The thumbnail for the video "The Real Reason Sex Trafficking Exists"
At an Exodus Cry-led "End Demand" protest, a group of protestors call for laws that will hold sex buyers accountable.
Six-minute “End Demand” video calls Americans to confront sex buying and urge Congress to advance the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act
The United States has an opportunity to send a powerful message to the world: we cannot seriously fight sex trafficking while ignoring the people whose money fuels it.”
SAN CLEMENTE, CA, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Anti-trafficking organization Exodus Cry has released a new video exposing an often-overlooked force driving the global sex trafficking industry: the demand from sex buyers who keep the commercial sex market profitable.— Helen Taylor, Exodus Cry Vice President of Impact
The six-minute video, “The Real Reason Sex Trafficking Exists,” opens by highlighting the pervasiveness of demand: one in six US men has paid for sex. Released August 21 on Exodus Cry’s YouTube channel, the video challenges common misconceptions about trafficking and examines how the money of sex buyers fuels a global industry built on the exploitation of vulnerable people.
The video arrives as momentum builds in Congress around the bipartisan Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act (H.R. 9043), legislation designed to strengthen the United States’ efforts to confront the demand that fuels sex trafficking around the world.
“Trafficking does not exist in a vacuum. It exists because there is a market of people willing to pay for sexual access to others,” said Benjamin Nolot, CEO and Founder of Exodus Cry. “For decades, the buyer has largely remained invisible in the conversation about sex trafficking. If we want to dismantle this industry, we have to confront the demand that makes it profitable.”
Bipartisan Momentum in Congress
Introduced in May, the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act is led by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC). The bill has since attracted additional support from both parties. As of August 25, 2026, H.R. 9043 has 15 cosponsors — 8 Republicans and 7 Democrats.
The legislation would strengthen the criteria used in the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report to evaluate whether foreign governments are making serious and sustained efforts to reduce demand for commercial sex.
Specifically, the bill would assess whether countries are working to:
- prohibit the purchase of commercial sex acts or implement policies against sex buying;
- educate sex buyers about the ways traffickers exploit people in prostitution; and
- reduce demand for international sex tourism by their citizens.
The Next Step: House Foreign Affairs Committee
The bill has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which must act on the legislation before it can advance through the House. Notably, four current members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) — are cosponsors of the legislation, giving H.R. 9043 existing bipartisan support within the committee itself.
“The United States has an opportunity to send a powerful message to the world: we cannot seriously fight sex trafficking while ignoring the people whose money fuels it,” said Helen Taylor, Vice President of Impact at Exodus Cry. “This legislation would make demand reduction a meaningful part of how the United States evaluates global efforts to combat trafficking.”
Over 200 anti-trafficking organizations in 32 countries and 102 sex trade survivors have signed onto an international letter of support for this bill, which aims to create a global impact by incentivizing countries to address demand.
Exodus Cry is calling on Americans and people worldwide to watch and share the new video, sign its petition supporting the legislation, and contact their representatives to urge Congress to advance the Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Act.
About Exodus Cry
Exodus Cry is an international anti-trafficking organization committed to abolishing the global sex trade and bringing freedom to its victims. Through films, advocacy, and survivor support, Exodus Cry works to expose the realities of this injustice, shift culture and advance solutions that protect the world’s most vulnerable people from sexual exploitation.
For more information, visit exoduscry.com.
Daniel Garcia
Exodus Cry
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