KCP Speakers at Wednesday’s news conference included, L-R: King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, King County Senior DPA Val Richey, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, and the co-founder of Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS) and prostitution survivor Noel Gomez. At far right are Peter Qualliotine, OPS co-founder, and Alisa Bernard, prostitution survivor and OPS staff member, who also spoke at yesterday’s news conference on stopping sexual exploitation.[/caption] Law enforcement and community leaders from across King County have joined together to announce a major initiative to reduce the demand for prostitution where the majority of sex buying now takes place – online. “Prostitution is a harmful and violent practice, and has exploded on the Internet — going from the street corner to the corner office,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg.  “In King County, each day an estimated 27,000 men are actively soliciting sex online at one of over 100 websites.  We need to take action and we need a new approach.” Historically law enforcement has focused on arresting prostituted people. This approach has been unsuccessful at reducing exploitation and doesn’t address the demand that drives sex trafficking. The “Buyer Beware” initiative is a partnership with eight different police departments and city attorney’s offices across King County who are shifting their emphasis to go after sex buyers. The initiative is led by the Organization for Prostitution Survivors and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Prostitution is not a victimless crime. The typical age of entry into prostitution is between 13 to 15 years old and 85% have histories of childhood sexual and physical abuse. As adults in prostitution, over 80% experience physical and sexual assaults, homelessness, and PTSD. Eighty-eight percent report wanting to leave prostitution if they had an alternative. “My recent study found there were 300 – 500 prostituted adolescents in the Seattle area,” reported Dr. Debra Boyer. Satterberg added:

“Our message for buyers is simple: We are working together to hold you accountable for the harms of prostitution.”
Participating community organizations include: The Organization for Prostitution Survivors, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Stolen Youth, and Seattle Against Slavery. Participating law enforcement agencies include: King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Kent Police Department, Federal Way Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, and Renton Police Department. For more information, click here]]>

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One reply on “Local jurisdictions join together to reduce demand for Prostitution”

  1. At any moment now our very own Lauren Berkoitz will most likely be coming out with some public statement from her super liberal soapbox about how the crackdown on prostitution is a violation of your civil right to express your naked self in that fashion. 10,9,8,7, ——-

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