Genuine escorts or trfficed girls???

[La Toya]

Press and Media are the Communications Department, hope you got the point,lol...

I shouldn't take everything you see on TV quite so seriously if I were you. It's usually clueless BS aimed at boosting ratings.

[Rachel Divine]

I don't know if it's a small % or not. Do you? How? Unless you have met every sex worker, spoken to them and they have been truthful with you, how could you know?
As I said, the clients are more likely to meet the sex workers than we are. Until an official and fair study is performed, I'll keep an open mind.

No, I havent met every sex worker neither did you.
On the last big raids , the police did met many of the sex workers in Ireland and even if it was a check up and not went for anyone in particular, they did not found any escort tied to the radiator ...
Were are the convictions on human trafficking for the last 2 -3 years?

[EnglishAlex]

Recently I was chatting with a client who told me about an experience which concerned him greatly. It had happened recently. There is very little doubt in my mind as to what was going on in the situation he described. It was made more worrying by his concern regarding the age of the girl that was literally pushed out of the door of the lounge to meet with him!!

I'm not surprised you have never come across anyone who was in a situation other than of their own free will. I haven't either. Why would we? It's the clients who are going to come into contact with any such ladies.

To insist that their are no ladies out there being trafficked or coerced is just as foolish as stating that no sex worker is ever working of their own free will.

I've had a few clients mention really alarming situations too - one client thought something was a 'really weird' and 'obviously not right' but didn't report it to the authorities when they 100% should have. I can't put into words how upsetting I find this. Considering there are many ways to make a report, including completely anonymously - why aren't clients doing so? Why don't they know the signs and doing something about it when they see them? Lets be honest here, any genuinely independent escort knows that they'll encounter the police/guards at some stage and if it takes for them to be knocking my door every day in order to save one single trafficked person, then that is fine. But I've realised that many clients simply do not give a shit about anything but fucking the next hot piece of ass they meet, regardless of whether she's actively willing or quite reluctant. It's all the same to many of them. It disgusts me.

Based on what you say (which I completely agree with) about clients being the only ones to meet possibly trafficked escorts, they need to be educated really quickly and possibly given operations to install a backbone.

I don't care how unpopular this might make me but I fully believe that if you're visiting agency escorts which are illegal in Ireland, then you're far more likely to encounter a trafficked person. Illegal activities usually go hand in hand. The fact that this site does fuck all to make the distinction between agency escort and independent escort is shocking and doing irreparable damage to the sex industry in this country. How on earth can a client make an informed decision who to meet when he's not given any clear facts at all?

As an Independent Sex Worker, but more importantly a human being, I beg clients to look at the bigger picture and start actively doing something about the 'weird' and 'not right' situations they find themselves in. A persons life may depend on you speaking out.

No I'm not, what I'm saying is think about it. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have known where to start working abroad at such a young age with a basic knowledge of a foreign language. I dont know how these girls manage it either. If I was a guy & I was going to go to see these girls, I would be asking questions before I stayed.

Sandy x

^^^^ What Sandy said, THINK ABOUT IT.

The guys we're expecting to think about don't seem to care for anything but their own needs. Asking them to consider the how's, why's and where's of the situation is seemingly asking too much.

[EnglishAlex]

No, I havent met every sex worker neither did you.
On the last big raids , the police did met many of the sex workers in Ireland and even if it was a check up and not went for anyone in particular, they did not found any escort tied to the radiator ...
Were are the convictions on human trafficking for the last 2 -3 years?

They need to be tied to a radiator to be trafficked/forced/coerced? You silly girl, stop talking such rubbish.

Convictions on human trafficking are so low as the country doesn't have the first clue how to deal with trafficking. There are 2 dedicated vice guards for the whole country and the government usually reacts to the 'there and then' political pressure from other countries and religious fanatics rather than monitor the situation as a whole over a longer time - something they'd need more rescources to do as it takes a lot of time, energy money and effort to do something about organised crime.

[La Toya]

You spoke the point Sexy...Thumbs up ...

I'm not saying that there are no trafficked girls, however I've never met any nor do I know of any. Having said that the girls I know & socalise with tend to be mature, UK escorts. We all make our own accommodation arrangement, travel & alot of the truely independent girls, post on the forums here.

If you read a profile & the girl is young with basic English yet she's managed to come to a foreign country & found an apartment to work from, think about it. When I was 19/20 & I didn't know the language of a foreign country, I wouldn't have been able to go across there, find accommodation & set myself up working as an escort. If you guys turn up & something 'concerns' you about the girl or the set up operating, such as several girls working from the same premises, it's simple walk out. If you stay & pay money, you are only lining the pockets of someone else who's behind the operation.

Sandy x

[Rachel Divine]

No I'm not, what I'm saying is think about it. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have known where to start working abroad at such a young age with a basic knowledge of a foreign language. I dont know how these girls manage it either. If I was a guy & I was going to go to see these girls, I would be asking questions before I stayed.

Sandy x

I dont like to be asked who I share or how I started working in Ireland and so on. Dont you think that is just nosey??!!! I do .. Anyway...

At some stage were escort agencies advertising and they could help ladies, as I started ...

We arent alone in this world, we have friends , people we know and we get help from them as well..

Not speaking the language is not the issue and I believe we are brave enough to go aboard and try..

When I say "we" I mean escorts who arent native English..

Putting the foreign escorts in a bad light in the eyes of clients I dont think it is a good idea.

If ye as sex workers are only moaning ye are doing nothing better than the media ...

You stated you havent met any coerced escort yet you can state they are out there and by some criteria you want the clients to avoid/ask them questions ...

[Rachel Divine]

They need to be tied to a radiator to be trafficked/forced/coerced? You silly girl, stop talking such rubbish.

Convictions on human trafficking are so low as the country doesn't have the first clue how to deal with trafficking. There are 2 dedicated vice guards for the whole country and the government usually reacts to the 'there and then' political pressure from other countries and religious fanatics rather than monitor the situation as a whole over a longer time - something they'd need more rescources to do as it takes a lot of time, energy money and effort to do something about organised crime.

I am entitled to an opinion as you are. If you think is rubbish, is your view ..
If the country doesnt have a clue how to deal with trafficking , maybe you can complain to the Gov about it and ask them to do something about the whole huge trafficking going on in Ireland as seems to be a huge concern ... soo many young foreign ladies with no English working on here...

I did shared with lots of foreign escorts and none was forced into prostitution and working against her will. With how many did you shared? With how many did you speak in person?

[EnglishAlex]

I am entitled to an opinion as you are. If you think is rubbish, is your view ..
If the country doesnt have a clue how to deal with trafficking , maybe you can complain to the Gov about it and ask them to do something about the whole huge trafficking going on in Ireland as seems to be a huge concern ... soo many young foreign ladies with no English working on here...

I did shared with lots of foreign escorts and none was forced into prostitution and working against her will. With how many did you shared? With how many did you speak in person?

Do you think the only way to force someone is to physically tie them up? Or chain them to a radiator? It is not. I've met escorts who were trafficked and they were in fear for their lives and the lives of their family if they spoke out against the traffickers. They weren't tied up, they were mentally tortured and tormented into believing they couldn't leave. I helped to raise funds so that a lady we knew could buy out of the situation she was in - she was put there and controlled by traffickers btw. The ones you claim don't exist.

The government? As I said before, they have neither the funds nor the manpower to adress the problem - so they panic and try to criminalise it. Yes, the government are really doing well on this one.

I've worked in the sex industry for long enough to know it's not all fine and dandy, my eyes are wide open to the exploitation that occurs and to the manipulation too

You were working for agencies in Ireland Rachel, you were not independent so I'm not surprised you've shared more times here than I have. But do not for one second assume that my knowledge of the escort industry in Ireland is limited to how REAL Independents operate. I have friends in UK who came and worked for agencies in Ireland as far back as 2000. They were robbed, they were raped and they were terrorised if they left without prior permission. These same agencies that you chose to sing the praises of. The very same ones.

So do me a favour, don't act like it's all a lovely place when you know that it isn't. Your ignorance is extremely selective. In other words, I don't believe that you've never shared with a trafficked escort. Whether you knew it or not is an entirely different matter. These ladies live in fear so not necessarily going to be vocal about how they really got to Ireland etc.

[UKHeather]

No, I havent met every sex worker neither did you.
On the last big raids , the police did met many of the sex workers in Ireland and even if it was a check up and not went for anyone in particular, they did not found any escort tied to the radiator ...
Were are the convictions on human trafficking for the last 2 -3 years?

As I said, the clients are more likely to meet the sex workers than we are. Until an official and fair study is performed, I'll keep an open mind.

One could also ask where are the figures on how many sex workers are independent.

[samlad]

Nicole, Patricia and I watched a documentary last week called Nefarious: Merchant of Souls; a documentary on the Global trafficking issues. This documentary was written and presented by Benjamin Nolot of Christian missionary group 'Exodus Cry', and the crew travel to Global trafficking hotspots to film these issues. Nolot wanted to show that trafficking is a form of modern day slavery, of which I do agree with, however the concept was focusing on the point Nolot was trying to make, which was that 'trafficking' is not just coercion, but even those that volunteer into the industry are 'trafficking their souls', of which I thought was complete poppycock.

First of all, Nolot travelled to Romania. Although there was no actual filmed evidence of coercion, he interviewed an ex-prostitute that was forced into the industry. She said trafficking is a professionally organised crime and that there were different methods used to force girls into the sex industry; a) 'employers' tell the girls that they have model/waitress jobs for them in a different country, and when they arrive, are pushed into sex work, b) one of these criminals would 'romance' a girl, tell her that they are in love and then eventually pretend to be broke and convince her to work in the sex industry or c) should the first two methods fail, these criminals would physically abduct the girl. Whatever the method, these girls would be locked into a small room with only beds to sleep on and beaten regularly until there spirits were broke and they are only a shell of their former selves. Organised criminals then put these girls on a 'cat walk', so that they can be bought by other organised criminals. These girls are told to strip and the buyers can 'test the merchandise'. Once bought, they are a criminal commodity.

As if that wasn't bad enough, these organised criminals can easily transport these women at the borders, because there are government officials actually paid to allow them through. It is a highly organised crime, and it made me think, "This should really be the starting point to nip this in the bud!" Absolutely shocking!

Nolot then moves to the poverty stricken regions of Cambodia, where girls are actually sold into the sex industry.... by their parents! According to Nolot, 10% of the Cambodian population is sold into the sex trade. These girls work in 'karaoke bars' and clients can buy a beer for around $5 and have sex with one of the girls for $3! One of the crew from the missionary paid to go into a room with a couple of these girls and told them that they can take them to a better place where they wouldn't have to have sex with people for money. The girls said that they will have to ask their mothers. The crew said that they did go to the parents' address and were told no, because that family would have no income. It was said that when a mother gives birth to a girl, the family are blessed because they have potential income should times be hard.

Nolot and crew also visited Sweden to discuss the Swedish model and spoke to Kajsa Wahlberg, Detective Inspector of Stockholm police (who was in the BBC NI Spotlight programme the other day). She praised the success of the Swedish model and its reductions of trafficking in Sweden, adding that "...men need to learn to control their urges. They are just masturbating in women." The group also travelled to Amsterdam where they interviewed a window prostitute. She said that she was also coerced into the sex industry, regardless of the legal brothel laws in the city. She showed Nolot the room that she works in, and on the wall next to the bed, there is a panic alarm that she can hit just in case there is any trouble. A legal brothel keeper was questioned about this panic button after he assured Nolot that his girls are safe, to which he didn't really answer as Nolot brought up the subject of a prostitute stabbing only days before in a brothel a few days before.

Nolot then travelled to Las Vegas to talk to two prostitutes that went into the sex industry voluntarily for the riches and the glamour. Everything was great for them until they were attacked, raped and robbed, and they described the horrors they had to endure as a sex worker. These women both managed to get out of the sex industry, however it was noted that one of these women did return to working as a sex worker shortly afterwards. Nolot made a point that hundreds and thousands of dollars are spent on non-government organisations to help victims of sex work leave the industry, however, most of these people revert back into the industry. At this point, just when Nolot had started selling his point, everyone involved in the documentary, from an ex-trafficker, to prostitutes to members of the missionary, all started to preach that the only way to save these souls is to pray to the Lord, to find God in our hearts, and this is the only real salvation!

We cannot turn a blind-eye to trafficking; it does go on and probably more than we know, but I don't think arresting clients is a form of 'bombing the supply routes'. I can understand that in theory, it might put a percentage of clients off, but realistically, it will not stop the demand for supply. The problem is that there are different laws in each country, so these organised criminals will do anything to circumvent the law in order to make a lot of money very quickly. In my opinion, the law needs to come to terms with the fact the sex is an innate instinct and this will not go away. It should be regulated so that people can be safe and work on their own free will, and the traffickers, the REAL criminals need to be targeted.

Has anyone else seen this documentary?