Child Sex Workers: Are They Victims or Criminals?

The R. Kelly sex scandal has shown that some of us could stand to change the ways in which we view children, especially teenage girls. For those of you not familiar with the Kelly case, R. Kelly is a popular singer and entertainer best known for hits like, "I Believe I Can Fly" and "I'm Your Angel" (with Celine Dion). Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was charged with having sex with a minor in February, 2002. In this instance, his lewd contact with an alleged teenage girl (that includes him urinating on her) was videotaped, yet he was acquitted of all charges against him as the young girl in the tape, who is now an adult, denied any involvement, would not testify against him and it could not be proven that she, in fact, was the girl on the tape. It also bears mentioning that this wasn't Kelly's first charge of sexual activity with a minor, nor was it the first incident of such acts being photographed or videotaped. Prior accusations were denied, yet settled monetarily. He was also believed to have been illegally married to the now deceased singer, Aliyah, when she was just 15 years old after having working with her on her debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number".

During Kelly's recent legal troubles and following his June, 2008 acquittal of the 2002 case, those who have somewhat followed his trial have speculated on the innocence of the minor girl in the videotape. Being that it was widely circulated at one time on the Internet, many have viewed it and claim that, while it appears she was definitely underage, she was neither inexperienced nor unfamiliar with having sex. Many have even gone so far as to say that she was a willing participant who was happy to be sexually involved with a so-called celebrity. Therefore, individuals of this mindset, have argued that he deserved to be acquitted since they don't believe this qualifies as actual child molestation.

Unfortunately, Kelly's case is just one case of many where we find children are routinely blamed as being promiscuous, seductive and willing participants in sexual activities with adults. I've personally heard many of these views espoused by men, but am finding an alarming new wave of women who feel the same way. Sadly, these individuals cannot understand the trends of abuse that led many of these young people into the arms of an adult who has further abused them.

Evidence of this warped thinking can also be found within our legal system. Why is it that teens found in prostitution here in the United States are charged with a crime and jailed while children brought to the United States from other countries who are discovered while working in the sex industry are seen as victims of human trafficking and protected under federal laws? Why is it that an American underage boy or girl being pimped by a handler isn't given the same protection and treatment as an underage child from Russia being pimped by handlers in the same way? American runaway children, many of which are minorities born into poverty, are criminalized, while foreign children are protected under the law.

While it is true that many of these young people have run away from home straight into the arms of a pimp for shelter and protection, the sad truth of the matter is that many of them have run from homes where they were sexually and physically abused in the first place. According to http://www.1800runaway.org/news_events/third.html:

"80% of runaway and homeless girls reported having ever been sexually or physically abused. 34% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported sexual abuse before leaving home and forty-three percent of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported physical abuse before leaving home."

Clearly these children are not choosing the lives they've been burdened with, but are victims running from abusive parents, straight into the arms of another abusive adult who they believe loves them. These children often never know what love is as they are further victimized by a legal system that jails them instead of helping them.

What are the laws regarding teens found in prostitution in your state? It's important that we all familiarize ourselves with such issues and advocate for change where we see disparities. These children don't deserve criminal records and jail time, they deserve safe shelter and treatment to restore their lives. We all have the power to be heard by our lawmakers and others who are forming unpopular opinions about why and how our children end up as sex workers; Whereas many of these children who are being manipulated, brainwashed and horribly abused don't have much of a voice at all. As responsible adults, parents and concerned citizens, let's all do our part by lobbying for a change in the legal processing and the rehabilitation of children trapped in deviant lifestyles.

Source:

http://www.1800runaway.org/news_events/third.html