STATEMENT: USMCA Package a Boon to Online Sex Traffickers
Washington, D.C. – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) calls on members of Congress to insist that language mimicking Section 230 of the U.S.’s Communications Decency Act (CDA) be removed from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). “As USMCA negotiations with the Administration continue this week, members of Congress must insist that language shielding the…
The State of the Fight to End Sexual Exploitation in 2019
The fight to end sexual exploitation is massive and multifaceted, and 2019 has been a year filled with victories and building momentum that bodes well for the movement in 2020 and beyond. These powerful moments and momentum from 2019 would not have been possible without passionate advocates and allies being willing to join together to…
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…
Victory! D.C. Buries Sex Trade Decriminalization Bill—For Now
In a significant development for the movement to end sexual exploitation, a bill under consideration by the Council of the District of Columbia to fully decriminalize the commercial sex trade (including acts of pimping, sex buying, and brothel keeping) “will not move forward” according to Charles Allen, chair of the DC Council Judiciary Committee, quoted…
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…
This Father Discovered His Daughter Was Being Groomed on Instagram
This father discusses his 13-year-old’s experience of being groomed on Instagram. A stranger who looked similar to another teenage girl started talking to her in an innocent way. But then later they started asking if she or any of her friends wanted to go “on a date” particularly “if they need money.” The person also…
NCOSE, Allies, and DC Citizens Stand Up to the Pressure of “Full Decrim” Efforts
It is rare to come face-to-face with proponents of sexual exploitation, but we did on October 17 when the D.C. Council held a public hearing on a proposal to decriminalize the entire commercial sex industry—including acts of pimping, brothel keeping, and sex buying. NCOSE mobilized to oppose the pending bill with an Orwellian title: The…
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…
Girls Do Porn’s Exploitation and Trafficking Are Not an Anomaly
As the owners and key employees of Girls Do Porn are facing federal counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, the porn industry is desperately trying to distance itself from the fact that it profits off of and is inherently intertwined with sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking. Even media outlets such as VICE,…
D.C. Poised to Open Floodgate of Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
Under the guise of improving “community safety and health,” D.C. Councilmembers David Grosso, Anita Bonds, Brianne Nadeau, and Robert White have put forward D.C. Bill 23-0318 (a.k.a. The Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019) which, if passed, will amend existing D.C. statutes to fully decriminalize prostitution in the nation’s capital. The proposed bill…