Buying Sex In MA: 'As Easy As Shopping for Shoes'

By CHARLENE ARSENAULT (Patch Staff)

A recent study reveals that the commercial sex market is “alive and thriving” from Boston to Worcester and on the North Shore.

“To think it doesn’t affect your town or neighborhood is to underestimate the availability and interest generated by online access,” said a spokesperson for the project. “If you want to buy a person for your sexual gratification it’s as easy as shopping for a pair of shoes on Zappos.”

RIA House in Framingham and William James College in Newton is hosting an event to share results from its three-month data mining study of the online commercial sex markets in MA (from Boston to Worcester) done in partnership with the Imagine Foundation in Ohio.

The event takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 26, from 6-8 p.m., at William James College, 1 Wells Ave., Classroom 226, Newton. All are invited to attend.

The data and analysis collected in this three-month study gives insight into market patterns and trends in the buying, selling and availability of sexual access.

From March 1 to May 31, 2015, the research team collected data on nearly 17,000 online ads for commercial sex of females, males and transgenders, with an estimated revenue of $7,700,000 for the period. Other data collected was on race and distribution of ads by day of the week, which allowed the analysis of patterns in the market and inferences of trends in the buying, selling and availability of sexual access, said the release.

Similar studies in other U.S. cities have helped law enforcement identify people who are exploited in the sex industry. It’s also been instrumental for service organizations to find people who are at risk for exploitation and trafficking.

The presentation on Jan. 26 is followed by a discussion on the study’s findings, which include.

• Total number of ads for commercial sex: 16,997
• Average price per hour listed: $200
• Estimated revenue in 3-month period: $7,701,750

The top locations mentioned in the study are:

• Cambridge
• Brookline
• North Shore
• South Shore
• Merrimack
• Waltham
• Quincy
• Dorchester
• Saugus
• Braintree
• Revere
• Peabody
• Framingham
• Backbay
• MetroWest
• Malden
• Lowell
• Northwest Highway
• Chelsea

Demographics of persons being sold:

• White 42.53 percent
• Black 18.11 percent
• Asian 16.37 percent
• Hispanic 13.6 percent

Attend the event for a thorough presentation on all the findings of the study, and a chance to discuss them.

For more information about the event and RIA House, contact Heather Wightman at hwightman@riahouse.org or visit www.riahouse.org and www.facebook.com/RIAhouseinc.