Stop Letting Powerful Men Get Away with Sex Crime
By: Mitha Choudbury
Your Turn
Gest columnist
..... An America, powerful men continue to evade justice for sexual violence -a reality underscored by the recent reelection of Donald Trump. an individual who openly brags about sexual assault, an alleged sex buyer, a friend and frequent guest of Jeffrey Epstein, and a newly minted felon convicted of concealing hush money payments to hide an affair will occupy the highest office in the country. In this difficult moment for national women's rights, our state governments are now responsible for protecting victims of sexual violence from the enablers at the highest levels of power.
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Trump's reelection is emblematic of a broader, troubling trend in which powerful men exploit there influence to avoid accountability. Many of us who have dedicated our lives to preventing and ending sexual exploration worry that the second Trump era will solidify impunity for powerful men who commit sexual violation. each month, we see new examples of this reality. just before Election Day, news broke that former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries allegedly lured young men to lavish parties, dangling the promise of career advancement, only to trap them in a cycle of exploitation and control.
..... Time and again, influential figures manipulate, abuse and exploit without consequence, protected by their fame and societal reverence. From Andrew Tate, who allegedly use his social media influence to coerce women into sexual exploitation, to Seam "Diddy" Combs, currently facing sex trafficking and racketeering charges, these stories reveal an unsettling culture of unearned deference and misplaced awe that allows predators to operate freely. Now we have once again elected one to the White House.
..... These national high-profile cases should be a wake-up call for governors and state legislatures across the country to step up and lead the fight against sexual violence and abuse. If we're serious about ending sex trafficking, governors and legislators should target, regardless of status, those buying and selling the bodies of the most marginalized people. In the same vein, law enforcement must focus their resources on those profiting from exploitation, not on punishing the victims. By doing this, states would create a major deterrent to the demand for this violent sex trade, sending a clear message that impunity - legal and social - will no longer protect exploiters.
..... In New York, there is a proposed bill that would strengthen legal protections and services for victims of sexual exploitation, impose stricter penalties on promoters and sex buyers, and provide law enforcement with the tools needed to combat sex trafficking. In other words, it holds the perpetrator accountable and addresses the needs of sex trade victims. By advancing laws like these during the Trump era, New York and other states can help dismantle the culture of impunity and ensure that exploitation is prosecuted, not excused. Impunity is not just a lack of prosecution - it is a cultural forgiveness of predators that we can no longer afford.
..... As director of the EMPOWER Center, I witness daily how traffickers and exploiters, including sex buyers, manipulate and degrade the people we serve. Exploiters rely not on physical force but on psychological control - offering promisers of financial stability or career success that quickly strip victims of autonomy. Many of the survivors we support initially believed they were starting a real job or promising relationship, only to find themselves deeply entangle in coercive dynamics. this control is compounded by the violence and degradation they endure at the hands of sex buyers. They are often men in suits, men with influence, who wield their privilege as both weapon and shield. Survivors share stories of encounters with wealthy men who feel untouchable - able to buy, abuse and discard without consequence. For survivors, understanding that their exploitation was built on these manipulative tacit can be a long journey. many remain silent out of fear of retaliation or disbelief.
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It's enraging to see high-profile figures, sue their influence to engage in this very pattern unchecked. We must confront the harsh reality: Sexual exploitation does not hide in the shadows: it parades openly and is often shield by status. In this new political era, we must stop protecting those who exploit their privilege to harm the most vulnerable and start standing with those they've victimized. Now, more than ever, we need our state leaders to assure us they will uphold the ideals of this country" No one should be above the law.
..... The time has come to dismantle this culture of impunity and demand that, regardless of power, all must be held accountable.
..... Mitha Choudhury is the program director of the EMPOWER Center in New York City, a multi-disciplinary health center for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.