Sex-trafficked — and jailed

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 September 2021

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For years, allegations that R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls swirled. This week, the singer was found guilty of sex trafficking in federal court. But not all child sex-trafficking victims get justice — instead, many of them are arrested.

Jessica Contrera has done a lot of reporting on child sex trafficking in the United States. When she saw the R. Kelly verdict this week, the cases of hundreds of other sex-trafficked children came to mind.

“People were finally praising and recognizing these Black girls who came forward again and again and went through the grueling process of what it takes to testify in a case like this, and thanking them for coming forward and for their bravery,” Contrera says. “But it’s important to remember the context that Black girls who are sex-trafficking victims are also the most likely to be treated as criminals for being sold for sex.”

Every year, Contrera says, dozens of teenagers are locked up despite being victims of a crime. In Las Vegas, Contrera went on a ride-along with a vice unit as it arrested child sex-trafficking victims, and she reports on what it was like for these youths to be sent to detention centers rather than given help.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's Martin.
0:03.4	A heads up that this episode deals with child sex trafficking and may be difficult to hear.
0:09.1	Today's guilty verdict forever brands Arkelly as a predator who used his fame and fortune
0:16.7	to pray on the young, the vulnerable, and the voiceless for his own sexual ratification.
0:25.4	RMB singer Arkelly was found guilty on federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
0:31.5	Here's the prosecution speaking after the verdict on Monday.
0:36.0	And justice was finally served.
0:39.7	This conviction would not have been possible without the bravery and resilience of Arkelly's
0:45.0	victims.
0:46.4	I applaud their courage in revealing an open court, the painful, intimate, and horrific
0:53.8	details of their lives with him.
1:07.9	During the trial, one woman testified that she was forced into sexual encounters with other
1:12.6	women, that she was unable to leave rooms without Kelly's permission, that he forced
1:17.9	her to have an abortion.
1:20.2	Other women said that Arkelly assaulted her and knowingly gave her herpes.
1:25.0	In total, 11 accusers testified, and their accounts painted a picture of girls who were
1:30.5	vulnerable in the face of power, and how for so long adults didn't do enough to help
1:36.0	them.
1:37.9	From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports.
1:41.4	I'm Martin Powers.
1:42.9	It's Tuesday, September 28.
1:47.8	Arkelly is now facing 10 years to life in prison.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Washington Post, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Washington Post and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.