On November 19, 2014, Oregon issued its first federal sentence for a buyer of sex with a child. Ben Allen Riggs, 64, of Oregon City was sentenced in the District of Oregon under federal charges for transporting a person across state lines for purposes of engaging in prostitution – a federal offense under the Mann Act. In this case, the person was a 14-year-old girl. The hearing decided Riggs’ penalty; but it further solidified a developing precedent that buyers of children must be held accountable for their actions by facing jail time.

Historically, buyers have not commonly faced full punishment under law, but research has shown (see Shared Hope International Amicus Brief) that serious punishment would be an effective deterrent. Therefore, buyers must face maximum sentencing to be held accountable for their crimes which drive the commercial sex market by making it a profitable industry.

Shared Hope International attended the sentencing hearing to show support and solidarity in prioritizing prosecution for those who purchase sex with children. Below is an inside account of the proceedings:

The defense attorney acknowledged that Riggs was guilty of transporting a person across state lines for the purpose of prostitution and deserved punishment for this crime; but argued that Riggs was unaware that the 14-year-old child victim was a minor and asserted that Riggs should not be held liable for engaging in sex with a minor. The defense attorney argued that Riggs is sincerely sorry for this crime and will “never purchase a prostitute again.” (Note: children cannot be “prostitutes;” they are always trafficking victims if used in commercial sex.) Many of Riggs’ family members and friends attended the hearing and submitted letters of support explaining the kindness and positive moral of Riggs. One of the letters stated “nobody has been a better friend than Mr. Riggs.” According to the defense, Riggs’ was raised by a mother who operated a brothel, which he left after his sister was brutally raped, contributing to his inability to engage in a healthy sexual relationship. This attributed to Riggs’ reliance on paid sex, a crime he admits to engaging in 20-30 times previously.

U.S. Attorney Stacie Beckerman clarified the horrible consequences of this crime and Riggs’ extreme lack of innocence in this case. She reminded the court of his history of purchasing sex on a regular basis, which showed intent in this case. He requested Laura Lambden (the victim’s trafficker) bring him a “young girl” to perform oral sex on him. When the victim arrived at his home Riggs engaged in sex acts with the 14-year-old- victim and took photos of those acts, which were later found on his phone. He made the excuse that had he not been drunk on “vodka and orange juice mixed with prescription drugs, he never would have made this mistake.” Beckerman countered that Riggs knew he requested Lambden “bring someone young,” knew the 14-year-old child victim was a minor, and paid to have sex with her and that the penalty needs to reflect the seriousness of the crime. She highlighted that this is the first federal case of a buyer who purchased sex with a minor in the District of Oregon, a crime that is receiving increased attention in courts across the nation, according to studies by Shared Hope International.

In summary, the judge concluded the victim made poor life choices before and after the crime. He asserted that based on psychosexual evaluations of the defendant, Riggs is not a pedophile and had successfully overcome many obstacles in his life from his horrible childhood to his career success in spite of continuous health problems. On the contrary, he acknowledged that Riggs asked Lambden to “bring someone young,” and that he did not turn the victim away when she showed up at the door. The judge’s final remarks , while citing victim-blaming evidence asserted by the defense (and unfortunately referring to the victim as a prostitute), nevertheless acknowledged the egregiousness of purchasing sex with a child:

“We understand that the prostitute was engaged in prostitution and that she would regularly accuse men of rape if they didn’t pay her and so on, but we cannot put the blame on her! You (Riggs) are an adult! As a grown adult, you do not purchase sex with a child…period! I sentence you to 2 years jail time, 5 years’ probation and you are to register as a sex offender…”

The prosecution asked that Riggs have no access to pornography of any kind. The defense argued that adult pornography is legal, but the judge cut the defense off with the remark “I do not want this man to ever get aroused again from pornography, so yes…he is prohibited.”

For most people it’s hard to imagine that grown men are having sexual contact with, paying for, and raping children. Yet this is happening with such frequency that this crime, human trafficking, is the now the fastest growing crime in the world. (Harris, K. 2012). What is causing grown men to abuse children in this way? There are several factors that ignite this crime, but two triggers are directly linked to the purchase of sex with minors. Research shows that often these men were themselves molested in childhood and perpetuate the cycle of abuse once they become adults. There is also evidence that links the consumption of pornography to child sex trafficking. Media often blames criminals, police blame parents, parents blame schools, and so it goes. The question is: what is driving the demand for sex with children and can we stop it?

One school of thought evaluating the origins of exploitive behavior is premised upon the idea that molesters were themselves molested. There is strong evidence supporting a connection between experiencing childhood abuse and later becoming a child molester. Often in association with a lack of control over their own childhood, these once victims grow up and seek out means to steal the innocence of other children in order to gain some type of control over what was stolen from them; the abused becomes the predator. (Hooper, J. 2014). Studies indicate the likelihood that a molested child will grow up to molest others is greater than 50 percent. (Abel, G. and Harlow, G. 2002). Studies further indicate that these recidivist behaviors mean that men will continue to desire children for sex, and in more than 90 percent of child rapes, the offender knew the child. (Gado, M. 2013).

The second trigger is the link between pornography and sex with children. Researchers discovered that the human brain demonstrates the exact same chemical response when taking drugs as it does when consuming pornography. (Hilton, D.L. and Watts, C. 2011). The same chemical mediators are released that cause the body to react in a similar way and even become addicted in the same way. (Doidge, N. 2007). Just like with drugs, there are some consumers who can become addicted to pornography after their first viewing while others appear to never become addicted. (Yuan, K., and Tian, J., 2011). Similar to substance addiction, addiction to pornography consumption may begin after the first encounter or can occur over a period of repeated exposure, and not without consequences.

There is often a common denominator between buying sex with children and consuming child pornography. News coverage about child pornography being found on people’s personal computers who were arrested for sex offenses against children is common, and research shows that in 80 percent of child sexual abuse arrests, the offender also possessed child pornography. (Peters, R., Lederer, L., and Kelly, S., 2014). Viewing child pornography causes a physical response in the brain that releases chemical mediators which can lead to addiction and subsequently acting on those addictions with real children. The similarities to drug use and pornography are serious cause for concern. Just as a drug addict must constantly increase the dosage to get the same high, consumer of pornography often needs to increase the deviancy of the pornography. Consumption of pornography increases with this level of addiction and can lead to fetish pornography, including child pornography. (Paul, P. 2007). This extreme level of consumption can then lead to the most deviant form of pornography—violent sexual acts against children.

Child pornography is the most violent type of pornography because it involves forcing a child to be sexually violated. Often, many who consume violent child pornography then act on these fantasies involving real children. Sadly, not many men think about the risk associated with watching pornography and its destructive consequences to children, and predicting who will become addicted and where that addiction will lead is difficult to forecast. (Angres, D. H. and Bettinardi-Angres, K., 2008). Children are being raped by men who want to act out on fantasies developed through consumption of child pornography. The direct link between child pornography and raping children begs the question: what are we doing to stop child pornography from being consumed and fueling child sex trafficking?  Society must recognize that child pornography has lasting harmful consequences both for the children being filmed and the all too real possibility of predators then finding and victimizing other children.

How can you or I make a difference and prevent this from happening? You are reading this blog because you can make a difference. You can share what you have learned and make a decision to be part of the solution. There are many ways for you to get involved. Check with your state to find local coalitions in the fight against child sex trafficking. These coalitions offer many options for people to get involved. For instance, neighborhood watches monitor parks, playgrounds, and bus stops for potential predators. You can also refer others to this website so they too can be educated. Clearly it is important to share with others that there are risks involved with watching pornography and why these risks exist. You can also make a difference by educating your family and friends. You can be a voice for the children who need someone to stand up for them and protect them.

Lastly, there are resources available for those who have been molested or have watched pornography. If you think you need help to recover from what you’ve experienced, then it is time to take control of your life and be restored. There are people out there who care about you and want to see you healthy. Sometimes in life it is not a matter of what you’ve been through, but really about how you handle it. By making the decision to stop the cycle of abuse or addiction, your life can have new purpose. You can get help and then be a help to others. The cycle of addiction does not have to continue. With your decision to get help, you can make all the difference and your life can save a life. We need everyone to fight this crime and children are depending on us to protect them.

A List of References for those who are addicted to pornography:

Fortify: A Step Toward Recovery

feedtherightwolf.com

sexualrecovery.com

uncommonhelp.me

sexualcontrol.com

centerforhealthysexuality.com

focusonthefamily.com

purelife.Com

recoveryconnection.org

netsafe.org

quora.com

 

References

Abel, G., & Harlow, N. (2002, April 1). Molestation Prevention Study. Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/pdfs/study.pdf

Angres, D. H. and Bettinardi-Angres, K. (2008). The Disease of Addiction: Origins, Treatment, and Recovery. Disease-a-Month 54: 696–721. https://www.reshealth.org/pdfs/subsites/addiction/the_disease_of_addiction.pdf

Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books http://www.karenpapemd.com/index.php/the-brain-that-changes-itself-science-by-norman-doidge-md-new-york-penguin-group-2007/

Gado, M. (2013, January 1). The Slaughter of Innocence. Retrieved September 4, 2014. http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/psychology/pedophiles/1.html

Harris, K. (2012, January 1). Human Trafficking. Retrieved September 4, 2014 http://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/ht/human-trafficking-2012.pdf

Hilton, D. L., and Watts, C. (2011). Pornography Addiction: A Neuroscience Perspective. Surgical Neurology International, 2: 19; (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3050060/) http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts

Hooper, J. (n.d.). There’s No Single Path to Sexually Using or Abusing a Child. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from https://1in6.org/men/get-information/online-readings/others-who-were-involved-or-not/why-do-people-sexually-use-or-abuse-children/

Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. New York: Henry Hold and Co., 75;  http://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ID=e228e97a-9f9e-4428-8a9e-6d4f03bdc8d0

Peters, R., Lederer, L., & Kelly, S. (n.d.). Pornography and Trafficking. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://soldnomore.org/pornography-and-trafficking/

Yuan, K., Quin, W., Lui, Y., and Tian, J. (2011). Internet Addiction: Neuroimaging Findings. Communicative & Integrative Biology 4, 6: 637–639; Zhou, Y., Lin, F., Du, Y., Qin, L., Zhao, Z., Xu, J., et al. (2011) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3960020/

John,

I grew up reading your books. Your characters had an influence on my young mind and their stories gave me impressions of the legal world that I will never forget. In fact, I still have nearly a whole shelf in my library dedicated to your works. Eventually, I decided to become a lawyer, went to law school, and now my career is in human trafficking law and policy. I am responsible for analyzing state laws and making recommendations to state legislatures in order to improve their laws so children are not exploited by sexual predators, including consumers of child pornography.

I am writing you because your comments in your recent interview promoting your new book where you criticized harsh prison sentences for those who view child pornography were discouraging and harmful. Frankly, I’m a little surprised and really disappointed.

John, there is an astonishing demand in America for sex with children. These men who pay for sex with children are acting on fantasies they have cultivated through the consumption of child pornography. Consumption of child pornography is not harmless or a victimless crime. Child pornography includes the recorded production of a real child experiencing real sexual abuse and exploitation. Viewers can normalize the sexual assault of a child and seek to actualize the experience, further victimizing more children.  According to the Demanding Justice Project report, buyers who solicit sex from children are also often involved in production or dissemination of child pornography. It is undeniable that consumers of child pornography drive the demand for sex with real children.

In your interview, you distinguished those who physically victimize children from those who “haven’t hurt anybody” by downloading images of children involved in sex acts. Your distinction is hollow. The collective desire for child pornography creates an illicit market where child exploiters are going to provide images of sexual acts with children that they have produced for the demand. While the child is not being physically victimized by the person who downloads an image of a child, the production of that child’s victimization was done for the consumer. Each time that child’s photo is downloaded, the image of that child is used for the sexual gratification of someone who may ultimately act on that fantasy. Why aren’t you willing to call that person a pedophile? Both are “real pedophiles.”

In your interview, you told the story of your friend who was caught in a sting by law enforcement for visiting a website offering images of “16 year old wannabe hookers” and justified his behavior by claiming they “looked 30” and were “not ten year old boys.” You probably don’t know much about human trafficking or child exploitation, so I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and explain why both those statements are, at best, uneducated.

Those 16 year old girls who “looked 30” were groomed by their exploiters and sexualized to appear older than they actually are. This is a tragically common strategy that sex traffickers use to entice buyers who are looking for sex with children. Have you ever known any 16 year old girls whose career dreams involved becoming a “wannabe hooker?” The dark reality is that these children are forced into the commercial sex industry at young ages through manipulation, coercion, deceit, and abuse of trust.

All children are worthy of protection from pedophiles, regardless of their age or gender. You further tried to justify your friend’s decision to download child pornography by distinguishing “ten year old boys” from the “16 year old wannabe hookers,” as if to say that child pornography involving young minor girls is not as worthy of prosecution as child pornography depicting younger minor boys. The broken philosophy underpinning this statement reflects cultural attitudes toward prostitution and children, especially girls. Children are not prostitutes, they are exploited, and that is equally true for the child pornography depicting the 16-year-old girls and the ten-year-old boys. Both offenses deserve harsh penalties.

Judicial reform is a serious and urgent topic. But child pornography convictions don’t deserve lighter penalties; in many states the penalties are far too lenient in comparison to federal penalties for the same offenses.

John, there is a war in American culture and media for the innocence of children. Every time you say that your friend merely “pushed the wrong buttons” and found himself on a child pornography website, you absolve him from responsibility. This has to stop. Men must stand up to protect the exploited and be honest about the consequences of consuming child pornography with themselves and with other men. Nothing is more urgent.

Expectantly,

-Ryan Dalton

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