Vanessa McNeal

Guest columnist

Nine defendants have recently been sentenced in Des Moines for sex trafficking crimes. U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum commented, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.” What a cold truth that is.

I truly cannot think of anything more pervasive than sex trafficking. I will never be able to fully comprehend how people are treated as property and used for instant gratification.

Before we can combat sex trafficking, it’s important to understand what this crime truly is. Sex trafficking is the buying and selling of people against their will for sexual gratification. Traffickers are able to build trust with men, women and children who are later exploited as part of the commercial sex industry because they offer something their victims need. It could be money, a place to sleep, food, drugs or even the promise of survival. Because of this, we can understand sex trafficking is not prostitution. It is manipulation and abuse. For many victims, following their traffickers’ orders is the choice between life and death.

Many think this crime only happens in third-world countries, but it’s happening everywhere — even in my home state of Iowa. Because of its pervasive and secretive nature, there are few statistics that prove the true frequency of these crimes. Yet, we know sex trafficking is a multibillion-dollar global industry funded by buyers. The demand comes from the buyers. Buyers are paying for the illusion of consent. Without buyers, men, women and children would not be forced, tricked and coerced to have sexual exchanges against their will.

The Hollywood version of human sex trafficking implies movement or kidnapping happening in every trafficking situation. While that does happen for some, most victims are groomed into the life by someone they know. Often times, they still live and exist in the community, but people don’t know they are being trafficked.

As a survivor of sexual violence, when I learned about sex trafficking, I knew I had to do something. Aside from the nature and severity of this crime, the most shocking part is seeing our community oblivious to the industry conducted in our backyards.

On April 2, my documentary, “Gridshock,” will premiere at the Des Moines Civic Center. The film focuses on the sex trafficking demand in Iowa — where something so horrible seems nearly impossible. Directing this film was truly the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my career. I was not prepared for what I learned during this process, and the stories I heard will stay with me forever.

One of the most surprising things I learned: Most people have a relationship with their trafficker. Trafficking survivors are groomed and have a trusting bond with the perpetrator before they are trafficked. Why? It is easier to manipulate and exploit someone in the context of a relationship. It also works in favor of the trafficker because it is more difficult to prosecute.

Even worse, the most vulnerable in our community are targeted for this crime. According to Mike Ferjak, principal at “I Know A Guy Training and Consulting” and retired senior criminal investigator for the Iowa Department of Justice, around 82 percent of sex trafficking victims are women in the United States. In Iowa, the most common age range of victims is 16 to 21 years old while the national average is 11 to 14.

Experiencing the courage, resiliency and strength of the survivors interviewed for "Gridshock" changed my life. There is so much more to their stories, and I am proud to know them. They shifted my world view —and showed me how much I didn’t know. A new fire burned inside of me and I knew I had to finish this film to show Iowa and the world they could have this new fire too.

No one deserves to have their life interrupted by trafficking. No one deserves to be treated like property for someone’s sexual gratification. Everyone deserves the right to live a life free of sexual exploitation. We need more awareness, resources, restoration options for survivors and criminal penalties for buyers and traffickers.

We need more.

—Vanessa McNeal is a writer and filmmaker.

"Gridshock" premieres April 2

"Gridshock" premieres April 2 at the Des Moines Civic Center. The investigative documentary exposes the sex trafficking demand in Iowa. Special guests attending the premiere include Gov. Kim Reynolds, U.S. Attorney Marc Krickbaum, Polk County Supervisor Bob Brownell and Kim Gale of FBI Services.

Tickets and information: desmoinesperformingarts.org/events/gridshock-film-premiere/