Haley McNamara (Halverson)
Articles by Haley McNamara (Halverson)
PROGRESS! Instagram Takes Step Forward via Improved Reporting and Direct Message Tools
Instagram has made significant improvements to address the sexual exploitation and abuse that occur on its platform. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation has been communicating and working with Instagram for over a year. We are grateful to report regular positive developments from this collaboration following meetings with an international campaign led by Australian Collective…
Groundbreaking Training on Public Health Harms of Pornography Launched in Liberia by CESE Africa Partner
In October 2020, Alvin Winford, the Program Manager at the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse (ANPPCAN), launched a groundbreaking training on the public health harms of pornography. Alvin presented to 30 members of the Liberian Child Rights NGOs Coalition, all of whom work at different organizations advocating for and serving…
International Centre on Sexual Exploitation
International Collaboration Continues After the CESE Summit
The 2020 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit may be over, but the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation’s work is just getting started! After the successful CESE Global Summit, which hosted over 22,000 attendees from over 110 countries, there is incredible momentum for the global movement to become more united and active than…
Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation
Announcing the International Centre on Sexual Exploitation!
Sexual abuse and exploitation know no boundaries. Global governing bodies and corporations make decisions that cause ripple effects around the world, for better or worse. Take the case of Camilla* for example. Camilla is a 14-year-old girl in the United Kingdom. She was groomed by an older man online to send a sexually explicit videos…
International Centre on Sexual Exploitation
Will YouTube’s COPPA Improvements Address Pedophile Comments on Kids’ Videos?
YouTube has long been criticized by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation for its inefficient efforts to remove sexually graphic and grooming material. In 2019, NCOSE researched claims of pedophile rings, child erotica, and child exploitation on YouTube and found alarming results confirming the original reports and continued use of the platform for exploitive purposes. Learn more…
2018 Dirty Dozen: YouTube
Four Problems with Twitter’s Irresponsible Policy on Pornography
Is pornography allowed on Twitter? In November of 2019, Twitter clarified its Sensitive Media Policy stating: “You may not post media that is excessively gory or share violent or adult content within live video or in profile or header images. Media depicting sexual violence and/or assault is also not permitted.” This initially seems promising, however,…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Twitter
Progress! We Met With Instagram About Their Problems With Sex Trafficking and Predatory Comments
We at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation recently met with a top executive from Instagram! This occurred in December, after three anti-sexual exploitation organizations from three different countries–the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (United States), Collective Shout (Australia), and Defend Dignity (Canada)–launched a #WakeUpInstagram campaign to call on Instagram to improve its related policies and practices. As part of this…
Joint International Campaign Launched to #WakeUpInstagram to Sexual Exploitation on its Platform
Today three anti-sexual exploitation organizations from three different countries—the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (United States), Collective Shout (Australia), and Defend Dignity (Canada)—launched a #WakeUpInstagram campaign to call out rampant sex trafficking, child sexual abuse grooming, as well as adult fetishization of young girls on Instagram. “Earlier this year, YouTube came under public scrutiny for…
Sex Trafficking Survivors Reveal Instagram is a Popular Online Slavery Auction Block
A few months ago I met with 3 young girls who were sex trafficking survivors in Washington DC. They showed us their Instagram accounts, which were set to private. Any parents would assume this meant the app was locked down and safe for a minor to use. However, even though their accounts were set to…
Op-ed: Heinz’s “Food Porn” Ads Fund Sex Trafficking and Child Abuse Porn
Originally published on Townhall.com The global companies, Kraft Heinz and Unilever, recently came under fire for advertising on Pornhub – a large, sexually exploitive, pornography site that normalized themes of racism, incest, and violence against women. Unilever ran an advertisement for its brand, the Dollar Shave Club. The ad read: “If you use our bathroom…
Issue: Child Sexual Exploitation
Progress Report! Comcast Improves Streaming and Internet Tools to Better Protect Families
We have an exciting update from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s recent meeting with top executives from Comcast here in Washington DC. Right away they told us about how they took our feedback and concerns from our meeting last year and how they have made key improvements based on that feedback! While we are…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Comcast
Twitter Has A Sex Trafficking and Prostitution Problem
As our society has increasingly entered the digital age, so have sex traffickers and pimps. It is an accepted fact, supported by survivors of sex trafficking, that online posts with pornographic pictures and videos are used to advertise for both sex trafficking and prostitution victims (including minors.) Further, law enforcement is finding that many sex…
Google’s YouTube Losing Advertisers Over Monetizing Sexually Exploitive Videos
According to Bloomberg, the Walt Disney Co., Nestle, and “Fortnite” creator Epic Games, Inc. are suspending advertising on YouTube after mounting concerns about the platform being used for the eroticization of children and for pedophile networking. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is calling on YouTube to remove all pornography from its platform, and to…
2018 Dirty Dozen: YouTube
How Snapchat Was Used to Groom and Sell a 17-Year-Old Sex Trafficking Victim
Devin Ashford was charged in Lincoln, Nebraska for sex trafficking of a minor and possession of child pornography. Devin Ashford was arrested for sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl, after the young woman he exploited was able to call her mother for help. This launched a police investigation, and one month later police got search warrants for…
2020 Dirty Dozen_The Watch List_Snapchat
Leading Contributors to Sexual Exploitation Revealed: 2019 Dirty Dozen List
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) today launched its 2019 Dirty Dozen List, a list of carefully selected entities that are major, mainstream facilitators of sexual exploitation in the United States. “No corporation should profit from or facilitate sexual exploitation,” said Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on…
2019 Dirty Dozen List – MASTER
Podcast: What Do Sex Buyers Really Think?
Ep. 30 Peter Qualliotine discusses online forums where sex buyers discuss their ‘hobby” 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…
Issue: Prostitution – Bright Light on the Red Light
Podcast: Are Legal Brothels in Nevada Safe and Here to Stay?
Ep. 28 Haley Halverson shares an update on legal brothels in Nevada. 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…
2020 Dirty Dozen List_Nevada
The Midterm Battle Around Legalized Prostitution Nobody’s Talking About
Originally published on Townhall.com. While most people have been focused on the partisan rancor during the midterm elections, a strenuous fight to end legalized sexual exploitation has slipped under the mainstream radar. Organizations like Awaken, Exodus Cry and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, survivors like Rebekah Charleston and advocates such as Melissa Farley among others, have been…
2020 Dirty Dozen List_Nevada
What Dennis Hof and Harvey Weinstein Have in Common
This article was originally published on Townhall.com. Dennis Hof, the notorious pimp in Nevada, has died. In his wake, he leaves a legacy of harm. Hof rose to national notoriety by running several of Nevada’s legal brothels, and starring in the HBO reality series Cathouse. While somehave described Hof as a “bombastic” personality, the reality is…
2020 Dirty Dozen List_Nevada
Three Ways Domestic Violence Is Connected to Pornography
This article was written with assistance from Emily Hale. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an important national campaign to consider prevention and recovery efforts, along with the nature of, domestic violence which impacts millions of both men and women in America.1 Here at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, we work to address the…
Issue: Pornography Harms
Haley McNamara Appointed to DC Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect
Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation was appointed to the Washington DC Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect this week. This Committee advises DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on the multi-faceted continuum of the District of Columbia’s child welfare services, including prevention, early intervention, treatment, and…
Issue: Child Sexual Exploitation
Townhall: When Churches Become Scenes of Sexual Abuse
Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach, at NCOSE wrote an op-ed for Townhall.com about sexual abuse in churches. Below are excerpts of the op-ed, along with curated resources. This week a grand jury reported on documents from six Catholic Church dioceses in Pennsylvania that revealed 300 “predator priests” have been accused of sexually abusing…
Issue: Sexual Violence
Comcast Executives Are Making Significant Improvement to Digital Well-Being and Safety Features
Comcast NBC Universal executives met with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) last week to discuss improvements Comcast is making for digital well-being and safety. After three years on our Dirty Dozen List and many letters, emails, and phone calls back and forth with their leadership, Comcast executives told us: “We took your feedback…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Comcast
U.S. House Passes a Bill to Ban Child Sex Dolls
Child sex dolls are incompatible with a civilized society. This Wednesday, the House of Representatives, agreed with that statement by passing a bill to prohibit the importation and interstate sale of sex dolls or robots designed to resemble children. This bill, the Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophilic Robots Act of 2017, or “CREEPER Act,” was introduced…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Amazon
How My Childhood Led Me to Stripping
Buzzfeed released a powerful video testimonial by Harmony Dust, a survivor of sexual abuse and the sex industry, and founder of Treasures Ministries (Treasures), a faith-based, survivor-led outreach and support group to women in the sex industry and victims of sex trafficking. Harmony shares her story about how childhood sexual abuse and an abusive relationship led her into…
Issue: Child Sexual Exploitation
Top Videogame Company Steam Removing Sexually Graphic Content
According to Gadgets 360, Steam, one of the largest distributors of online games, has contacted several videogame developers asking them to remove sexually graphic content in their games on Steam or face delisting. This sudden action by Steam, owned by Valve, comes after a two year campaign by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation which included…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Steam
Resources for Individuals in Commercial Sexual Exploitation
We care about the safety and well-being of those in the sex trade, ie: prostitution, stripping, escorting, pornography, and more. If you or someone you know has been exploited, abused or in other ways victimized, here are some places to find support and help. SexTradeSurvivorResources.com This website hosts a list of resources may be able to…
2020 Dirty Dozen List_Nevada
Is the online sex trafficking era about to meet the ‘delete’ key?
This article originally appeared on FoxNews.com. Across the web, online administrators are hitting “delete” on sex ads. Several websites built solely around prostitution and sex trafficking, such as Cityvibe, have begun going dark, and mainstream websites like Craigslist and Reddit are removing their “Hookers” and “Personals” sections which acted as thin veneers for sex trafficking…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Backpage.com
On International Women’s Day, We Must Address the Role of Pornography in Fostering Inequality
The theme of International Women’s Day this year is #PressForProgress. Individuals and organizations around the world are being encouraged to stay active and avoid complacency because “while we know that gender parity won’t happen overnight, the good news is that across the world women are making positive gains day by day.” A call for mutual…
Issue: Pornography Harms
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Senate to Pass #FOSTA-#SESTA
It is absolutely essential that the United States Senate pass H.R. 1865, FOSTA-SESTA, the week of March 12 to amend the Communications Decency Act Section 230. Why now? The House passed this bill February 28, and it’s the most monumental reform to fight sex trafficking in decades. But Senators, with pressure from outside opposition, can…
Issue: Sex Trafficking
The Communications Decency Act: Immunity for Internet-Facilitated Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, published an article in the University of Rhode Island’s Dignity Journal that explains why Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act must be amended. This paper reviews the original intent and historical application of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), most notably…
Issue: Sex Trafficking
Twitter Bans AI-Generated and Non-Consensual Porn But Fails to Remove Incest, Rape-Themed Porn
If Twitter wants to take a stand against sexual exploitation on its platform, it’s time for it to holistically enforce its policy against pornography. Recently, a trend of fake pornographic videos of celebrities, generated by artificial intelligence algorithms, has emerged on social media sites. The social media platform recently made a public statement condemning the…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Twitter
The Super Bowl is for Football, Not Buying Sex
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is conducting its annual Tackle Demand activism campaign to shed light on the sex trafficking that occurs every year at the Super Bowl. While the claim that the Super Bowl is the largest sex trafficking venue or event of the year is inaccurate, the atmosphere at major sporting events…
Out of the Shadows_Pornography + Sex Trafficking
Why Are Pro-Prostitution Pundits Fighting Anti-Sex Trafficking Campaigns Around the Super Bowl?
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation works with dozens of anti-sexual exploitation groups every year on the #TackleDemand campaign to raise awareness about the need to combat the demand for commercial sex. Why? In part, because the demand for commercial sex fuels sex trafficking. Every year some people make hyperbolic and false claims that the Super…
Issue: Prostitution – Bright Light on the Red Light
Mark Salling Case: An Opportunity to Reflect on the Harms of Pornography
According to news reports, Glee star Mark Salling is dead at age 35 from an apparent suicide. Salling pleaded guilty to possession of over 50,000 images of child pornography in 2017. He was awaiting his sentencing and was facing up to seven years in prison. As a talented, successful, prominent young man, Mark Salling does not fit…
Issue: Child Sexual Exploitation
Nassar Case Demonstrates Why Sexual Abuse Victims Often Remain Silent
In light of the sexual assault scandal involving former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) called on the entire USA Gymnastics board to resign and the remaining members resigned over the weekend. Such gross negligence of duty demanded a clean sweep of the leadership at USA Gymnastics, which was long overdue,…
Issue: Sexual Violence
Is the Sexual Violence in Game of Thrones Just Representing a “Historical Reality”?
It’s no secret that Game of Thrones, a popular fantasy epic on HBO, has become well known for its salacious depictions of sexual assault. Full nudity and pornographic depictions of incest have been the wallpaper of this storyline, and “character development” for male protagonists has often hinged upon degrading and violating women. In fact, last year there…
Issue: Sexual Violence
This Website Will Be a Hub for Sex Trafficking at the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl. Football, half-time, hilarious commercials. And sex trafficking. In recent years, the public has become more aware of the tragedy of sex trafficking at large sporting events or conferences. Because of this awareness, law enforcement is preemptively striving to ensure safety and security to the many thousands of men and women that will be…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Backpage.com
How the Aziz Ansari Controversy Can Bring You and Your Partner Closer Together
On January 7th, Aziz Ansari reached “top ten trending” status on Twitter for being the first Asian American to win a Golden Globe for best actor. His “Times Up” pin sparkled in the spotlight, as did his sterling reputation as a male feminist who gave women’s issues like sexual harassment a platform in several episodes of his…
Issue: Sexual Violence
How to Participate in National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2018
It’s January again, which means that people all across America are getting involved in National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The national effort to raise awareness about the local and global problem of human trafficking has been going on for over a decade. In 2007 the U.S. Senate designated January 11th as the National Day…
Issue: Sex Trafficking
TIME’s Person of the Year and Breaking the Silence About Our Pornified Culture
TIME Magazine has named “The Silence Breakers” their 2017 Person of the Year, after months of some of the most powerful men in our society meeting their downfall following allegations of sexual harassment or assault. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation applauds all of the women and men who have come forward to share their…
2018 Dirty Dozen List: Poster Boys of #MeToo Culture
Care about Cyntoia Brown? Stop normalizing “teenage prostitution.”
Cyntoia Brown was a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim, for all purposes invisible to society. Her trafficker, Garion “Cut Throat” McGlothen, had coercive control over her life in August 2004 when she was picked up close to a Tennessee Sonic parking lot by 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allan. Allan, a real estate agent, purchased Cynotia for sex that…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Netflix
What Most Current Sexual Assault Apologies Have in Common
This article appears in full on the Huffington Post As the avalanche of high-profile sexual assault and harassment controversies in Hollywood, the media, and politics continues, a noticeable rhythm has set in: public accusations mount, the man offers a denial or weak apology, and then he fades into the background as soon as the next…
2018 Dirty Dozen List: Poster Boys of #MeToo Culture
Netflix Is Poised to Normalize Underage Sex Trafficking as “Prostitution”
Netflix has a chance to shape our cultural response to sexual exploitation…but will it be for better or for worse? In the age of #MeToo, and the heightened cultural dialogue surrounding sexual harassment, assault, and consent, Netflix has attempted to demonstrate corporate responsibility by cutting ties with one of its early stars—Kevin Spacey—after the actor…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Netflix
Steam Video Games Promote Rape Myths, Sexual Violence in Our #MeToo Culture
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has identified some in the video game industry as perpetuating rape culture and rape myths. In July NCOSE reached out to Steam, a video game distribution platform and one of the most egregious culprits, asking the company to remove sexually exploitive games. After NCOSE’s complaint, Steam added black…
2020 Dirty Dozen_Steam
Action Alert: Will Your Senator Help Fight Online Sex Trafficking?
As you may know, sex trafficking has moved online. But our laws haven’t kept up. In fact, federal law (Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act) gives broad immunity to websites that facilitate sex trafficking. Even websites like Backpage.com (a company on NCOSE’s Dirty Dozen List) that earn most of their profits from sex trafficking…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Backpage.com
HBO’s The Deuce Recycles Female Sexual Exploitation for Profit
The final episode of the first season of HBO’s new show, The Deuce, will air Sunday night, bringing to a close, for now, yet another HBO series that profits off of the sexual exploitation of women. HBO’s claims that it made a show to critique the misogyny and exploitive harms of pornography and prostitution are about as convincing…
Issue: Sexual Violence
How Do We Address Sexual Harassment in Our Culture?
In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and the resignation of Amazon Studio’s Chief Roy Price, as well as similar developments in Silicon Valley, senior political analyst Mark Halperin resigned from both NBC and MSNBC over his alleged sexual harassment of several women. At the National Center on Sexual Exploitation we are reiterating our call for real cultural change…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Comcast
Terry Crews Highlights Male Abuse In Light of Harvey Weinstein Scandal
Producer Harvey Weinstein has recently been confronted with allegations of sexually harassing women in Hollywood. A torrent of women have begun stepping forward to acknowledge their stories of how Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed them and abused his power. Tragically, stories of men in high power positions exploiting women are not unusual in our society. But…
2018 Dirty Dozen List: Poster Boys of #MeToo Culture
If Motels Can Be Held Liable for Facilitating Sex Trafficking, Why Can’t Websites?
As reported by the Star Tribune, a motel in California has settled a case brought by Los Angeles City for its alleged role as a hub for sex trafficking activity. Motel 6 has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Los Angeles that alleged one of the chain’s locations was a base…
2018 Dirty Dozen: Backpage.com