Sexploitation

This week, we hear from Kathryn Rifenbark, the Director for CyberTipline, Public Reports, in the Exploited Children Division (ECD) at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). In this talk from the 2024 CESE Summit, she shares about the impact of Sextortion on today's young people and talks about a powerful new service that can be used to help. Self-generated content is a normative behavior of today's youth. But it can have a destructive impact when it's non-consensually shared or when they have been blackmailed or coerced into producing it. Take It Down is a new, anonymous, and free service that can help prevent the spread of online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos of those under the age of 18. This session will provide an overview of Take it Down, operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Launched in December of 2022, participants will learn the amazing impact of this global program, how it works and how you can share this resource with children, victims, and families in your community. Kathryn has worked at NCMEC for over 14 years, and in her current position, Kathryn is responsible for enhancing NCMEC's efforts to improve resources for survivors of child sexual abuse material by liaising with law enforcement, victim service providers, and child serving professionals as well as managing the team who processes public CyberTipline reports. She received a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.    NCMEC's Take It Down service: https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/ Learn more about NCMEC: https://www.missingkids.org/  Read the article “Sextortion: The Largest Blackmail Operation In Human History” https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/sextortion-the-largest-blackmail-operation-in-human-history/      

In this episode, we get to hear from Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls for the United Nations. We were honored to have her join us to speak at the 2024 CESE Global Summit, and this session is titled “Beyond Consent: Prostitution, Pornography, and Human Rights” in which she looks at prostitution as sexual exploitation and a violation of the human right to dignity. She also looks specifically at pornography and other forms of technology facilitated forms of prostitution as she busts 7 myths about prostitution. Reem Alsalem is an independent consultant on gender issues, the rights of refugees and migrants, transitional justice and humanitarian response. She has consulted extensively for United Nations departments, agencies and programmes such as UN-Women, OHCHR, UNICEF and IOM, as well as for non-governmental organizations, think tanks and academia. Previously, she worked as an international civil servant, serving with the UNHCR in thirteen countries. During her service, she has planned, implemented, and monitored programs that served to protect persons that were survivors of gender-based violence, particularly women and girls.  Read our blog article about Reem's report to the U.N. and get a full copy here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/united-nations-must-adopt-report-that-tells-truth-about-prostitution/  Learn more about the issue of Prostitution and how it is a major form of sexual exploitation: https://endsexualexploitation.org/issues/prostitution/ 

Haley McNamara and Dani Pinter discuss the groundbreaking lawsuits against multiple pornography websites that were recently filed in Kansas. These cases are the first of their kind as the new Age Verification Law was allegedly violated when a minor was able to access sexually explicit content without any age verification efforts from multiple websites. Haley and Dani talk about the real people affected in this case as well as the larger effects of pornography on children.      Read the blog: https://bit.ly/KansasAVlawsuit  Read the New York Times article: https://nyti.ms/4msXL6R   Read about the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on Age Verification: https://bit.ly/3SM38Am   FREE Resource: The Most Dangerous Playground | View Resource: https://bit.ly/MostDangerousPlayground   Get Help from the NCOSE Law Center: https://sexualexploitationlawsuits.com/get-help  

Lisa Thompson joins Haley McNamara to discuss the recent launch of a groundbreaking new report, Not a Fantasy: How the Pornography Industry Exploits Image-based Sexual Abuse in Real Life, which exposes how the pornography industry facilitates, normalizes, and profits from image-based sexual abuse (IBSA). Lisa shares her journey into this work to end sexual exploitation and how she was able to bring this report to life. Haley and Lisa chat through some of the details of the report as well, including 9 ways the pornography industry fuels IBSA.       Learn more and download the FREE report: https://NotAFantasy.org   Learn more about Image-Based Sexual Abuse: https://EndSexualExploitation.org/IBSA    

The Take It Down Act has passed congress! As it heads to the president's desk for signing, Haley McNamara sits down with Eleanor Gaetan (VP and Director of Public Policy at NCOSE) to discuss what this law does, why it's needed, and what's next on the horizon for protecting kids online. They also discuss the momentum we are seeing at the state level for the Safer Devices for Kids Act, which requires device manufacturers to have safety settings ON by default. Contact us here: public@ncose.com Read more about the TAKE IT DOWN Act passing: EndSexualExploitation.org blog Learn about the Safer Devices for Kids Act: EndSexualExploitation.org/Device-Protection-Bill Watch the video version of this podcast episode here: https://youtu.be/BiI8YQ05kX4

Tim Estes joins Haley for this week's episode to discuss the launch of an incredible new platform: AngelQ. Among his many other accomplishments, Tim is the CEO and Founder of Angel AI. He chats with Haley about how AngelQ got started and what parents can do with this tool. They also discuss the recent report of a disturbing conversation that journalists from the Wall Street Journal were able to generate from the Meta AI chat service. This just emphasizes the need for smart and safe AI tools like the one that Tim and the team at AngelQ have created. AngelQ is an AI-driven tool that creates safe and curated experiences for kids and gives parents peace of mind. It's more than just a safety tool – AngelQ is designed to encourage and inspire kids as they use the internet to learn, have fun, and then hop offline to explore the world around them. Tim Estes is based in Nashville, TN, with his wife of 10 years, Jalayne Tradler, and their two boys. He is the Founder of Authentic Capital, and serves on the board for a number of organizations including Nashville Innovation Studio, Replica Cyber/Grey Market Labs, and Mission Link Next. Tim has also been involved with a number of legislative efforts including the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), and he is a regular event speaker and podcast guest on issues around emerging technology, A.I., and protecting kids online. Get a discount on your AngelQ subscription by signing up for our newsletter: EndSexualExploitation.org/AngelQ-SignUp Visit the AngelQ website: www.AngelQ.ai

Haley McNamara and Dani Pinter sit down with Melinda Tankard Reist, Co-Founder and Movement Director of Collective Shout, for a discussion around the recent successful campaign to remove a sexually violent game called “No Mercy” from Steam. Melinda describes how the game allows players to sexually assault your family members and rewards you for doing so. In less than a week, this campaign garnered over 70,000 signatures and over 3,000 emails sent to the CEO of Valve to remove this game. Despite the backlash and threats, Melinda and the team at Collective Shout continue their work to protect women and children from objectification and sexualization. Melinda is an author, speaker, media commentator and campaigner. She is best known for her work addressing sexualization, objectification, harms of pornography, sexual exploitation, trafficking and violence against women. Melinda is author/editor of seven books (no. 8 on boundary-setting for girls forthcoming 2025). She co-founded Collective Shout for a world free of sexploitation 15 years ago, and is Movement Director. Melinda is an Ambassador for World Vision Australia, Compassion Australia, Hagar NZ and the youth mentoring body the Raise Foundation. She is also Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Culture and Ethics, Notre Dame University, Sydney and named in the Who's Who of Australian Women and the World Who's Who of Women. In 2024 she was the recipient of the ‘Global Impact Award' presented at the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation [CESE] Global Summit in Washington DC. 

“Children being the targets of this deepfake technology is our worst nightmare” Haley and Dani discuss the current state of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology in the realm of sexual exploitation. Overwhelmingly, these tools are used for pornographic material, and 10% of teenagers have reported being aware of deepfake pornography depicting someone they know. They also dig into how this leads to desensitization towards sexualizing children and overwhelming law enforcement. -- Urge your representatives to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act: https://advocacy.charityengine.net/Default.aspx?isid=2355 -- Urge Apple and Google to have better policies for A.I. apps:  https://endsexualexploitation.org/AI-Deepfake-Apps  Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/uItdvTL3pIU 

Haley McNamara and Dani Pinter discuss The Guardian article: "‘I didn't start out wanting to see kids': are porn algorithms feeding a generation of paedophiles – or creating one?" They talk about the chilling reality of how pornography platforms algorithms cause escalation for so many of their visitors. Read the full article on The Guardian here: https://tinyurl.com/yc48mczp Learn more about the harms of pornography: https://endsexualexploitation.org/issues/pornography/ 

Haley McNamara (NCOSE Senior VP of Programs and Initiatives) and Dani Pinter (Senior VP and Director at the NCOSE Law Center) talk about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and why it's essential for it to end. They also discuss the history of the Dirty Dozen List and what led to this unique version of the list in 2025. Since its inception in 1996, Section 230 has effectively provided blanket immunity to big tech companies for harms facilitated on their platforms. It's time to call for a full repeal of CDA Section 230! Learn more and take action here: www.DirtyDozenList.org Watch the video version of this episode here: https://youtu.be/G7VZVJ1QRUc

In this special episode of the Ending Sexploitation Podcast, Lisa Thompson (Vice President of Research at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation) chats with Kristen Jenson. Kristen is the founder of Defend Young Minds and #1 best-selling author of Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids and Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds. She is the CEO of Glen Cove Press LLC and the executive producer of the Brain Defense: Digital Safety curriculum. Visit Defend Young Minds: https://www.defendyoungminds.com/ For more information on the harms of pornography: https://endsexualexploitation.org/issues/pornography/ 

In this special episode of the Ending Sexploitation Podcast, Teresa J. Helm (Survivor Services Coordinator at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation) chats with Cristian Eduardo. Cristian champions anti-trafficking initiatives, particularly the Equality Model, and fervently advocates for immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights. He serves as a Survivor Leader in this movement engaged with various Survivor Advisory Boards and Councils. He is the is a co-founder of United Immigrants of New York and Mujeres en Resistencia, which are coalitions raising awareness around gender-based violence and providing accessible resources to the Spanish-speaking and Latino-immigrant communities. For more information on the dangers of prostitution: https://endsexualexploitation.org/issues/prostitution/ Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/zGb5vSS2E_4

In this special episode of the Ending Sexploitation Podcast, Dani Pinter (Senior Legal Counsel at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation) chats with Joshua Broome about this important topic. Joshua is an author, speaker, and advocate for shining a light on the harms of pornography. Watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/8bB4B-xebnM

Dr. Stephany Powell, Director of Law Enforcement Training and Survivor Services at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the concept of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) through the lens of implicit bias.    Dr. Powell explains that Trauma-Informed Care entails a paradigm shift from wondering, “What's wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”. She says, “Once we understand ‘What happened to you', without bias, then that's when we can really begin our journey alongside our clients to be able to help them become the person that they want to be.”    Dr. Powell explains that the ability to understand people's trauma and provide them with Trauma-Informed Care is often hindered by our own implicit biases. Implicit biases are the attitudes or stereotypes we unconsciously hold which affect the way we view and treat other people. They are different from explicit biases in that we do not know we have them and they can even be in opposition to our declared beliefs. Dr. Powell emphasizes that everyone has implicit biases. Fortunately, these biases can be gradually unlearned, but in order for this to happen we first have to recognize what our implicit biases are and how they are affecting our attitudes and behaviors. 

Why focus on combatting the demand for prostitution (ie. Sex buying)? Is combatting demand an effective way to reduce sex trafficking? Is it affordable and accessible for law enforcement? What kind of tactics and strategies can be used to deter sex buyers? How does full decriminalization of prostitution affect demand reduction efforts? These are some of the questions explored by the experts on Demand who join the Ending Sexploitation podcast for this episode. These experts include Marian Hatcher of the Cook County Sheriff's Office, who has worked on countless law enforcement initiatives targeting demand; Jamey Caruthers, the Director of Demand Reduction and Policy at Street Grace; and Dr. Michael Shively, long-time researcher on Demand and Senior Advisor on Research & Data Analysis at NCOSE.

Peter Gentala, Senior Legal Counsel at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the issue of holding social media platforms legally accountable for facilitating sexual exploitation. Gentala addresses both the particular challenges in this space as well as the unprecedented progress that has occurred over the past year.   Gentala explains how American Law has been interpreted as granting internet platforms blanket immunity for third-party content, under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. As such, it has historically been exceptionally difficult to hold social media companies accountable for the role they play in recklessly distributing sexually exploitative content. However, thanks to the brave voices of survivors and the collective efforts of law firms, advocates, journalists, and more, groundbreaking progress has been made. Gentala speaks to the milestones that have been reached in the past year, sharing a message of hope and inspiration. 

Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Chair and Founder of Hunt Alternatives and Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the importance of combating demand for commercial sexual exploitation.  During the discussion, Ambassador Hunt shared the story of speaking to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation internationally. She recalled the chilling story of a young woman in Europe who told her, “Our girls are disappearing from our villages.” Over time, Ambassador Hunt began researching why so many women and girls were being exploited and bought for sex. In addition to enabling research and trainings on demand (aka sex buying behavior), Ambassador Hunt went on to help establish the Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE Network) which spearhead cutting edge tactics to identify the best policies and practices for reducing demand at a local level. 

Kindsey Pentecost, Chief Marketing Officer of ItWorks, an industry leading beauty and nutrition company), and Founder of Turn Your Life Around (TYLA), a Prostitution Diversion Court joins the podcast to share about her experiences collaborating with and training law enforcement and court systems on sex trafficking.  “Especially in the United States, we really treat victims [of sex trafficking] as if it's their job to identify as a victim and tell us that they're a victim, and that just doesn't work with sex trafficking,” Kindsey shared. In this episode, she explains how sex traffickers groom victims, establishing bonds so strong that many victims don't have the ability to identify themselves for law enforcement.   Reflecting on her years of experience working closely with the criminal justice system, Kindsey describes how vital it is for law enforcement and the courts to be accurately trained on the dynamics of sex trafficking in order to better serve survivors.   She also shares about her work in Florida to shift law enforcement resources and time away from arresting people sold in the sex trade, bringing in agencies to provide diverse services to help survivors recover, and instead to focus law enforcement on arresting sex buyers and traffickers.  Kindsey Pentecost's advice to listeners is to focus on prevention by investing in the next generation, discussing the realities of grooming and abuse with them in age-appropriate ways to safeguard them from potential exploiters.  Visit https://www.kindseypentecost.com/purpose to find resources to learn more and take action, including a parent guide and list of must-read books. 

In the face of an explosion of child sexual abuse material (CSAM, aka child pornography) being distributed and consumed online, the EARN IT Act holds technology companies accountable if they aid and abet the distribution and/or consumption of child sexual abuse material. This episode is a chance to listen in to the February 8th, 2022, EARN IT Act virtual congressional briefing. The EARN IT Act is the most important child protection legislation pending before Congress in 2022. It does four main things: Clarifies that there is no immunity for social media and technology companies that knowingly facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) Gives victims a path to justice and possibility of restoring their privacy Updates existing federal statutes to replace “child pornography” with the more accurate term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM). This content is crime scene documentation; “child pornography” fails to convey the seriousness of the abuse. Establishes a commission of survivors, technology reps, privacy and civil rights experts, and other stakeholders to recommend best practices for tech companies to respond to the astronomical increase in online sexual exploitation of children including grooming for sex trafficking. Here's what the bill does not do: Does not undermine encryption Does not undermine privacy Does not give the federal government new power You can watch a video of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAItN4LicJo Learn more and take action: https://endsexualexploitation.org/earnit/ 

Kristen Jensen, founder of Defend Young Minds, shares about the necessity of teaching children “Digital Defense Skills” for online safety and preventing/defending against exposure to online pornography. Kristen speaks to the necessity of talking to kids about the harms of viewing pornography early, and educates on strategies to do so in a comfortable and age appropriate way. Kristen has developed popular resources for talking to children as young as 3 years old, such as the book Good Pictures Bad Pictures Junior. We encourage you to see Kristen Jensen's valuable resources here.  Some resources specifically mentioned on this episode include:  Books: Good Pictures Bad Pictures books can be purchased from Amazon, where they have been #1 Best Sellers. Find more information and links to purchase them at https://www.defendyoungminds.com/books/  New book for therapists and educators: Good Pictures Bad Pictures Guidebook for Professionals: Therapeutic and Educational Interventions with Didactic, Kinesthetic and Artistic Applications  Curriculum: Learn about our engaging new curriculum Brain Defense: Digital Safety at https://braindefense.org/ 

Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the history of the organization and its vision for the future. The discussion includes the need for a bipartisan and diverse movement that addresses the full spectrum of sexual abuse and exploitation issues. Dawn Hawkins emphasizes the need to address not only sex trafficking and child sexual abuse, but also more controversial issues like pornography and prostitution which are sexually exploitive in and of themselves and which feed into more kinds of harm. She addresses the cultural confusion about if prostitution and pornography can be considered legitimate jobs, and if systems can be set up which ensure they are ethical, or if they are inherently harmful. TAKE ACTION: EndSexualExploitation.org | DirtyDozenList.com | SexploitationLawsuits.com

In this interview, Haley McNamara (VP at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation) speaks with Julie Inman Grant who shares about the genesis of the Australian eSafety Commission, and the importance of corporate and technological accountability for safety online.   She also discusses Safety By Design principles, and the importance of pursuing age verification for consumers of pornography. She also lays out helpful advice to advocates looking to expand these concepts in their own countries.     Get Involved:  You can learn more about the Australian eSafety Commission here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/  If you or someone you know has been a victim of non-consensually shared intimate materials, reach out to support networks:  https://www.cybercivilrights.org/victim-resources/ (United States of America)  https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk/ (United Kingdom)  https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/image-based-abuse (Australia)  https://www.cybercivilrights.org/intl-victim-resources/ (Other Countries) 

Alvin W. Amadu has over 18 years of working on anti-exploitation in Africa. He's currently the Program Manager at the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) Liberia. He is a 2019/2020 Humphrey Fullbright Fellow sponsored by the United States Department of State – and he also worked as a Fellow with us in Washington DC at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation at that time.  In this podcast, Alvin shares about the cultural and economic contexts in Liberia that increase children's vulnerability to sexual abuse or sex trafficking. He also shares how child marriage is a global problem, and why it must be recognized as a form of sexual abuse. In the end he shares key principles of prevention that people around the world can apply in order to better safeguard children. Learn more about Alvin's organization here: http://www.anppcan.org/ 

Dr. Stephany Powell joins the podcast to share about her unique insight into the world of sexual exploitation and trafficking gained through her thirty years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), coupled with her time serving survivors and advocating for vital policy reforms. She addresses law enforcement perspectives on identifying and investigating sex trafficking cases, and misunderstandings that can hinder them. Dr. Powell recently contributed to a book titled “Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls.” Her chapter addressed myths around the commercial sexual exploitation of African American girls, and she elaborates on these themes in her podcast.

Child sexual abuse materials (or CSAM, aka child pornography) has surged over 106% during COVID according to the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children. And tragically, CSAM isn't only happening on the Dark Web - it's also flourishing on mainstream social media platforms like Twitter. Survivor John Doe was only 16 when he discovered exploitative child sexual abuse materials of himself at age 13 were posted on Twitter. The video managed to accrue over 160,000 views before Twitter finally took it down—despite multiple reports from both John Doe and his mother verifying his status as a minor.   Lisa Habba, Esq. and Peter Gentala, Esq. joined this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast to share the story of John Doe, and another male survivor, who are suing Twitter for facilitating their child sexual abuse materials. The discussion includes the legal challenges of the case and why Twitter assumes it should be immune from any liability, despite fostering an environment that appears to allow child sexual abuse materials to flourish. Take Action: If you or someone you know has been harmed by sexual exploitation via Twitter please contact the Haba Law Firm and the NCOSE Law Center. Learn more about this case and help spread the word on how Twitter is complicit with the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM.)

Since the 2007 movie Lars and the Real Girl, sex dolls have become increasingly popular and normalized. In fact, mainstream companies like Amazon, Etsy, and the Wish shopping app have sold sex dolls, including ones that looked child-like. During this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast, Haley McNamara interviews Caitlin Roper, PhD candidate, and Campaigns Manager at Collective Shout. They discuss the rising trends of sex dolls being made to look like children or people the buyer knows in real life, and the way sex dolls are not an answer to loneliness or pedophilia. In fact, they discuss research that shows how child sex abuse dolls normalize and encourage sexual interest in children.  Take Action: Connect with Collective Shout and engage in their campaigns: https://www.collectiveshout.org/ Follow Caitlin Roper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlin_roper Contact Etsy on Twitter and tell them to stop selling sex dolls: https://twitter.com/Etsy

Did you know that mainstream companies you interact with every day may be facilitating sexual exploitation, or leaving children vulnerable to abuse or graphic content?  During this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast, Haley McNamara interviews Lina Nealon, Director of Corporate and Strategic Initiatives at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.  They discuss mainstream corporations that are facilitating sexual exploitation and abuse, including problems with Google Chrombooks that leave children vulnerable during online learning, how Amazon facilitates incest-themed merchandise, how the Wish Shopping app sells exploitive merchandise and buys ads on pornography websites, the rise of the OnlyFans sexual exploitation marketplace, and more.  Take Action  Learn more and contact companies facilitating sexual exploitation at dirtydozenlist.com  You can specifically take action on Google Chromebooks here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/chromebooks  You can specifically take action on Amazon here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/amazon  You can specifically take action on Wish here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/wish  You can specifically take action on OnlyFans here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/onlyfans  The Dirty Dozen List is an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating or profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. Since its inception in 2013, the Dirty Dozen List has galvanized thousands of individuals like YOU to call on corporations, government agencies, and organizations to change specific policies to instead promote human dignity. This campaign has yielded major victories, including significant changes at Google, Netflix, TikTok, Hilton Worldwide, Verizon, Walmart, US Department of Defense, and many more. 

Entities such as strip clubs, massage parlors, brothels, and pornography production companies exist around the world and are commonly referred to using innocuous terms such as “sex trade,” “sex sector,” and “commercial sex industry.” However, what these entities really constitute is a global supply chain of organized sexual exploitation. Lisa Thompson, Vice President of Policy and Research at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, analyzes this complex supply chain. Resources: This presentation was recorded at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's national briefing in the U.S. Capitol building, entitled "The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda." To learn more about the agenda, and to see more videos from the event, visit: endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/  

The abuse of children is something we recognize as a horrific crime. But what happens when the abuser is a child themselves? This week we hear from Heidi Olson, a registered nurse who specializes in pediatrics and leads the team of forensic nurses at a large children’s hospital in Kansas City, MO. This presentation will give real-life examples of unlikely juvenile sex offenders, their victims, and how this is directly related to exploitation and pornography. *Listener Discretion Advised: This episode includes graphic medical descriptions of the acts and after effects of sexual assault.  Resources: Learn more and find resources if you or someone you love has experienced this kind of abuse: https://endsexualexploitation.org/cocsa

While this work is sometimes dark and depressing, we are so grateful to see many victories from 2018! Join us in looking back and recognizing the forward momentum our movement has, from corporate policy progress at Walmart and Comcast, to more state resolutions recognizing the harms of pornography, and more! Resources: Get involved and be a part of the 2019 victories by taking action at DirtyDozenList.com.  

Earlier this year,  Jayme Cross, a 13-year-old girl had been missing for months after a 21-year-old man murdered her parents, duct-taped her wrists and mouth, threw her in the back of his trunk, and drove away. Some 88 days after being abducted, Jayme was able to get out of the house, and run to get help from a woman out walking her dog. Perhaps few others have as clear of a perspective on this story than the family of Elizabeth Smart—the woman who was abducted for several months in Utah in 2002 at the age of 14. At the 2015 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit, Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, gave a moving presentation about the way sexual exploitation and abuse is interlinked in real-life, and how to turn trauma into action. Ed Smart is now an advocate for child protection, working with numerous nonprofits and has lobbied Congress and the Senate tirelessly to prevent further abductions and to rescue missing children. Resources: First, you can go to http://www.childIDprogram.com/ for the ID Kit which allows parents to take and store their child's fingerprints in their own home. Keep for your own records in case the worst happens and you need to give them to authorities. Surviving Parents Coalition http://www.spcoalition.org/index.html TAALK has many resources and a private forum with one section that is specifically for Parents of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: https://taalk.org/forum.html https://elizabethsmartfoundation.org/ - ending victimization through prevention, recovery and advocacy

Strip clubs are often seen as a harmless form of entertainment for men. And. While they are certainly everywhere from the sides of interstates to the heart of our nation’s capital, and pull patrons from all walks of life, some of strip club’s most routine patrons include military personnel. In fact, military bases are often surrounded by strip clubs in their area, and we’ve seen that they often have special ads and discounts specifically targeting individuals serving in the military. How is this a problem? Well, not only do strip clubs themselves feed into harmful sexual entitlement and often recruit from women with trauma and socioeconomic difficulties but also we see that strip clubs are inherently linked to prostitution and sex trafficking. So how should the military respond to this link?  That’s what Dan O’Bryant will be discussing with us today. Dan served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Air Force, serving as a prosecutor then later as an Area Defense Counsel. He was a Law Professor at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and a 2015-16 Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He is also a board member at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. This presentation was given at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's briefing in the U.S. Capitol entitled "The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda." To learn more, visit: endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/ Resources endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/ Reach out to public@ncose.com if you or someone you know is linked with the military and has a story or strategy for this issue. Anonymous or with full attribution. Volunteer to help individuals in the sex industry:  http://iamatreasure.com/about/locations/

What goes on in the mind of a sex buyer? People who buy sex are driving the market for prostitution and sex trafficking but we don’t know enough about them. This question will be answered by Peter Qualliotine Co-Founder/Director, Men’s Accountability, Organization for Prostitution Survivors who has both worked with sex buyers and reviewed online forums where sex buyers discuss their ‘hobby” with one another. This presentation was given at the 2018 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit hosted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Resources: EndExploitationSummit.com seattleops.org https://traffickcam.com/

The American Society of Addiction Medicine states that addiction is a singular disorder—no matter the chemical or behavioral object of the addiction—that addiction manifests a specific set of signs and symptoms including escalation, impaired impulse control, and reduced emotional, social, and/or professional wellbeing. Does dependency on pornography meet these symptoms? Noah Church speaks on the neurological consequences of long-term porn addiction at the 2016 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit in Houston, TX. Resources: AddictedToInternetPorn.com EndSexualExploitation.org/resources CovenantEyes.com NoFap.com

Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, provides an update on research, survivor testimonies, and legal battles regarding legal brothels in Nevada. This episode discusses how: 1) Even legal prostitution cannot get rid of sexual violence or sex trafficking within the regulated sex trade. 2) Dennis Hof and Harvey Weinstein have similar worldviews based on sexual entitlement. 3) One county had a failed attempt to overturn legal brothels in their county, but now another legislator might be taking action to roll back legalized prostitution at the state level. Resources: Learn more about the harms of prostitution, here: endsexualexploitation.org/prostitution Find resources for survivors seeking to exit the sex trade, here: https://www.sextradesurvivorresources.com/ Research article showing that sex trafficking increases when prostitution is legalized can be found here. The full story of the female who survived two legal brothels in Nevada can be found here.

Dr. Sharon Cooper is a developmental and forensic pediatrician who evaluates and treats children who have been victims of all forms of abuse, though her primary area of expertise is that of sexual exploitation. At an event held by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in the U.S. Capitol, Dr. Cooper shared 3 ways adult pornography is harming children. Resources: Learn more about the harms of pornography, here: endsexualexploitation.org/publichealth Find resources for protecting children from pornography, and for recovery from pornography addiction, here: endsexualexploitation.org/resources.

Whether you are a college student, know a college student, or just care about fighting sexual exploitation in ANY environment, this episode is filled with practical action steps to get you started. College students should be safe from sexual assault, and the factors that contribute to campus sexual assault must be recognized.  Campus sexual assault is often tied to issues like sporting events, sex week events, fraternities, pornography use, drinking, and more. Tune-in to this episode to understand the issue, and to learn simple actions you can take to combat the factors that contribute to sexual exploitation on college campuses. Call to Action: Learn more at: endsexualexploitation.org/college Tips to address Sex Week on college campuses: endsexualexploitation.org/sexweek Resource Center: endsexualexploitation.org/resources Other educational resources: endsexualexploitation.org/publichealth endsexualexploitation.org/prostitution endsexualexploitation.org/sextrafficking

Special guest Josh McDowell, an author, apologist, and founder of Josh McDowell Ministry, joins this podcast episode to address the current climate in the church regarding pornography. He provides advice for individuals, pastors, and churches about recovery from pornography. He weighs in on the debate about if church leaders should be fired when they confess an addiction to pornography. McDowell also addresses the positive efforts going on in diverse faith communities to address the harms of pornography. Call to Action: To learn more about Josh McDowell and his ministries visit: www.josh.org To join NCOSE's interfaith prayer team visit: endsexualexploitation.org/prayer

Evidence supports the fact that child sexual abuse, prostitution, pornography, sex trafficking, sexual violence, etc., are not isolated phenomena occurring in a vacuum. Rather, these and other forms of sexual abuse and exploitation overlap and reinforce one another. Accordingly, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has developed The Freedom From Sexploitation Agenda to present Congress and the executive branch with robust critical recommendations that powerfully combat sexual exploitation, protect human rights, and preserve human dignity. Dawn Hawkins addressed these themes in the U.S. Capitol for an event held by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation regarding The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda.  Call To Action: To learn more about the Freedom From Sexploitation Agenda and to watch videos of other presentations given in the U.S. Capitol visit: sexploitationfreedomagenda.com.

Child sexual abuse is perhaps one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. As a result, people often avoid thinking or talking about it. But pushing such a serious problem under the rug might be doing more harm than good. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18. So parents and concerned adults everywhere are wondering, "what can we do?" This podcast will outline four conversations you could have with a child to help guard against sexual abuse: No means no, and nobody is allowed to touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or scared. Name the body parts. Sometimes people we think are good guys, act like bad guys. You can always talk to me, even if you feel embarrassed or scared. In addition to having these active conversations with the kids in your life, you can help guard against child sexual abuse by keeping alert to the signs of abuse, which are listed in this podcast episode. Call to Action: Use the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's free downloadable resource to explain “The Underwear Rule.” Check out StopItNow's Tip Sheet for signs of abuse. Read RAINN's guidelines for how to talk to a child when you suspect abuse.  

Special guest Dr. John Foubert addresses an innovative program on college campuses. Dr. John Foubert is the national president of One in Four, professor at Oklahoma State University author of several books including most recently How Pornography Harms. One In Four is a national nonprofit dedicated to sexual assault prevention, focusing on college campuses and military bases. This organization conducts prevention presentations to teach men and women alike about the harms of rape. Research shows that these programs lead to a 40% decline in sexual assault behavior by male participants, and that it increases bystander intervention among women. Dr. Foubert explains the success of this program, and some of the root influences that make such preventative programs necessary to combat false beliefs about rape and sexual assault. Call to Action: Read Dr. Foubert's Book: How Pornography Harms Connect with One in Four: OneInFourUSA.org Learn more: www.johnfoubert.com

Special guest, Dr. Gail Dines analyzes the big business behind porn. Dr. Gail Dines is a professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Wheelock College, where she is also chair of the American Studies department. Having researched and written about the porn industry for over twenty years, Dr. Dines is internationally acclaimed as the leading expert on how pornography shapes our identities, culture, and sexuality. She is a consultant to government agencies in the US and abroad, including the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Canada. While popular Internet pornography today seems like it is being mass produced by thousands of companies, the reality is that there is a porn monopoly. Could this be good news? Dr. Dines provides key insights into the corporate infrastructure behind pornography, and what might happen if the largest porn company in the world got shut down. Call to Action: Visit Culture Reframed: www.culturereframed.org Read Dr. Dines' book: Pornland: How Porn Had Hijacked Our Sexuality  

We live in an age where many consumers demand transparency from companies they trust. We want to know the working conditions of those who made our clothing, and if pesticides were used to grow our food. Now, thanks to The Dirty Dozen List, we can see which well-known entities promote and profit from forms of sexual exploitation.  No corporation should profit from or facilitate sexual exploitation. Unfortunately, many well-established brands, companies, and organizations in America do just that. Since 2013, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has published an annual Dirty Dozen List to name and shame the bad corporate actors in America that perpetuate sexual exploitation—whether that be through pornography, prostitution, and sex trafficking. The Dirty Dozen List is an activism tool that has instigated tremendous changes, leading to policy improvements at Google, Hilton Worldwide, Verizon, Walmart, and the Department of Defense. This episode gives you a behind-the-scene look at the origin and accomplishments of the Dirty Dozen List. Call to Action: Learn more at dirtydozenlist.com. Positive Thank You Action: Thank Apple TV for Keeping Pornography Off Its App Store and Apple TV Email Action: Tell Comcast to Stop Selling Sexually Exploitive Content

Online library databases in many schools are piping pornographic and sexually explicit materials into children's lives. We were shocked when we discovered EBSCO, and other similar companies, that provide academic resources for grades K-12 are not filtering out sexually explicit content. Even innocent searches return results like links to hardcore pornography websites, stories normalizing student-teacher sexual relationships, and articles encouraging group, public, and anal sex. This is one of the largest scandals we've ever discussed, and it's something parents and teachers alike need to know. Tune-in to learn more.  Call to Action: Listen to our past episode #10 about filtering in public libraries: http://bit.ly/2m35tYY Learn more and take action here: endsexualexploitation.org/ebsco  

The unspoken truth is that Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue is not a triumph of female athleticism, agency, or empowerment. Instead, it is a descent into sexual objectification. Research sows that when someone is being objectified the objectifier is viewing them as if they do not possess a real, individual mind and as if they are less deserving of moral treatment.[1] Some claim that these experiences are “likely to contribute to mental health problems that disproportionately affect women (i.e., eating disorders, depression, and sexual dysfunction.)" [2] Objectification also impacts men, as shown by the fact that sexual objectification occurs in 37% of advertisements featuring men's body parts to showcase a product.[3] But why is it that so many people actively participate in objectification culture? This podcast will discuss the phenomenon of self-objectification, and why it is ultimately not empowering. CALL TO ACTION: Email Barnes & Noble executives to ask them to remove Playboy magazine from their shelves.   Citations: [1] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.755/full [2] https://books.apa.org/education/ce/sexual-objectification.pdf [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23458607

The London Abused Women’s Centre, Canada; Collective Shout, Australia; Culture Reframed, USA; and The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), USA have partnered to raise awareness that Fifty Shades of Grey - and it's latest film installment Fifty Shades Darker - normalizes domestic violence. The Fifty Shades trilogy follows wealthy and powerful businessman Christian Grey as he meets Anastasia Steele, a virginal college student lacking confidence, and woos her into his BDSM (sexual sadism or torture sex) world and “red room of pain.” The relationship maps onto what would be considered an abusive relationship rife domestic violence in the real world. Christian puts Ana under contract to serve as a sexual “submissive” and uses intimidation, coercion, humiliation, violence, stalking, manipulation, jealousy and other controlling behaviors to groom Ana and keep her under his domination. Ana is consistently isolated, threatened, and manipulated, yet she comes back to Christian time and time again because she thinks her love can change him. As the story progresses, Ana, who was first fearful and disturbed by Christian’s controlling behaviors and dark sexual practices, gradually becomes desensitized to his harsh treatment. These are hallmarks of abusive relationships. You can read examples of domestic abuse in the Fifty Shades book here. The mainstreaming of this book also sends the message to women that they can “fix” violent, controlling men by being obedient and loving. Call to Action: 1) Sign this pledge to boycott the film. 2) Donate to a women's shelter instead of visiting the film through DomesticShelters.org. 3) Share graphics and learn more at FiftyShadesIsAbuse.com.  

An Alabama child advocacy group called Palmer Place recently reported an increase in child-on-child sex abuse cases, and they believe it was brought on by a growing addiction to pornography among children. How can we better understand the phenomenon of children who sexually abuse other children, and how can we intervene? One 2015 study by Dr. Cathy Humphreys, and others, explored this question by sampling a broad range of research and literature on the issue.  In this study—published in the Health & Social Care in the Community Journal—they identified a few key areas that are vital to understand on this topic, and today we’ll cover the Characteristics, the Causes, and the preventative Communications. 1) Characteristics A 2009 national survey analyzed data from 13,471 cases of sexually abusive behavior. They found that there was an escalation in sexual abuse offending at the age of 12 years. Case records of 700 young abusers in the United Kingdom found that 38% had intellectual difficulties. A 2013 study found that 97% of minors who’ve sexually abused other minors were male.  When it comes to pornography use, a 2011 longitudinal study of 1,588 US households found that minors who intentionally watched violent pornography over time predicted a six-fold increase in the odds of self-reported sexually abusive behavior for both boys and girls. 2) Causes A (2000) life history analysis of two boys who sexually abused children showed trends of hegemonic masculinity. Unfortunately, another reason some people may abuse others is because they themselves experienced sexual abuse.  A 2012 longitudinal study examined 2,759 records of children who had been sexually abused between 1964 and 1995. They found that 5% of male victims were later convicted of a sexual offense compared to 0.6% of males in the general population. 3) Communication Sexual abuse prevention education is found in intentional teaching sessions to raise children’s awareness about sexual abuse, and to provide them with tools for how to respond if abused. There are two major sites for this kind of education: school–child communication and parent–child communication.   TAKE ACTION: First, can talk to your local school and inquire what prevention strategies they have for both on school grounds and if they use any curriculum to try and prevention child abuse. Second, talk with the children in your life about. 6 year olds, and those younger, can benefit from simple conversations about how “no mean no” and to come speak to a trusted adult if anyone ever hurts them or makes them feel uncomfortable. Also, it’s important to speak to all children about the harms of pornography, and to create a trusting environment where they can express their questions about sexuality or what they might have seen in pornography.

America is suffering from a sexual exploitation crisis. Sex trafficking, pornography addiction, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and more, are issues significantly impacting American citizens, families, and communities.  This necessitates that the full spectrum of sexual harm must be addressed by our federal government. NCOSE is located in Washington DC in order to elevate the platform of these issues on that national level. We’re a nonpartisan nonprofit but that doesn’t stop us from advocating for freedom from sexual exploitation in any administration and at any opportunity.  So NCOSE recently sent a letter to the incoming Trump Administration prioritize specific policy actions regarding sex trafficking, the public health crisis of pornography, and more. Dawn Hawkins, the NCOSE Executive Director, explains these priorities in this episode. Call to Action: If you are ever in DC and want to set up a meeting with your elected representative to discuss these issues, contact us at public@ncose.com. We will be happy to attend and support you in that meeting, and to make sure your voice is heard. Also, please subscribe and please rate and review! We would love 5 stars.  Here are instructions for how to rate and review a podcast on your iPhone or iPad: http://www.imore.com/how-rate-or-review-podcast-your-iphone-or-ipad

Earlier this year, ESPLERP (Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project) filed suit in San Francisco District Court claiming that the state’s prostitution laws were unconstitutional. The District Court rightly rejected ESPLERP’s claims. Now ESPLERP is appealing the decision. Savanah Lawrence, NCOSE's Legal Fellow, shares about the amicus brief NCOSE submitted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of ESPLERP v. Gascón, urging the court to recognize the harms of prostitution. Because prostitution is inherently dehumanizing and harmful it is vital for the Ninth Circuit to uphold the lower court’s decision. Studies characterize the violence that animates prostitution as brutal, extreme, common, stunning, normative, and ever-present. Indeed, physical and sexual violence across prostitution types is pervasive, whether one is prostituting in Chennai or Chicago, indoors or outdoors, for drugs or to pay the rent, on a street corner, in a car, back alley, brothel, massage parlor, or strip club. Both the threat of, as well as actual physical and sexual violence, permeate prostitution. Most of this violence is perpetrated by sex buyers and pimps. Decriminalizing prostitution does not change this reality—it assents to it. CALL TO ACTION: Learn more about the harms of prostitution here: http://endsexualexploitation.org/prostitution Free download booklet on violence in prostitution: http://bit.ly/2h04qb9

Before we can begin to address “how” to talk to kids about pornography, it’s important to understand “when” that conversation becomes relevant. Many parents might assume that a few years after puberty is the time to have this talk. However, in today's digital culture, studies show that many children are being exposed to pornography before puberty. “The talk” is no longer applicable in today’s world. Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE and mother of two, shares how parents need to establish open dialogues in our homes about sexuality and media. Dawn shares that the best time to start talking to your child about these issues is right now. She discusses how this conversation looks for young children and teens alike. CALL TO ACTION: Check out our Resource Center for parents: http://endsexualexploitation.org/resources-parents/ Read this blog with some conversational tips: http://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/why-vs-what-talking-to-kids-about-pornography/ Have a conversation with your kids this week about pornography and email public@ncose.com to tell us about it. We want to hear from you.

Amazon’s online market is being used to facilitate sexual exploitation and predation. Not only does Amazon.com feature thousands of pornography-related items in numerous categories, but it is facilitating the sale and distribution of sexually explicit material that normalizes and encourages the objectification and exploitation of women and children. I'm especially shocked that Amazon.com is selling books featuring photography collections of eroticized child nudity by Jock Sturges and David Hamilton. These publications contain numerous images that many, including experts on child sexual exploitation, consider child pornography. These are not images reminiscent of a family photo album of children at bath time. These images are haunting displays of provocative child nudity, of prepubescent and adolescent children—many of which display their pubic areas or genitals. If a man in your neighborhood took these pictures of your child, you would not call them ‘art.’ You would call the police. Further, Amazon.com sells child-like sex dolls and clothing that pornifies women and infants, and books that are essentially sex trafficking “how-to” manuals.   Action: visit http://endsexualexploitation.org/amazon/. Here you can email executives to ask them to remove this exploitive content and learn more. There is also a proof portion on this page to validate our findings.