Gaining Freedom for OSEC Survivors like Ruby
Every young girl dreams of making her mark in the world. For Ruby*, she thought this would begin when she was given the chance to prove her independence. As the youngest of ten siblings, she thought her opportunity came when a recruiter sent her a private message on social media offering her a position in a computer shop. The recruiter won her trust by offering free room and board and paying for the travel fare from her hometown to a place 650 kilometers away. The shop even sent a houseboy to pick her up from the port. Ruby was so pleased by the opportunity to start a new life that she jumped in right away.
Once arriving, Ruby soon discovered that the work she was recruited for was far from what she was originally offered.
Ruby’s “room and board” was actually a cybersex den where many other girls were housed and expected to perform sexual acts regularly that were live-streamed on the internet. Cybersex trafficking is the live sexual abuse of children streamed for others to access online.
She tried to leave but was told she had to pay back her travel fare, which seemed impossible with the majority of “income” going to overpriced goods sold by her recruiter. One day when she attempted to escape, her life was threatened at knifepoint by one of the girls trapped in the cybersex den with her.
Photo by the International Justice Mission
When our Dressember Network partner in the Philippines (International Justice Mission) learned of Ruby’s situation, they worked with local authorities to pinpoint her location. Within several days, an intervention was staged and Ruby, along with five other girls in the cybersex den, was led to safety. The recruiter running the illegal operation was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the risk of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) for children like Ruby.
As children spend more time online, they become increasingly vulnerable to sexual exploitation, especially in combination with other risk factors like lack of financial security, homelessness, gender, and more. According to the Human Trafficking Institute, 83% of active trafficking cases in 2020 were solicited online. Furthermore, the average age of children involved in OSEC at the time of referral was 11 years old (Source: International Justice Mission).
After the intervention, Ruby was taken to a holistic aftercare center for survivors in the Philippines run by Dressember Network partner International Justice Mission. The center provides psychosocial, economic, and holistic aftercare services to provide stability and prevent revictimization.
Today Ruby is free and safe—she even speaks out as a survivor leader raising awareness and action against the online sexual exploitation of children. Her hope is to empower other girls who are trapped in similar trafficking schemes to gain freedom and support.
By supporting survivors like Ruby with the resources that they need, we can help meet the needs and vulnerabilities heightened by the pandemic and make sure survivors feel safe and cared for.
Give today to support girls like Ruby.
* Pseudonym used to protect survivor’s identity and safety