He led me up behind my house up into the mountains. I was brought into this campsite … It was very well-stocked, very well hidden.

Mountains in Utah where Elizabeth Smart was taken

And it was this man who kidnapped me and his wife waiting for us there. The woman took me into the tent where she forced me to change the clothes I had on and then she got up and left. And next thing I knew this man was in there telling me I was his wife, and then raping me. Then I remember he was kneeling above me and he had this piece of metal cable and he's wrapping it around my ankle and then crushing these bolts into place so that I couldn't escape. And that was the beginning of what turned into the longest nine months of my life.

The mountain cove were Elizabeth Smart was held in captivity

So every time when I thought I hit rock bottom my captor would find something new to make it worse. And one of those times I had been forced to drink alcohol and I had thrown up and then I'd passed out face down and I woke up the next morning and my face and my hair we're still all crusted to the ground, covered in vomit and I remember at that point just feeling like: How can you get any lower than this?

Elizabeth Smart’s father taking with the press about his daughter’s disappearance

Posters and flyers in hopes of finding Elizabeth Smart

And it was just a few days later that my captor was really excited and really kind of amped up something He said, 'Oh, I have something, and I'm going to show it to you… you have to look it, you have to look at it.' And then I remember he pulled out this magazine full of hardcore pornography and I remember he would jus sit and look at it and stare at it and he just talked about these women and then when he was done he would turn and look at me and be like: 'Now we're going to do this.’ It just led to him raping me more, more than he already did, which was a lot. Looking at pornography wasn't enough for him. Having sex with his wife after looking at pornography, it wasn't enough for him. And then it led into finally going out and kidnapping me. He just always wanted more.

I can't say that he would not have gone out and kidnapped me had he not looked at pornography all I know is that pornography made my living hell...worse.

Elizabeth Smart scene with her captors.



A masked Elizabeth Smart in public with her captors

Elizabeth Smart’s captor, abuser and rapist Brian David Mitchell

Elizabeth Smart is found

Actually the following morning after I was rescued, my mom gave me a piece of advice that really changed my life forever. And she said to me: "Elizabeth, what these people have done to you is so terrible and you may never feel like restitution is made but the best punishment that you could ever give them is to be happy."

And that advice has helped make me who I am today. I have gone on to become an advocate for abuse prevention, an advocate against pornography. I witnessed firsthand just how damaging it is.

“Due to research over the past years we are finally starting to recognize the harmful effects of pornography on individuals, relationships, and society.”

When I take a step back and look at my life as a whole, I have had a pretty incredible, wonderful life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm happy now and I couldn't imagine my life any different from how it is now.”

Here is the video of Elizabeth Smart seeking out for the first time about pornography’s role in her abduction: