Sex-trafficking victims need protection

Ever since the first victim was discovered at Gilgo Beach in 2010, there has been extensive scrutiny and criticism surrounding the handling of the murder investigation and the failure to identify the serial killer.  

Rex Heuermann of Massapequa Park is now accused of murdering three and likely four of the women he allegedly hired for sex and whose bodies were found at Gilgo. This is not the first time in history that a serial killer has targeted sex-trafficking victims or "sex workers," and unfortunately, it won't be the last. Remember Ted Bundy?

Earlier this month serial killer Bryant "Eduardo" Rivera was arrested for the deaths of Mexican sex workers. In 2019, Samuel Little became America's most infamous serial killer when the FBI announced his confession to 93 murders spanning 35 years in 19 states. Serial killers recognize no geographic boundaries, and we must not forget "Jack the Ripper," the Victorian-era killer in London who also preyed upon prostitutes.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a database of the National Institutes for Health, sex-trafficked women and prostitutes face the highest risk of being homicide victims among any group of women studied. For many years, these reprehensible serial killers believed they could evade capture because they assumed their victims would go unnoticed. They deliberately targeted individuals our society still perceives as expendable.

Why do we persist with the mindset that "prostitutes" and "sex workers" would not be missed? They are human beings with families and loved ones. Whether they are individuals who choose sex work or those coerced into sex trafficking, they deserve the same respect and compassion as any other murder victim. A significant portion of this vulnerable population experienced childhood sexual abuse, leading them into drug dependency and ultimately becoming victims of sex trafficking.

It is crucial to raise public awareness about the risks and dangers of sex trafficking. Nonprofit organizations across the country are working to shift their perception of those exploited in the sex trade. I work with Selah Freedom, which has implemented diversion programs in Florida like TYLA Court (Turn Your Life Around) and other national online and in-person prevention and awareness programs.

Consider this: Sex trafficking reportedly occurs in nearly every ZIP code in America.

And 92% of sex-trafficking survivors report having been sexually abused as children. According to Selah Freedom, survivors the group has served over the past 12 years reported being sexually abused starting as early as 2-4 years old. The most common age for victims to be ensnared in the life of sex trafficking statistically falls between 12 and 14 years of age.

Hopefully, our society will change its distorted perception of girls, boys, teens, and young women at risk, recognizing that they may find themselves trapped in a life of horror or have their lives cut short. We must understand that these individuals are victims long before they fall prey to murder. The Gilgo Beach victims were likely specifically targeted because of the belief that they would not be missed. This horrifying assumption turned out to be incorrect, as there were people who missed their lost loved ones and relentlessly urged law enforcement to crack the Gilgo Beach and other cold cases.

Serial killers were mistaken in thinking that their choice of victims would shield them from real scrutiny, as these sex workers often fail to garner attention at the highest levels of law enforcement.

Until now. Until the next time. But let's hope there won't be a next time. Let us strive to understand, prevent, and eradicate the exploitation of individuals in the sex trade.