I was 12 years old when I got my first phone. It wasn’t very good, but it gave me a sense of freedom, and soon my phone was crowded with the logos of social media and messaging apps like Kik, Omegle, and Whisper. I had no idea that simply downloading apps, like my peers, would lead me deeper into the world of trafficking. In my world, I was trash already. My only purpose was to spread my legs and accept the degradation that came with it.
Let me tell you how online grooming for trafficking works, from the perspective of somebody who lived through it.
Grooming is a crime of convenience, access, and an inherent power imbalance. It predates the internet – predators have always hunted on playgrounds, in community centres, and in schools – but online mediums have given groomers fewer obstacles to accessing children. They prey on those looking for love and community, offering what those kids want, slowly reeling them in to gain the child’s trust until they’re easy to manipulate.
