me by inferring that because I was a sex worker, I have less of an aptitude for understanding.. and what I understand best is that moral hypocrisy to 'save the children' from being sex slaves when far more are being abused by EVERYONE but those who may find them on the internet and that NO ONE seems to want to address that issue.
If you should want to research it more, you can go to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics to find the recently published (April 2011) report "Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010" and the previous report from 2007-2008, which give some very interesting statistics.
For the two and a half years covered in the most recent report, total number of incidents of found victims of human trafficking was 2,515, of which 2,065 were classified as sex trafficking (this number includes children as well as adults). Of these, 30% were found to be actual cases of trafficking, 38% found NOT to be human trafficking and the rest were undetermined at the end of the study. Data in this report are from the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS), which was designed to measure the performance of federally funded task forces.
HTRS is currently the only system that captures information on human trafficking investigations conducted by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. So while the abolitionists posit that there are hundreds of thousands of victims every year, the federally funded agency says that of the 2,065 cases (over the two and one half year span that this report covers), only 218 were confirmed to be sex trafficking, 267 were found not to be sex trafficking and 229 were pending or unknown status. Where are the rest of the victims? Why can't they be found?
As for ranting, I will rant anywhere that ignorance on this important issue rears its ugly head.
I suggest that you do some research like I have and find the untold cases of cops, FBI agents and judges who are pedophiles and do not find their victims on the internet. They find them wherever they work. If you are truly concerned about children being used not just as sex slaves but as sex toys of pedophile priests, cops, judges etc. then you will have to conclude that if we do not decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex, we will not have the resources to help ALL the victims of pedophiles- wherever those pedophiles find their victims.
Re: pro
According to the government's studies on domestic violence and intimate partner rapes, there are 4.8 MILLION cases EACH YEAR that are reported and very few times is there a suspect (the intimate partner) arrested and incarcerated. Why? Because we do not have the financial resources to deal with that amount of abuse in terms of court costs and incarceration.
According to those who keep track of child sexual abuse statistics, 90% of all cases of child sexual abuse are at the hands of someone the child knows- and 68% are family members. Teachers, clergy members, cops, boy scout leaders and other 'trusted' sources are the second greatest threat to children as far as actual sexual abuse is concerned. There are literally hundreds of cases of those trusted community leaders who engage in child sexual abuse and child pornography.
But you want the police to have a dedicated hooker-ad troll team? Seems to me that you have no idea what goes on in the real world. Why not leave the adult hookers and their non abusive, non violent clients alone and allow the police to go look for the rapists, child molesters and spousal abusers.... wouldn't that make more sense than having the cops troll for adult men and women who sell what they could otherwise legally give away? I would be happy to provide anyone who wishes with the sources for my accusations above. Or you could do the research yourself and find it like I did.
Re: Re: Re:Getting away with what?
Unfortunately, those with an agenda to abolish all prostitution will tell you that women are 'forced economically' to engage in sex work, while not bothering to be concerned about women who are economically forced to stay married to men who abuse them, or women who are forced into domestic service (would you willingly clean the toilets of other people?), or who are forced to remain in a job they hate working as a secretary/ waitress/ maid/ whatever.... you don't seem to care that many people are "Forced" to work in jobs they may or may not love, but if it is sex, then you think it is appropriate to prevent them at all costs from engaging in such work because it upsets your moral sensibilities! For goodness sakes, you folks who think that all us sex workers are uneducated docile females really need to get out in the world!
It all boils down to how you view sex. If you think sex is dirty and evil, then of course you will believe that those who engage in commercial sex are also dirty and evil. However, if you believe as I do that on a scale of 1 to 10, murder is the worst thing you can do to your fellow man, then giving someone an orgasm (for money) has to be one of the best things you can do. Unless of course you don't think pleasure is important or morally acceptable. It is your right to think that way, but not your right to impose that thinking on the rest of us! It is a matter of responsibility for people like you to mind your own business and allow other grownups to mind theirs.
Re: Think about it in the real world for a second.
So why again is it the job of craiglist or backpage to contact the police when they do not actually know that a woman is out there being 'exploited' when she places an ad?
Re: limit the channels
Decriminalize consenting adult commercial sex and allow sex workers to turn in those who abuse them without being arrested for being a criminal. Not one single child is saved by arrested adult prostitutes and their non violent, non abusive clients. Scare and valuable resources are squandered and the system is overwhelmed by the number of arrested adult prostitutes. This helps NO ONE!
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