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To Alexis King, helping people find a better life is a personal passion.As a staff member at the City of Refuge, she supports residents in the Sacramento nonprofit organization’s housing program.”I am there to make home home for them,” King said. The role is meaningful to her as a sex trafficking survivor herself.King was young when she was first exposed to the lifestyle. She recalled a time when she was walking on Del Paso Boulevard when a man who claimed to be a doctor pulled up to her and asked her if she wanted to make some money. She got in his car. He took her to get food and then to a motel. She was 15 years old when this happened, and she said the man gave her $20.After a second interaction with a man who bought her a beer and offered her $40, King realized the path she was headed. She felt she didn’t have any other option, especially as she dealt with other struggles at home.She felt the pressure of needing to find money to support her family, whom she was still living with at the time.”What else is there to do? I might as well get some money,” King said.Then her life became further complicated: She found out she was pregnant. Still, she kept working and eventually got into what seemed like a harmless relationship.But the innocence didn’t last long. King said the man instructed her to go to one of two areas in Sacramento known as The Blade, which is a location where it is easy to pick up sex work. The location she was sent to was along Watt Avenue between Interstate 80 and Roseville Road. Around age 19 or 20, King later met a man who would become her second pimp. She recalled how at first, he would buy her wine every day and give money for food and other things. But then months down the line, she left him because she felt like she was not getting enough money back.The next six months became a struggle for King. She started running out of resources and money. She could no longer afford her phone bill or child care.That led King to make a decision that was not easy for her: She returned to the pimp, telling him that she was “ready to come back home.””When you’re used to not having anything and then you get into a lifestyle of having anything you want and everything you want and you don’t hurt anymore,” King said. “Your daughter wants McDonald’s every day, you’re able to get her McDonald’s every day. It’s a good feeling to replace what’s really going on — that money gives a lot of power.”Fast forward to today, and King said she still lives in fear one of her former traffickers could find her. She said one of them creates fake social media profiles to try to contact her. One former trafficker, King said, took a plea deal to serve two years in prison and 10 months in jail in connection with sex trafficking, rape, assault and kidnapping. But the moment he was released, she says he did not waste time trying to contact her.”I sat there staring with pure anxiety that he is going to find me,” King said.She would call the police, and it would lead to the man serving some jail time, but that would not be enough to stop him. King recalled a time when she received 50 calls in a row without interruption. It was not always like that between King and the man, she said. When they first started talking, it was over the internet. Things were friendly. He would give her advice on things like how to fix her credit or how to get into housing. He gave the appearance that he was a problem-solver. Then came the day when he offered her to move in with him. But as soon as that happened, she said she was separated from her child and put to work. On top of that, she was given a nightly quota where if she did not make what he demanded, she would feel his wrath.”It got to the point where he started to count condoms,” King said. “He started to get very violent if I dropped one or one broke, and I used a different one.” King said it took less than 30 days for her to see his violent side. “You’ll feel you’ll never get away,” she said.That is why King wants the conversation of sex trafficking to be a larger topic of discussion. She does not want others to go through what she went through.When asked if she felt like sex work was her only option in life given her upbringing, she said she felt like she didn’t know about any other options and that if she knew something else, her life could have been different.She says she also struggled to find a shelter where she felt accepted until she came across City of Refuge. She hopes other victims will find comfort in her story, knowing they can leave that life behind and find safety and love. | Do you know someone impacted by sex trafficking in Northern California? | Here’s a list of places that can helpThis story was produced as part of the KCRA 3 Investigates documentary “Escaping the Blade” about sex trafficking in Sacramento County. Watch the full report on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. on KCRA 3. | RELATED | Is a California law meant to help victims making it harder to fight sex trafficking?
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
To Alexis King, helping people find a better life is a personal passion.
As a staff member at the City of Refuge, she supports residents in the Sacramento nonprofit organization’s housing program.
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“I am there to make home home for them,” King said.
The role is meaningful to her as a sex trafficking survivor herself.
King was young when she was first exposed to the lifestyle. She recalled a time when she was walking on Del Paso Boulevard when a man who claimed to be a doctor pulled up to her and asked her if she wanted to make some money. She got in his car. He took her to get food and then to a motel. She was 15 years old when this happened, and she said the man gave her $20.
After a second interaction with a man who bought her a beer and offered her $40, King realized the path she was headed. She felt she didn’t have any other option, especially as she dealt with other struggles at home.
She felt the pressure of needing to find money to support her family, whom she was still living with at the time.
“What else is there to do? I might as well get some money,” King said.
Then her life became further complicated: She found out she was pregnant. Still, she kept working and eventually got into what seemed like a harmless relationship.
But the innocence didn’t last long. King said the man instructed her to go to one of two areas in Sacramento known as The Blade, which is a location where it is easy to pick up sex work. The location she was sent to was along Watt Avenue between Interstate 80 and Roseville Road.
Around age 19 or 20, King later met a man who would become her second pimp. She recalled how at first, he would buy her wine every day and give money for food and other things. But then months down the line, she left him because she felt like she was not getting enough money back.
The next six months became a struggle for King. She started running out of resources and money. She could no longer afford her phone bill or child care.
That led King to make a decision that was not easy for her: She returned to the pimp, telling him that she was “ready to come back home.”
“When you’re used to not having anything and then you get into a lifestyle of having anything you want and everything you want and you don’t hurt anymore,” King said. “Your daughter wants McDonald’s every day, you’re able to get her McDonald’s every day. It’s a good feeling to replace what’s really going on — that money gives a lot of power.”
Fast forward to today, and King said she still lives in fear one of her former traffickers could find her. She said one of them creates fake social media profiles to try to contact her.
One former trafficker, King said, took a plea deal to serve two years in prison and 10 months in jail in connection with sex trafficking, rape, assault and kidnapping. But the moment he was released, she says he did not waste time trying to contact her.
“I sat there staring with pure anxiety that he is going to find me,” King said.
She would call the police, and it would lead to the man serving some jail time, but that would not be enough to stop him. King recalled a time when she received 50 calls in a row without interruption.
It was not always like that between King and the man, she said. When they first started talking, it was over the internet. Things were friendly. He would give her advice on things like how to fix her credit or how to get into housing. He gave the appearance that he was a problem-solver.
Then came the day when he offered her to move in with him. But as soon as that happened, she said she was separated from her child and put to work. On top of that, she was given a nightly quota where if she did not make what he demanded, she would feel his wrath.
“It got to the point where he started to count condoms,” King said. “He started to get very violent if I dropped one or one broke, and I used a different one.”
King said it took less than 30 days for her to see his violent side.
“You’ll feel you’ll never get away,” she said.
That is why King wants the conversation of sex trafficking to be a larger topic of discussion. She does not want others to go through what she went through.
When asked if she felt like sex work was her only option in life given her upbringing, she said she felt like she didn’t know about any other options and that if she knew something else, her life could have been different.
She says she also struggled to find a shelter where she felt accepted until she came across City of Refuge. She hopes other victims will find comfort in her story, knowing they can leave that life behind and find safety and love.
| Do you know someone impacted by sex trafficking in Northern California? | Here’s a list of places that can help
This story was produced as part of the KCRA 3 Investigates documentary “Escaping the Blade” about sex trafficking in Sacramento County. Watch the full report on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. on KCRA 3.
| RELATED | Is a California law meant to help victims making it harder to fight sex trafficking?
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