Sex trafficking law fails

7/15/2019 6:19:30 AM

Three months after the bill’s passage, the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri, said, “We have shut down nearly 90% of the online sex-trafficking business and ads.” The Washington Post fact-checked this claim and gave her three Pinocchios.

Among other issues with her comment, most of the decline in sex-work ads came after the government seized the website Backpage, a move that happened before FOSTA-SESTA was passed. And, The Post wrote, “after the initial drop, advertising for the sex trade appears to have rebounded, such as on new websites that mimic Backpage with named like ‘Bedpage.'”

As for the actual business of sex trafficking, there’s no evidence that the law has made any difference whatsoever.

The cofounder of the St. James Infirmary, “a health clinic that supports sex workers in California’s Bay Area,” told The Verge “that in the weekend following FOSTA, the infirmary’s mobile van outreach saw a dramatic increase of street-based sex workers in the Mission District.” Sex workers weren’t just going to disappear, and police departments across the country seem to have been caught off-guard by this influx.

17 comments

Latest

Nidan111

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5 years ago

All politicians do is make themselves “feel good” with PR bullshit. Missouri did shit down some AMPs, but they just move on to another location. The girls in those sites are not trafficked; I see them floating around st Walmart, casinos, local parks, etc. not the “trapped to stay in the parlor” bullshit the chief politicians say happens. Plus NOT ONE CHARGE for sex trafficking. They generally find food in a room and then shit them down temporarily due to “health code” violations, but they ALWAYS bring up “sex trafficking” when the media asks them why they pulled their business license.

I’m all for stopping illegal sex trafficking. I am not for lying to the public about the problem. Just be honest about it and go after true crime. Lying about it does injustice to what truly needs done.

Icey

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5 years ago

Its a nonsensical argument. You're arguing a negative.

SESTA-FOSTA has stopped 90% of online prostitution rings within a year.... that's not bad. Furthermore, the basic tenets of the act have been in existence....just not codified into one act.

It forced enablers of prostitution and human trafficking offline and onto the streets, making it easier to catch and prosecute you guys.

I take it as purveyors of prostitution, you oppose such acts though.

san_jose_guy

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5 years ago

Sex trafficking is largely over blown.

Anti-Sex Feminists used to crusade against porn. But now the internet has made porn mainstream.

So they have shifted to trafficking.

Always trying to say that there is something non-consensual, so that the sex worker is a victim.

SJG

Icey

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5 years ago

Technically they are victims though. Its the coercive nature of the trade. I've never met a hoe who liked her job or felt in control.

Consent is debatable when you have to do something to survive....

boomer79

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5 years ago

If not liking your job and needing the money made something non-consensual there would be a ton of slaves around.

This whole “slavery” argument is BS. The old arguments stopped playing so the same people had to adapt their reasons and misstate information to suck in the naive do gooders.

Icey

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5 years ago

You don't understand the law nor common ethics.

Purchasing access to someone's body for the purpose of sticking your dick in them so you can get off....just because they need money, isn't really ethical. If you thought it were you wouldn't be on here anonymously.

Solicitation is illegal as is inducement...which legally makes it non-consensual.

boomer79

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5 years ago

Women offering and selling sex for money isn’t legal either so by that logic the customer couldn’t consent. As far as anonymity I’ve told plenty of people what I think in person. I also don’t have an ethical problem depending on the situation. The fact that it is illegal also doesn’t make it unethical. Usually the two run together but not always. By that logic since there are different laws in different places ethics would depend on where you are.

Now I will admit I’m careful who I fell this to even though I’m single. I’ll tell many people but in many settings it’s not worth the trouble. Online it’s easier to be straight forward like I would normally be with many friends about what I think.

Icey

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5 years ago

Prostitution isn't about sex its about illegal labor. You can't legally consent to illegal labor. You also can't profit from illegal labor.

Also, a victim of trafficking can't legally consent....

boomer79

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5 years ago

And yet prostitution is still illegal and they can and frequently are charged in most of the U.S. All prostitution is not forced. Some are and I wish law enforcement would focus on women really are victims and want help. We could also focus on giving them alternatives to make sure it’s a choice. I do care about victims but I’m tired of the propaganda that all prostitution is non consensual. Some is but most “abolitionists” are prudes, man haters and religious nuts.

Icey

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5 years ago

The myth of the happy hooker is just that, a myth. Prostitution is exploitive by nature because of the power and resource inequalities that dictate it.

They can legally work in Nevada brothels....

JamesSD

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5 years ago

Icey you basically just fell into the logical trap of "if it's legal it's moral". Remember slavery was legal forever.

Icey

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5 years ago

I didn't. There are legal types of exploitation that are just as unethical.

san_jose_guy

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5 years ago

As the people who go to TJ, if the women qualify as "Happy Hookers".

SJG

Icey

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5 years ago

SJG, its an act, they're not going to show their real feelings.... they're selling a fantasy and access to their bodies.

san_jose_guy

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5 years ago

Our "Beloved Latina Escorts" in San Jose are very very happy with what they do.

SJG

san_jose_guy

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5 years ago

We have to accept the fact that women are adult persons who can decide what they do and don't want to do, just like everyone else.

SJG

Icey

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5 years ago

SJG, prostitution is much more complicated than women just deciding to sell access to their bodies.... It is a choice what goes into making that choice is what is important.

I've personally known girls who have sold sex, and it was always the same thing. The long showers, not wanting to be touched, spending the money as quickly as the could because they thought it was so dirty. The guilt they felt while being in relationships. It has a negative impact, that's undeniable.

And for most, the motive is not being able to find employment, having to take care of kids or relatives who can't work, drug habits, pimps...

Like I said, sure there are women who love sex so much they'll fuck just about anyone. But you see those at swingers clubs/parties... the chicks who let guys run trains on them. That's different.

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