R. Kelly conviction: Black women, girls suffer the brunt of sex trafficking, exploitation

R. Kelly was found guilty on all counts in his sex-trafficking trial Monday. For the most part, I don’t think any of us are shocked at this verdict. Kelly has a long history of sexual abuse and exploitation of women and minors that spans several decades.

What is shocking is one of the defense strategies from Kelly’s attorney, Deveraux Cannick. He said Kelly’s accusers stuck around because he spoiled them with free air travel, shopping sprees and fancy dinners. “He gave them a lavish lifestyle,” Cannick said. “That’s not what a predator is supposed to do.”

This raises the question: What is a predator supposed to do? Should sex-trafficking predators kidnap victims from parking lots in the middle of the night? Should they keep the victims tied up in basements? Do victims need to be battered and bruised in order for their abuse to be legitimate?

The face of human trafficking

For a long time, we’ve only imagined human trafficking to look like the movie "Taken." An unsuspecting, innocent victim kidnapped by a violent trafficker and rescued by Liam Neeson, our perfect hero. Yet at Restore NYC, the anti-trafficking organization I co-founded 12 years ago, we know things aren’t as simple.

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The common reality is that traffickers disproportionately prey on people who experience intersecting vulnerabilities like racism, misogyny and classism. Yet for too long, our society has perpetuated a narrative of what the perfect victim of sex trafficking should be – a narrative that often excludes Black survivors.

“When our idea of a sex-trafficking victim is a young, suburban, white girl that was kidnapped and locked in a basement, it can be hard to understand how many of the women that bravely spoke against R. Kelly fit the criteria,” said Beck Sullivan, Restore’s chief program officer. “But their story is actually what a common trafficking case looks like: women of color being coerced by men.”

One of the top recruiting tactics for sex trafficking in the United States is “boyfriending,” a grooming method where traffickers offer love, attention and lavish gifts in order to lure new victims. This subtle process can take anywhere from days to months, with traffickers knowing the more a potential victim feels bonded to them, the longer they will stay in cycles of exploitation.

“Lavish gifts is also a very relative term,” Sullivan said. “I know of a victim who felt indebted to their trafficker because he took them to several dinners at Olive Garden. To someone with disposable income, the idea of being exploited because of an Olive Garden meal can seem ridiculous, but to someone living in poverty, this can easily be used for manipulation.”

Stay focused on the victim

Over the past year, we’ve heard dozens of headlines about sex trafficking. From former Olympics gymnastics coach John Geddert to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and now R&B star R. Kelly. With so many narratives about what human trafficking is, it can feel nearly impossible to digest, much less dismantle, the systems that lead to exploitation. 

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Next time you see a sex trafficking case in the news, consider:

►Who holds the power in this story?

►What other vulnerabilities is the victim experiencing?

►How might these vulnerabilities prevent them from speaking out?

►Who’s benefiting from the exploitation?

As the R. Kelly headlines become scarcer and the solidarity hashtags stop trending, let's continue to press in to understanding what sex trafficking actually looks like: a nuanced crime that will always impact those most vulnerable.

Faith Huckel Motter, co-founder of Restore NYC, is its interim executive director.