Increase in North East women selling sex online during lockdown

ITV GFX of Changing Lives research
A new report published by the charity Changing Lives has found an increase in North East women using the internet to sell sex in order to survive during the Coronavirus lockdown. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

A new report published by the charity Changing Lives has found an increase in North East women using the internet to sell sex in order to survive during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The charity was commissioned by the Northumbria and Durham Police & Crime Commissioners to provide an outreach service online - "net-reach'.

It is the first time the charity has reached out online and they have been able to provide support to vulnerable women. The charity says so-called 'survival sex', to buy food or secure a place to stay, has increased since the Covid outbreak began.

Watch @krisjepson's report here:

One of the adverts, written by a woman, said “I’m struggling to get by day by day. Quite embarrassing coming on here to be fair…” whilst another written by a single mother said "desperate for some help with food and electric…”

'Hayley', 21, from Sunderland was approached by Changing Lives after she posted an advert stating “Need somewhere to live. I’m single so I can date the person whose place it is. I’m 20, female and I used to have a sugar daddy”

Now receiving support from the charity, she told ITV News things became desperate during lockdown. We’ve changed her name to protect her identity.

Laura McIntrye, of Changing Lives. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

The charity’s report, published on Thursday, discovered two websites containing nearly 600 profiles from the Northumbria area.

It found 338 profiles advertising the sale of sex were people aged 18 to 25. That made up 57 per cent of all the profiles found. 

28 per cent of profiles were listed as being aged 26 to 35 years old, 10 per cent aged 36 to 45, 4 per cent 46 to 55, and 1 per cent aged above 56.

Research says so-called 'survival sex', to buy food or secure a place to stay, has increased since the Covid outbreak began. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Some of the adverts posted by men were so extreme that the details are too gruesome to share, but they included references to child sexual exploitation, violence and serious indecent assaults. These were all reported to the police.

One example of an advert posted by a man was "spare room available in Northumberland… Can be rent free for the right girl!”

In response to the report, the Treasury highlighted a number of financial support packages it has provided to people, including the £2.9 billion Restart programme to help one million unemployed people find work, the Plan for Jobs and Kickstart schemes, to create 250,000 government-subsidised jobs for young people and the ongoing furlough scheme.