We have written before about the connection between porn and human trafficking. It’s estimated that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally, and it’s estimated that forced labor and human trafficking is a 150 billion-dollar industry worldwide. So what can we do?
Covenant Eyes has invited a number of guests onto our podcast to help shed light on this important issue. One of those guests is Benjamin Bull.
Who is Benjamin Bull?
Benjamin Bull serves as the General Counsel of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and also the director of the NCOSE Law Center. He began his law career as a prosecutor in the state of Virginia, where he focused on enforcing obscenity laws. There, he found local pornography outlets that were violating these laws, and through his work, he was able to shut them down.
Benjamin went to work for many years defending religious freedoms. Then he was invited to join the team at NCOSE. When NCOSE reached out to him, Benjamin was initially unsure. “At the stage in my life, I don’t want a job just to get a paycheck,” said Benjamin. He continued:
“What’s our big, hairy, audacious goal? I want to do something that we won’t be successful unless God is in it. [They said] all we want to do Ben, is to take down and destroy the online sex trafficking and pornography industry in America and around the world. And I said I can take that on. Let’s do it.”
Benjamin Bull’s Work With The National Center on Sexual Exploitation
In his work with NCOSE, Benjamin has indeed taken on some audacious goals. Specifically, he’s taken legal action against the biggest purveyors of illegal pornography—porn sites that are profiting from human trafficking.
“We filed the very first class action lawsuit against Pornhub, also known as MindGeek— probably that the biggest sexual abuser, exploiter, and sex trafficker in the world,” said Benjamin.
(We wrote about this in the early days of the lawsuit.) But MindGeek isn’t the only major company that NCOSE has taken on. Benjamin continued:
“We have a very important lawsuit against Twitter, which is now in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the circuit just below the Supreme Court. I think we’re going to expose Twitter for being the playground for pedophiles, which where they buy, sell, and trade, child pornography on that platform, and other platforms like it.”
He went on to explain that Twitter has been complicit in hosting child sex abuse material on their site, and has refused to take it down even after being reported by the victims. Likewise, Benjamin is leading the team at NCOSE in a class action lawsuit against the state of Nevada for human trafficking.
A Warning for Parents About Human Trafficking
One thing many parents fail to realize is the threat of online predators, especially for children. There are many sad stories of children who fall prey to online traffickers. The traffickers will often pose as children themselves, and attempt to establish relationships with young boys and girls, tricking them into sending sexual photos or videos of themselves. The traffickers use these to extort or manipulate the victims into sharing further content.
Benjamin Bull warns parents to prepare their children for encounters with online traffickers:
“Any child with a smartphone or a tablet, it’s not a question of ‘if’ [they’ll be targeted] it’s a question of ‘when.’”
See: Online Exploitation is Turning Children into Porn: A Warning for Parents.
Hopeful Victories Against the Trafficking Industry
Despite the darkness that we see in the world today, Benjamin Bull offers hope that things are changing. Through organizations like NCOSE, great work is being done to put a stop to human trafficking and exploitation.
There have been major victories against trafficking organizations, especially MindGeek.
“Hopefully, in 10 years, 5 years we’ll be able to look back and say, wow, look what look what God did, how God used His servants for mighty purpose.”
Benjamin Bull helps lead a growing movement that is bringing justice to an industry marked by abuse and exploitation.
Click here to hear the whole discussion and our other great podcasts!
I know that God hates sin, especially sexual sins that distort His beautifully designed creation. I hope to someday be part of the battle in shutting the porn industry down, and I pray that the Lord would use me for His will.