John Sting

Published July 25, 2008 @ 08:16AM PT

We have been working for quite some time in one Connecticut city. As we have worked there we have seen so many young girls being bought and sold that it has staggered my mind. I personally have seen kids as young as 11 and women as old as mid-forties being pimped out in this city.

One day when Frank and I were working we saw a young pregnant woman being abused and hassled because she wanted to take a break and sit for a moment. Another time, with two of our volunteers, we saw a girl being dropped of by a “john” who was yelling, calling her a “Stupid b!#@h” She was distraught and yelled back in defense of herself. He then tried to drive at her with his truck.

We have at times seen as many as 50 girls and women working in this city on a single visit, and have talked to them and offered them help as we were able. They are gracious as they accept food, clothing and supplies from us. They have thanked us profusely, to the point that I have been brought to tears by the idea that the things they need for basic survival are withheld from them.

 What I find so interesting about this city is that they, like many other cities, used to arrest the girls, but the “johns” and pimps rarely suffered any consequences. Recently however, they have begun to do “Reverse Stings” in which the “johns’ are arrested and have their names printed in the newspaper. They have done more than one already and are planning more for the future. Why? Because it works.           

As long as the girls and women who are being sold as prostitutes are the only ones who are really punished, what is the motivation of the people who profit from these transactions to stop creating and increasing demand? The “johns’ get their kicks and the pimps get the cash. As long as there is ample demand, there will be increased trafficking.            

However, as this one Connecticut city is gradually finding out, when the ‘johns” are punished and their names published in the newspaper, they begin to suffer the natural consequences for their actions. The people in their lives who have trusted them to be faithful find out they are not. The jobs they have may be in jeopardy because they do not want to be associated with the embarrassment.           

I am happy to see the direct affect of these stings but am painfully aware that the girls and women are still being abused; and they still need our help.