The booming demand for trafficked women and children in recent years is due in part to the proliferation of pornography.  It is time that we stop thinking pornography is victimless and free from consequence. We must recognize that all forms of sexual exploitation are seamlessly intertwined.

Porn Changes the Brain: First, we must understand the effect that porn has on the user. Porn is like a drug. It acts the same as a drug in your system. It tricks your brain into releasing the same pleasure chemicals drugs release, like cocaine, and then it alters the reward pathways in the brain.[1] This is why users can spend countless hours watching porn without regard to their other responsibilities and commitments. Research shows that users of porn also begin to alter their beliefs and understanding about sexuality and intimacy. Exposure to pornographic media is connected to[2]:

• Believing that women are always ready for sex and are enthusiastic to do whatever men want, irrespective of how painful, humiliating or harmful the act is
• Believing women suffer less and generally enjoy rape
• Believing a rape victim experienced pleasure and “got what she wanted”
• More acceptance of violence against women
• More self-reported likelihood of forcing a woman sexually
• Engaging in more sexual harassment behaviors
• Using physical or verbal coercion to have sex
• Increasing their estimates of how often people pay for sex

Porn as a Driver for Demand: Over time, users become bored and desensitized and will often crave harder and more deviant materials in order to satisfy their urges. Evidence of this is in the progression of mainstream pornography over the years from topless women to extreme sexual violence and misogynistic degradation. It is also illustrated, sadly, in the booming supply of child pornography, which is increasing in demand.  Users of pornography will often deviate to using more fetishized materials—like child-themed, incest-themed, or sexual torture-themed (BDSM) porn. These fetishes are the most common topics in today’s mainstream porn. The top-searched theme for porn in 2013 was “teen.”

Pornographers and pimps are keenly aware of the deviant demands of their customers and go to extreme measures to make sure they can supply the requested material. Pimps have moved from the street corner to the safety and anonymity of the Internet. More reports indicate that johns and pimps are recording sex acts with prostituted and trafficked women, and then uploading to the Internet for more money, bragging rights, or to use as advertising. Porn performers in “professional” films report that force, fraud and coercion are sometimes used to get them to fulfill uncomfortable or unsafe requests. Sex trafficking is a sad reality in the production of pornography.[3]

Some porn users will seek to act out what they are viewing in pornography. In The Projection Project: Journal of Human Rights and Civil Society, a study conducted interviewed 854 prostituted women from 9 countries and found that 47% were upset by customers trying to make them perform what the customer had seen in porn.[4] Given the humiliating and violent nature of mainstream porn, many porn users’ wives and girlfriends refuse to consent to “porn star” sex. The users will then sometimes seek to act out their fantasy elsewhere. This drives demand for trafficking as men pay prostituted or trafficked women and children to perform the specific acts seen in porn. Remember how “teen” was the top porn search in 2013? It’s no coincidence that girls now enter prostitution at the average age of 13. There’s a market for these young girls, which pimps are happy to supply, and porn is the reason.

Recognize the Links: There is a continuum of sexual exploitation and porn is a major factor, fueling all of it. Pornography, sexually oriented businesses, strip clubs, prostitution and sex trafficking, sexual violence, and child sexual abuse all are connected. We must recognize that unless something is done to curb porn and its use, we will never solve the problems of sexual exploitation, specifically sex trafficking. Learn more about the links between pornography and sex trafficking at http://stoptraffickingdemand.com/.

[1] Learn more about the effects pornography has on the brain at these websites: http://pornharmsresearch.com/ http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts#porn-is-like-a-drug http://yourbrainonporn.com

[2] All points are backed up by research listed here: http://pornharmsresearch.com/2013/12/talking-points-porn-sexual-violence-research/

[3] http://stoptraffickingdemand.com/trafficking-within-the-industry/

[4] http://stoptraffickingdemand.com/johns-acting-out/

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/