From seduction to registration: case studies of women in the sex industry

ABSTRACT

In this exploratory study, we conducted in-depth interviews with three females who were employed in the sex industry which ultimately led to their arrest, conviction, and registration as a sex offender. In all three cases, the interviewees were co-offenders who committed a sex crime at the behest of a dominant male partner whom they met through the adult entertainment industry. This study suggests that women who are employed in the sex industry may be at a heightened risk of becoming entangled in the criminal justice system and being labeled as sex offenders. Further research is warranted in this area.

KEYWORDS:

• Female sexual offenders
• sex offender registry
• prostitution

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert Worley

Robert M. Worley, Ph.D. is Professor and Director of Criminal Justice at Lamar University. Robert has published in journals, such as, Deviant Behavior, Criminal Law Bulletin, Criminal Justice Review, the American Journal of Criminal Justice, and Security Journal, among others. While Robert has a variety of research interests, he is best known for his studies examining inappropriate relationships between inmates and correctional officers. Robert is Co-Editor with Vidisha Barua Worley of American Prisons and Jails: An Encyclopedia of Controversies and Trends (ABC-Clio).

Ginger Gummelt

Dr. Ginger Gummelt is the Program Director and an Associate Professor of Social Work at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. She has more than twenty years of clinical experience working primarily with children, adolescents, and families. She is a current member of the Executive Team for the Center for Resiliency at Lamar University, past president for the Board of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Southeast Texas, a board member for Recovery Council of Southeast Texas, member of the ExxonMobil Community Advisory Panel, and member of the Lamar University Community Relations Advisory Council. She serves as lead researcher for the National Campaign to Stop Violence’s local initiative of Do the Write Thing and a collaborative researcher for the Center for Resiliency. Dr. Gummelt’s current research focuses on vulnerabilities and resiliency among at-risk populations. Dr. Gummelt is a licensed clinical social worker and certified secondary teacher (6-12) in the state of Texas.