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STATEMENT – NCOSE Mourns Loss of Gary Wilson

NCOSE Press Statement logo

Washington, DC (May 24, 2021) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is mourning the passing of Gary Wilson, author and researcher whose work passionately shined light on public health harms of pornography.

Among his many accomplishments, Gary was the author of the best-selling book Your Brain On Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction, presenter of the immensely popular TEDx talk “The Great Porn Experiment(14+ million views), and creator of the website YourBrainOnPorn.com, a clearinghouse for the latest research, media, and self-reports on pornography’s effects and potential harms. He and his wife Marnia Robinson formed a dynamic duo that worked tirelessly behind the scenes helping those seeking freedom from pornography addiction, as well as advocates around the world seeking the latest research.

“Gary Wilson will always be remembered as a fierce, yet compassionate, advocate who confronted the public health harms of pornography. It is hard for us to describe the immensity of the loss that Gary’s passing means to his family, many friends and allies, and to the movement to confront the public health harms of pornography that he pioneered,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

“Gary’s TEDx talk, website, and book provided the answers that so many men and women unable to defeat their compulsive use of pornography had long sought. With a compassion deeply steeped in his encyclopedic knowledge of the social and neuroscience research on pornography’s effects, Gary literally rescued countless numbers of individuals from pornography’s grip of despair and despondency. We are eternally grateful for Gary’s life and work that has impacted millions of people around the world,” Hawkins concluded.

About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.

The Numbers

300+

NCOSE leads the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation with over 300 member organizations.

100+

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation has had over 100 policy victories since 2010. Each victory promotes human dignity above exploitation.

93

NCOSE’s activism campaigns and victories have made headlines around the globe. Averaging 93 mentions per week by media outlets and shows such as Today, CNN, The New York Times, BBC News, USA Today, Fox News and more.

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