Survivor of Prostitution; Advocate
Crystal Isle
Crystal Isle was five years old the first time she was molested by her step-dad. Hypersexuality became her form of adolescent rebellion. Two days after she turned 17, Ms. Isle married her first husband in order to be free from her parents. Her second husband was her first trafficker—a cocaine dealer, he used Ms. Isle’s cocaine addiction to control her. After escaping him as a homeless addict, Ms. Isle’s dealer became her next pimp, before she began “renegading” on her own. Ms. Isle says that it is impossible to count how many times she was raped, assaulted, held hostage, and almost died. Losing custody of her young son, and then finding the strength to fight for his return to her care, were turning points in her escape from ‘the life.’ She volunteered for drug court; went to an intensive outpatient program; and enrolled in college. “As one of a handful of victims who has survived to lead a different life,” Ms. Isle is determined to help those in need.
“Human trafficking is all around—you just need to look through a different lens. It’s an equal opportunity destroyer. Virtually every person out there on the streets was sexually abused as a child, making them a target for further exploitation. Predators can sense vulnerability from a mile away. We can fight this with more services in place and giving hope to survivors that there is something better on the other side. I want to give a voice to the thousands of children, women, and men who cannot speak. It is essential that they see someone who has made it through.”