30 women with Kildare locations being advertised in online sex trade - says watchdog

The Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute (SERP) has expressed concern that women and girls are being controlled and exploited through the online sex trade in Kildare and across Ireland.

Researchers spent four weeks in August and September monitoring online advertising of prostitution in Ireland, RTE.ie reports. 

In that time, an average of 878 profiles of were advertised daily, 99% of which featured women. A fifth were advertised as aged 18-25 years old.

Fewer than 3% of those advertised on the site were Irish, in line with previous research which has demonstrated that the vast bulk of those involved in prostitution are migrant women - many of whom have limited English when they first arrive.

Five nationalities account for half of all profiles, with Brazilians alone accounting for one quarter.

Evidence of 19 out of 28 internationally recognised indicators of trafficking and sexual exploitation were found on the website most commonly used by sex buyers in Ireland.

The locations with the most profiles typically advertised were: Dublin (364 profiles on average), Cork (76 profiles), Belfast (51 profiles), Limerick (43 profiles), Kildare (30 profiles), Galway (27 profiles), Westmeath (22 profiles), Louth (21 profiles) and Waterford (18 profiles on average).

During the monitoring period, 14% of profiles were charging prices defined as "low", with some women advertised as providing 30 minutes of "full service" for €50 or €60. These low prices were most often associated with young women from Asia and Eastern Europe.

Many profile photos were shot in the same location and/or featuring the same profile text, which indicated evidence of organised gangs controlling multiple women for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The SERP Institute has warned that the indicators warrant immediate investigation and the formulation of a robust legal and enforcement response.

The recommendations include a phased legal and enforcement strategy to investigate and prosecute the companies that own and manage prostitution websites for advertising the sale of controlled and trafficked women and for profiting from prostitution.

SERP has called for the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) and its divisional and specialist units to strengthen dedicated law enforcement measures to disrupt the business model and profits of these websites.

It suggested enhancing the powers and resources of An Garda Síochána to vigorously pursue both sex buyers and the organised crime gangs profiting from prostitution.

The Institute also called all women in prostitution to be able to access specialist services and exiting supports provided by Ruhama, to assist them to recover and build new lives.

SERP Institute Director Ruth Breslin told RTE that pimps and traffickers, as well as the sex buyers who put the money in their pockets, are clearly using websites to facilitate their crimes and seem relatively free to do so.

"In publishing these findings, the Institute has also identified steps needed not only to address existing websites, but also emerging channels in this space, such as Telegram," she added.