Statement by Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE
Washington, DC – This January is human trafficking awareness month, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is educating the public about the links between sex trafficking and pornography.
“When people ask me what they can do as individuals to stop sex trafficking, I tell them to stop watching porn,” said Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “What most people don’t realize is that pornography performers are sometimes sex trafficking victims. Sex traffickers regularly make pornography of their victims in order to diversify their profits and to advertise their ‘product.’
Pornographic footage of a sex trafficking victim’s rape is easily uploaded to popular user-generated sites, and even to pay-for-porn sites as well. There is no way to tell the difference between a ‘consensual’ and a ‘forced’ act in porn, which means that regular users of porn will very likely view sex slaves at some point in their lives.
While eradicating sex trafficking is a multifaceted and arduous task, each individual can make a difference by raising awareness about the link between sex trafficking and pornography.”
To learn more about the way pornography and sex trafficking are connected, visit: http://stoptraffickingdemand.com
If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Haley Halverson at (202) 393-7245 or haley@ncose.com.
