A STORMONT PROBE into so-called escort sites that see women and girls advertised for sexual services is to invite members of An Garda Síochána and officials from the Department of Justice in the Republic to testify, as the most prominent of these sites operates on both sides of the border. 

Peter Martin, the DUP MLA chairing the all-party group conducting the inquiry, said that though he’s a “committed unionist”, he can see a clear need for cross-border collaboration in order for law enforcement to crack down on these sites. 

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that follows the ‘Nordic Model’, which is also the legal model in place in the Republic of Ireland, which criminalises those who buy sex and solicit prostitution, but does not criminalise the act of prostitution itself. 

In plain terms, it’s illegal to purchase sexual services but not to sell them.  

The Stormont inquiry, which is being led by the All Party Group on Modern Slavery and Commerical Sexual Exploitation, will focus on researching “adult services websites” which the group say are full of ads for women “who have been trafficked, deceived or manipulated”. 

This view of the sites has been informed by research carried out in the UK, but also by Ruth Breslin, the chair of the Irish-based Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute (SERP). 

The Stormont initiative follows a Sky News investigation published last year focusing on so-called escort ads in the UK.

It detailed how several women whose services were advertised on major sites were actually trafficked from abroad, had no control of their online accounts, and didn’t have access to the profiles that were visible to prospective customers. 

Sky News analysed ads from AdultWork and Vivastreet – two major sites operating in the UK – as part of their reporting. 

While independent escorts do advertise their services on these sites, the reporters analysed 50,000 ads and found a high concentration of ‘red flags’ which researchers said were indicators of organised exploitation.  

These included repeated contact numbers for different ads, and duplicated advert text. The two websites covered by the Sky News report gave statements insisting they take safety extremely seriously and do not tolerate exploitation. 

Most websites of this nature contain a disclaimer which says that the escorts on their site can only be booked and paid as companions, and that anything else that takes place is at the discretion of the two “consenting adults involved”. 

Escort Ireland

Speaking to The Journal, Peter Martin said that while his group would be examining the activities of several sites it was well identified that Escort Ireland was the most prominent website of this nature operating on the two sides of the border. 

Martin said that the group he’s chairing wants to understand how the site and others like it are operating “within Northern Ireland’s unique context, including the implications of an open border with the Republic of Ireland”.

“We will be inviting representatives from the Department of Justice in the Republic and from An Garda Síochána to come and give evidence on their experience of enforcing the law in regard to these sites. 

“We’ve heard from Ruhama about there being an element of organised crime elements that advertise on some of these sites essentially ‘touring’ women and girls from one side of the border to the other. It’s grim, but that’s because their customers want ‘fresh’ faces, so that’s something we want to look into further as well,” he said. 

Escort Ireland displays links at the bottom of its home page directing people on how to report suspected trafficking and child exploitation. The links take users to official Irish and Northern Irish sites where helplines and other advice is available. 

A spokesperson for Escort Ireland said that the site does not offer “escort services, facilitate transactions or act as an intermediary”.

They added that reviews of escorts advertised on their site are “user-generated content” and they are not endorsed or verified by the platform. 

The spokesperson further said that that all advertisers show ID and complete age verification processess and added that the site has “robust” policies to ensure that advertisers are representing themselves, and that they “strictly apply anti-trafficking policies”. 

They said that they report such matters to law enforcement and cooperate with inquiries.

The site also includes a disclaimer noting that escorts are being booked for their time and companionship.

Sex trade

Christian Action Research and Education Northern Ireland (CARE NI) is working with the Stormont group on its probe, as the organisation has been carrying out research in this area over the last few years. 

Jessica McDowell, their NI Policy Officer, told The Journal that there has been a lack of law enforcement action since The Human Trafficking Act was passed in the North in 2015, and that in particular there appears to be a legislative gap that allows these kind of sites to operate. 

“SERP has done great work in the Republic on these sites, and the purpose of this probe is going to be to produce a piece of research that can marry up with their work, and give an all-island perspective on how these sites are being used,” she said. 

McDowell said that it’s essential that there is joined up policy thinking and law enforcement action in the future to ensure that human trafficking and commericial sexual exploitation is met with the full force of the law. 

“Criminals don’t stop at the border. We’re hoping to get input from law enforcement on both sides of the border, because it’s no secret that this is happening on a cross-border basis,” she said. 

McDowell said that CARE NI is concerned about women and girls who are potential victims of trafficking being advertised on these sites. 

“These sites advertise women as commodities. You only have to go online, and you can read the reviews that men leave for this these women. Those make for starkly different reading to the few accounts we’ve gotten from women advertised on these sites who were in fact trafficking victims,” she said. 

A Garda spokesperson said that through the Organised Prostitution Investigation Unit and the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, Gardaí regularly engage with people who work in the sex trade in Ireland. 

They added that as part of this work, safeguarding checks are carried out. 

“It is also through safeguarding checks that Gardaí can link in with those in the sex trade who may be vulnerable or who maybe being sexually exploited or trafficked,” they added. 

The spokesperson said that its important that any person involved in the sex trade knows that the sale of sexual services is not a criminal offence, and that gardaí are aware that “some people wish to work independently in the sex trade”. 

“If any sex worker finds themselves in immediate danger or in an emergency, always contact 999/112,” they added. 

Gardaí regularly investigate organised prostitution and prosecute offenders, “particularly those involved in controlling, organising or directing the offering of sexual services for profit,” they further said.

The Journal asked the Department of Justice if they would be mirroring Stormont’s efforts and if officials would be co-ordinating with the the probe. The Department redirecting our query to An Garda Síochána.