Ep.1 - The connection between porn and sex trafficking | Helen Taylor and Benjamin Nolot
Jan 31, 2023
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Benjamin Nolot and Helen Taylor discuss the vital connection between porn and sex trafficking. They explore the intersection of pornography and sex trafficking, highlighting personal stories and the need for accountability in the industry. They also delve into the rise of a popular porn website and the emerging anti-porn sentiment, leading to a global campaign to hold PornHub accountable. The podcast emphasizes the importance of education and empowerment in addressing these issues.
The porn industry is closely intertwined with sex trafficking, as it is used to market women in prostitution and victims are forced to appear in pornography.
A powerful anti-porn sentiment has emerged due to the discovery of Pornhub's involvement in hosting exploited videos, sparking a global movement against the harmful effects of pornography and sex trafficking.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Pornography and Sex Trafficking
Pornography intersects with sex trafficking in various ways. First, it is used to market women in prostitution, with pornographic cards being distributed to promote the women being sold. Second, sex trafficking victims are often forced to appear in pornography, blurring the lines between trafficking and pornography. Third, even in the mainstream porn industry, there is an element of trafficking present, with individuals being trafficked into the legal porn industry. Fourth, pornography fuels the demand for illicit sex, creating a market for trafficking. Lastly, pornography is used to groom and exploit victims of child sex trafficking, with traffickers using it to expose children to sexual acts they are forced to perform.
The Shift in Focus to Pornography
After extensive research, a strong focus on pornography and its connection to sex trafficking emerged. The team delved into the larger sexual culture and found growing anti-porn sentiment alongside the escalating deviancy of pornography. They observed how pornography, despite its increasingly disturbing content, was celebrated and normalized in pop culture. This observation, combined with cases of exploited individuals found on popular porn site Pornhub, led to a decade-long investigation into the industry. This research ultimately resulted in campaigns against Pornhub, such as the Trafficking Hub campaign and the Protect Children, Not Porn campaign.
Galvanizing Public Outrage
The discovery of the intersections between pornography and sex trafficking galvanized public outrage and sparked a significant anti-porn sentiment. People became increasingly aware of the harmful effects of pornography on society, and the need for accountability grew. The exposure of Pornhub's involvement in hosting videos featuring exploited individuals, including minors, further fueled public demand for holding the website accountable. The campaigns launched by Exodus Cry prompted a global movement, with individuals actively lending their voices and participating in efforts to combat the harmful effects of pornography and sex trafficking.
In the first Exodus Cry Podcast episode after a three year hiatus, Benjamin Nolot and Helen Taylor jump straight into discussing the vital connection between porn and sex trafficking. Benjamin unpacks how his discoveries about the porn industry over the last 8 years culminated into the launch of what eventually became the viral, global #Traffickinghub movement.
Benjamin Nolot is the CEO and Founder of Exodus Cry and Helen Taylor is the Vice President of Impact at Exodus Cry.
Exodus Cry is a leading global anti-trafficking nonprofit organization focused on ending widespread sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, exposing this injustice for millions worldwide, and helping its victims to rebuild their lives.
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