New law imposes stricter penalties for those buying sex in New Hampshire

By Kelly O’Brien

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    PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A new law in New Hampshire is trying to help survivors of human trafficking by flipping the narrative when it comes to buying sex in the Granite State.

Advocates and survivors said the new law is a step forward in protecting victims.

Historically, the victims of the sex trade have faced the worst penalties when caught in prostitution acts. But now, the buyers, who create the demand, will be the focus of the penalties.

Those caught buying sex in New Hampshire will face a more serious misdemeanor and be fined $500 when the law takes effect on Jan. 1.

While many might not realize that human trafficking is happening in New Hampshire, survivor Audra Doody said it’s very real.

“When I moved to New Hampshire when I was 15, I was already struggling a lot,” she said.

Doody has had a tough life. She said she was sexually abused as a child, and after her parents divorced, her battle with addiction led her to New Hampshire state care at 16 years old.

She was kicked out at 18 and was navigating a new freedom. She said her first trafficker was her boss at a store.

“I know traffickers can see vulnerabilities, and she must’ve just seen it all over me,” Doody said.

That started a years-long cycle that fueled her addiction and led her down a road where she said she completely lost herself.

“I was treated like a piece of trash, like an object,” Doody said. “It was very dehumanizing.”

She ran away from it, but she said that when she moved back to Manchester, she became a victim again. It wasn’t until she was arrested in 2015 that she was finally free.

“I don’t think it’s about the sex,” she said. “I think it’s power and control.”

Advocates said the new law aims to refocus the blame for human trafficking.

“Really what this bill is about is holding buyers accountable and protecting vulnerable people from exploitation in New Hampshire,” said Pamela Keilig, of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.

The money from the fines will go directly toward the state’s efforts to fight human trafficking and help victims of the sex trade.

“If people didn’t buy me, my pimp would have never sold me,” Doody said. “And it starts there.”

Advocates say there is no one-size-fits-all victim. They are of all backgrounds and often in extremely vulnerable situations, living in fear of their traffickers.

The coalition said it has helped 213 victims in the past two years, but there are many more it isn’t aware of. Advocates said those are the people the new law is trying to protect.

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