5 things to know about sexual exploitation in the US, worldwide

WASHINGTON — A former marketing professional who worked for an OnlyFans agency that recruited girls for the platform said the site coerces women into posting sexually explicit content of themselves and encourages girls younger than 18 to lie about their age.

Victoria Sinis, the founder of Creating Gems, an organization that helps girls realize their self-worth, was among several speakers at The Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit this week. The event, hosted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the PHASE Alliance (Prevention and Healing Against Sexual Exploitation), discussed how modern technology enables sexual abuse and offered strategies for addressing the problem. 

In addition to warning attendees about sexual sites such as OnlyFans, which has faced accusations of enabling sex abusers and child predators, experts at the summit highlighted how other social media platforms also enable sexual exploitation. 

Here are five things to know about the prevalence of sexual exploitation in the United States and abroad.