Prostitution among young people: blinded by social networks, she dreams of being the “next Hélène Boudreau”

Convinced of becoming as rich and famous as porn star and influencer, Hélène Boudreau, a young woman barely 18 years old has just launched into the sex industry, much to the despair of her mother.

• Also read: Prostitution: up to $10,000 per day… per girl

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“I want to become an OnlyFans influencer. My goal is to be known, to be independent and my own boss […] Like the next Hélène Boudreau [aussi appelée «la fille de l’UQAM»]I would like that,” Mélissa hopes.

We have chosen to identify the young woman by her sex worker name, to protect her from the possible consequences that could result from the publication of her true identity.

At the end of November, our Bureau of Investigation and the broadcast JE revealed that more and more young people want to launch themselves into the sex industry, an environment presented on social networks as being glamorous and paying.

Sex workers thus feel free and in control, reported police officers, stakeholders and experts. Many are far from considering themselves victims, maintain a business relationship with their pimp and have no fear of the physical and psychological after-effects of the “job”.

Mélissa identifies entirely with this portrait, laments her mother, who feels completely powerless in the face of this choice (see other text). Earlier this fall, a few weeks before she came of age, Mélissa placed an ad offering her sexual services and immediately began getting clients.

No one around her encouraged her to get started, she assures.

“It starts from me,” says the one who works “solo”, therefore without the help of a pimp.

Customers are the first step towards her goal, she believes. She hopes that sex work will allow her to gain exposure on social media and then earn a living solely on the income made from her Onlyfans page. At that point, she would stop doing clients.

“People won’t follow me because I’m smiling. They will follow me because I have big breasts and buttocks. I say to myself: “I can make money with this, I’m all natural, it costs me nothing.” I'm good at it, I like showing myself off, I think I'm sexy, I find it fun,” she pleads.

Fear of nothing

Mélissa says it straight away: she believes she is sheltered from all the devastation that prostitution can create (see text below). The risk of violence from clients, coercion from a possible pimp, sexual exploitation, drug use and the risk of addiction: none of this worries him.

She says she is cautious. She has a driver – whom she considers an employee – who drives her and ensures her protection. She gives him 30% of her income.

However, there was a client, one evening, whom she had to flee for fear of being kidnapped, after noticing that he had boarded up the windows of a bedroom in his house. There was also this pimp, who sent her photos of weapons and who threatened her, since she was competing with his “daughter”.

And she makes income. His first client earned him $450 in 30 minutes, for complete sex and fellatio. She can easily make up to $2000 per day and travels to other cities to make more money.

“I feel rich! I don't need to worry about what I'm going to eat tomorrow or if I can buy laundry. I can travel wherever I want, do whatever I want. I feel free,” she says.

“She experiences attacks every time”

Mélissa is far from living “Cinderella's dream”, reminds inspector Marie-Manon Savard, who believes that the young woman, although she says she is consenting and in control, puts herself at risk every time she meet a client.

“It might be a while. It's temporary. But she experiences attacks every time,” pleads the one who is responsible for investigations at the Quebec City Police Department.

Although Mélissa says she is cautious, she is not safe from dangerous customers, who exceed established limits, and who could be violent or harassing. Inspector Savard also recalls the murder of Marylène Lévesque, an escort murdered by a client who became obsessed with her in Sainte-Foy, in 2020.

“Clients who use an escort service, sometimes there are other problems behind that. And sometimes it gets difficult,” she says.

Mélissa, who works alone, could also be approached by pimps, who could try to control her in order to collect a large share of her profits. “Sometimes, she can get mishandled and get caught up in the process, despite herself,” recalls Marie-Manon Savard.

To this day, Mélissa accepts her choice. But sooner or later, his brain may also have a trigger. “How will her brain handle it later? You never know in advance. But he could say to himself: “this is not normal”. All these men, who are not her choice,” she summarizes.

“Well done” to the mother

The inspector only has good words for Mélissa's mother, who chose to stay with her daughter despite her work in the sex industry (see other text).

“To this mother, we say bravo. She did everything she had to do,” assures the Quebec City police officer.

However, she advises him to also protect himself, and not to hesitate to consult professionals, organizations or sexologists, to “ventilate”.

Need help?

Quebec prostitution intervention project (PIPQ

• Pipq.org
• Tel.: 418 641-0168
• Toll free: 1 866 641-0168

Concertation of the fight against sexual exploitation (CLES)