In an interview with Fox News Insider, former NFL football star, Lawrence Taylor, displays bluntness about his solicitation of a prostituted minor despite his slick attitude and several off the cuff comments. Surely, few believe that this super star was properly punished when he was sentenced to a mere 6 years of probation on March 22 for buying sex with a girl who looked young enough for Taylor to ask her age and mentioned the presence of a pimp. And even though LT got off the hook in court, he admits the worst punishment of all is bearing the shame of his actions to his wife.

While Taylor accepts his conviction saying “I’ll take my punishment like I should” (1:45), he displays a great misunderstanding of the weight of what he has done to a child forced into a life of commercialized sex. “It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get” (3:28). Taylor says that sometimes the girls are pretty, and sometime they are ugly, describing them as products rather than people—a disturbingly common attitude among millions of buyers of sex.

Stemming from this attitude, Taylor pities himself as a man seeking a “clean” transaction rather than feeling remorse for the crimes inflicted against the child who is one of thousands who are trafficked within the U.S. every year. In his justification, he claims that “I’m not the cause of prostitution,” (1:05) but if all common buyers stopped demanding sex—even from lonely football stars on long, 11 day trips—prostitution would cease to exist as we know it.

“It’s one of those crimes—I guess you call it crimes—where you never think you’re gonna get busted because everybody does it, you know? Until you get busted. Then it’s more embarrassing than anything else” (5:20). There’s no guessing here. Underage prostitution—which is human trafficking by definition—is illegal despite lack of knowledge, and despite lack of guilt.

Lawrence Taylor, thanks for showing the world what your average buyer looks like…an unremorseful, everyday, average Joe.  Your demonstration of ignorance shows us why normal men need to be educated about the devastating effects of human trafficking; because it’s not about the pitiful lonely man.  It’s about 100,000 American children that become victims of human trafficking each and every year.

Look for key misunderstandings of prostitution in interview with LT:

• “I’m not the cause of prostitution.” (1:05)
• “It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get.” (3:28)
• “I didn’t really want a relationship; I’m not looking for a relationship.” (4:23)
• “It’s all clean,” [in reference to feelings]. (4:30)
• “I’m not saying it’s alright, but God, it’s the oldest profession in the world.” (4:43)
• “I guess you call it crimes.” (5:21)

Look for the prevalence of human trafficking and prostitution in everyday American culture:

• “You can start by just opening up the phone book.” (5:01)
• “I have used the services before.” (5:14)
• “Everybody does it.” (5:28)

Share your findings:
Be sure to share this post via email, facebook, and/or twitter because it’s so incredibly important to change attitudes towards this crime!  Lawrence Taylor’s defense demonstrates a classic buyer’s reaction to getting caught which focuses on his own justification rather than the child’s victimization.  All the while, his hesitation and body language reveal that despite all reasoning, he knows that “it’s not alright” (4:43).