sex trafficking

In the Booth with Ruth – Jody Williams, Founder of Sex Workers Anonymous (formerly Prostitutes Anonymous) and Trafficking and Prostitution Services

“The programs and laws that are being set up now need to have the input of people who understand how trafficking works if they really want to put a stop to this and create safe avenues of exit and recovery for the victims… By getting more survivors involved in the process of setting up these systems, we’re going to be able to make a dent in this horrific epidemic.” Jody Williams, Founder of Sex Workers Anonymous (formerly Prostitutes Anonymous) and Trafficking and Prostitution Services.

Ruth Jacobs's avatarRuth Jacobs

Jody Williams

How did you become involved working with victims of sex trafficking and prostitution?

I’ll start back when it all started – with me in the sex industry. I say ‘sex industry’ because I was involved not just in prostitution. I was operating as a prostitute, as a dominatrix, in the phone sex industry, pornography, stripping, live sex shows, swinging, sex clubs, and madaming. I had been brought into this by a generational family of pimps who had their other family members and associates all across the United States in many different areas of the sex industry.

I saw firsthand how these illegal businesses would intertwine with legal businesses and so-called legal businessmen. I know how they would bring in medical doctors who would give the women birth control, illegal abortions, treat their STDs – all off the record in exchange for a trade of services between him and the ‘girls’…

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In the Booth with Ruth – Erica Greve, Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate and Non-Profit Founder

“The average age of entry into prostitution in the USA is thirteen years old. These are little girls who are being raped for profit. Unfortunately, when these kids come into contact with the police, they are often arrested and taken to juvenile detention centers… These kids are victims not criminals. They don’t need jail time – they need restoration care services.” Erica Greve, Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate and Non-Profit Founder.

Ruth Jacobs's avatarRuth Jacobs

Erica Greve

What inspired you to support the movement against child sexual slavery and exploitation?

I first came into contact with children who had been sold for sex in America a few years ago, while I was completing my MSW degree from UC Berkeley. At the time, I was interning as one of the emergency department social workers, and my job was to conduct the initial interview of physically and sexually abused youths who were brought into the emergency department for treatment. My job during this time was to capture the story of the child and/or parent/social worker who brought the child to the ER department and to provide the child with all appropriate support services and to develop an aftercare treatment plan.

During the course of my internship, I began to encounter children who were brought into the ER who had been sold for sex and I began to notice patterns…

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In the Booth with Ruth – Ed Drain, Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate and Activist

“For the past few years, I have agitated for the freedom of Sara Kruzan. Sara Kruzan’s story represents not just what happened to her so many years ago – but it represents what is still happening today. There are still children being abused: physically, emotionally, and sexually as a precursor to being the target of and predated upon by pimps… Kruzan was eleven years old when her pimp first targeted her and molested her. Today, girls as young as eleven are still being called ‘teenage prostitutes’ by news services like Reuters… My own feeling is that until the law recognises what manipulations, pressures and dangers are forced upon young girls, there will not be, and cannot be, justice for them. I think, in this one case, we have forced the powers that be to look at such things. I think we have progressed the whole movement in this way.” Ed Drain, Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate and Activist.

Ruth Jacobs's avatarRuth Jacobs

Ed Drain

How did you become involved in the movement against human trafficking?

I found out about a woman who was trafficked to a massage parlour in DC. I was disgusted to learn that she had to ask twelve ‘customers’ or johns – men who pay to use her body, for help. It was a very brave thing she did because the traffickers would have beat her severely if they knew she had asked any johns for help. The business of the trafficker is aided considerably by the perception of the johns that the women or girls want to be there, which is, of course a lie. I ended up attending a happy hour where I heard from people from Polaris Project and from DC Stop Modern Slavery. At a later meeting of DC Stop Modern Slavery, the founder of that organisation, Ray Lian, asked if anyone would research and write letters…

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