Manipulated by predators, sold for sex: 12 survivors of online sexual exploitation denied justice
12. In re Facebook, Inc. (Tex. 2021)
A 15-year-old Jane Doe met a stranger she had several mutual friends with on Facebook, according to NCOSE. The man started messaging the teenage girl on a regular basis, complimenting her appearance and suggesting that she become a model.
In a moment of vulnerability, Jane Doe opened up to the man about a family argument, who then offered her a job as a model and persuaded her to meet him in person. When she met up with him, the man took photos of her in sexual positions, similar to the pictures that Jane Doe had previously noticed on his Facebook page.
What the teenager didn't realize at first was that the stranger she met through Facebook posted pictures of her on Backpage, where he advertised the girl for prostitution. As a result of the advertisements, the teenager was "raped, beaten, and forced into further sex trafficking," as NCOSE reported.
The advocacy group argued that Facebook should have had safeguards in place that could have prevented an adult from contacting a minor in the first place.
"Despite Facebook's dangerous features that allow adult predators to easily connect with minors. when Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against the company for facilitating sex trafficking, the case was dismissed under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act," NCOSE stated.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
