Exposing the True Horror: How the System Enables Predators Like Rex Heuermann
Stories of infamous serial killers have long captivated and horrified the public. A chilling commonality among many of these notorious figures is their preferred prey: prostituted women. Jack the Ripper haunted the shadowy streets of 19th-century London. Gary Ridgeway claimed 49 lives throughout the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s and 1990s. Robert Hansen kidnapped and hunted women in the Alaskan wilderness. Joel Rifkin discarded their bodies in rivers or left them in bags by the roadside. Now, Rex Heuermann, the alleged Gilgo Beach Killer, joins this harrowing lineage.
As Heuermann’s next court date on July 30 approaches—coinciding with the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons—media coverage will intensify. Yet almost all reporting ignores one key fact: Heuermann is a serial sex buyer who selected his victims carefully. They were women exploited in the sex trade, women with absence of choices, bought and sold online and off, and stigmatized by society.
As a survivor of human trafficking and prostitution, these stories chill me to the bone. I could have been one of Heuermann’s victims. Like many others “in the life,” I endured violence and brutality from pimps and sex buyers, fearing that each encounter could be my last. Every day, I sank under the weight of fear, powerlessness, and the constant threat of violence
I was one of the lucky ones who escaped, but so many do not. Traffickers and sex buyers – some who end up committing fatal violence like Heuermann – take advantage of the lack of protection for people in my former situation. We are a vulnerable population, and when law enforcement does intervene, they often target those of us selling sex or being trafficked, making us less likely to seek help. This misguided prosecution enables patronizers and pimps—the true perpetrators of harm—to continue their exploitation and violence unchecked.
Heuermann’s alleged killing spree targeting women in the sex trade isn’t an anomaly. One study revealed that as many as 43% of the victims of serial killers between 2000 and 2009 were engaged in prostitution. As of January 2020, women involved in street prostitution face a 60 to 100 times higher risk of being murdered than women who are not sold for sexual acts.
Our culture views women in prostitution as disposable and sex buyers as worthy of protection and privacy. It’s time for that to change. We need to end the demand for paid sex. Enforcing laws criminalizing the demand for prostitution would deter potential sex buyers and protect those exploited. If more stringent enforcement against the purchase of sex were enacted, perhaps predators like Heuermann would have been caught earlier.
The Sex Trafficking Survivors Justice and Equality Act (STSJEA) would do just that and could save many lives. This bill, pending in the New York State Legislature, is based on the Equality Model. It is a proven legal framework adopted in many countries that shrinks the commercial sex market and offers services to victims to exit prostitution. I know firsthand how crucial this support is. When I finally escaped, it was the access to resources and compassionate legal protection that allowed me to rebuild my life.
Decriminalizing all aspects of the sex trade, including patronizing and pimping, is not the answer. If New York greenlit the purchase of sex and the legalization of brothels, trafficking would exponentially increase as exploiters and pimps would meet that demand. Instead, the survivor-inspired Equality Model defends the human rights of the most marginalized and mandates us to recognize prostitution as male violence against women and other marginalized individuals.
The upcoming trial of Rex Heuermann is a critical moment, not just for seeking justice for his victims, but for prompting necessary systemic change. By advocating for the implementation of laws against buying sex and providing adequate protection and support for prostituted individuals, we can prevent future tragedies like the Gilgo Beach murders.
Behind each statistic is a human being with dreams, fears and a yearning for a better life. By enacting the STSJEA, we will offer hope for safety to those still trapped in the nightmare of prostitution. Let us ensure their stories culminate not in sorrowfor future generations, but in triumph.
Gabrielle (Gigi) Prieto is an advocate, speaker, educator and mentor supporting survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. She currently serves as the Senior Peer Care Navigator at Sanctuary for Families’ “The EMPOWER Center.”
