For media inquiries, contact Ariela Moscowitz: [email protected] | 212-368-7874
Guilty Plea in Gilgo Beach Murders Highlights How Criminalization Blocked Critical Evidence
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For interviews or data, contact:
Ariela Moscowitz, director of communications
[email protected] | (212) 368-7874
Guilty Plea in Gilgo Beach Murders Highlights How Criminalization Blocked Critical Evidence
New York, NY (April 9, 2026) — The guilty plea entered by Rex Heuermann in the Gilgo Beach murders marks a long-overdue moment of accountability in a case that has devastated families and communities for more than a decade. This development highlights the tragic and preventable reality that critical information that could have led to Heuermann’s arrest years ago and prevented further murders, went unreported for years because sex workers and survivors of trafficking were not protected when coming forward to report violence and exploitation.
Sex workers information potentially relevant to this case could not safely come forward, fearing arrest and prosecution. This inability is the direct result of criminalization, which pushes people into the shadows and creates conditions where violence and exploitation can thrive. Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) Legal Director Melissa Sontag Broudo directly represented sex workers in New York City in 2010 at the time of the first murders.
“There were sex workers who may have had information that could have led to an arrest much sooner, but they could not come forward without risking arrest themselves,” said Broudo. “Without immunity from prostitution charges, coming forward simply wasn’t a safe option and as a result, critical information remained out of reach.”
Stigma surrounding sex work also shapes how cases like these are investigated. When victims are viewed through a lens of bias or seen as less credible, cases may not receive the urgency, resources, or attention they deserve. This dynamic can delay investigations, limit engagement with impacted communities, and contribute to a broader pattern in which violence against sex workers is deprioritized or overlooked. The investigation into the Gilgo Beach murders was delayed, and repeatedly botched and mishandled due to stigma against were sex workers.
This past year New York enacted immunity legislation to allow sex workers and survivors of trafficking to report violence and exploitation without facing prosecution for certain low-level offenses. These policies are necessary because of criminalization itself, which creates the fear and barriers that prevent people from reporting harm in the first place.
“Decriminalization of consensual adult sex work is essential to preventing violence like this,” said Ariela Moscowitz, communications director at DSW. “Right now, serial killers and abusers are able to operate with impunity because the people they target are pushed into the shadows and cannot safely come forward. If sex workers could report violence without fear of arrest or stigma, these crimes would not continue.”
Immunity protections are a critical step in addressing these systemic failures. By ensuring that sex workers and survivors of trafficking can report violence, coercion, or exploitation without fear of prosecution, these policies make it possible for law enforcement to access vital information and intervene sooner. Safe reporting laws directly protect victims and witnesses of violence and they benefit all communities by allowing law enforcement to better detect criminal activity.
The resolution of this case should not be viewed as an endpoint, but as a call to action. Policymakers must address the systemic barriers created by criminalization that prevent some of the most vulnerable individuals from reporting harm. Ensuring that sex workers and survivors of trafficking can seek help without fear is a matter of justice and a critical step in preventing future tragedies.
Decriminalize Sex Work
Decriminalize Sex Work is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual, adult prostitution in the United States. We work with local organizations, advocates, and lobbyists to build community support and convince legislators to stop prostitution-related arrests. Evidence shows that decriminalizing sex work will help end human trafficking, improve public health, and promote community safety.
New York Enshrines Protections for Survivors of Trafficking and Sex Workers
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For interviews or data, contact:
Ariela Moscowitz, director of communications
[email protected] | (212) 368-7874
New York Enshrines Protections for Survivors of Trafficking and Sex Workers
New York, NY (December 23, 2025) — Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) applauds New York’s enactment of A1029‑B/S3967‑B, landmark legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul that allows trafficking survivors and sex workers to come forward as victims or witnesses to crime without fear of arrest or prosecution.
The bill passed unanimously in both the state Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support, following years of advocacy by a broad coalition of survivors, sex worker‑led organizations, anti‑trafficking groups, civil rights advocates and public safety experts.
The new law provides conditional immunity from prosecution for prostitution‑related offenses when someone is a victim of or witness to a crime and seeks help, including medical care, or otherwise acts in good faith. Previously, fear of prosecution kept many survivors and sex workers from reporting crimes, even serious violence and exploitation.
The protections are modeled in part on New York’s existing “Good Samaritan” law that shields people who seek emergency help during an overdose from prosecution, and are intended to encourage reporting in situations where people have historically stayed silent out of fear of arrest.
“This law recognizes that safety must be prioritized over punishment,” said DSW Legal Director Melissa Broudo. “The immunity bill removes fear of arrest for survivors, creating safe pathways to seek help and access support. It is a vital and common sense public safety measure that strengthens law enforcement’s ability to identify, investigate, and convict perpetrators of violence and trafficking.”
An immunity law like this could have helped surface essential information sooner in investigations such as the Gilgo Beach serial killer case, where criminalization discouraged potential witnesses from reporting what they knew. Safe reporting laws meaningfully protect victims and witnesses of violence and they ultimately benefit all communities by allowing law enforcement to better detect criminal activity.
This law is a long overdue public safety measure and New York joins eleven other states with similar laws. DSW is committed to expanding this model in other states and continuing to advocate for the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work and the implementation of survivor-informed, harm-reduction policies nationwide.
Decriminalize Sex Work
Decriminalize Sex Work is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual, adult prostitution in the United States. We work with local organizations, advocates, and lobbyists to build community support and convince legislators to stop prostitution-related arrests. Evidence shows that decriminalizing sex work will help end human trafficking, improve public health, and promote community safety.
New Wave of Massage Parlor Crackdowns Fails To Protect Workers or Stop Trafficking
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For interviews or data, contact:
Ariela Moscowitz, director of communications
[email protected] | (212) 368-7874
New Wave of Massage Parlor Crackdowns Fails To Protect Workers or Stop Trafficking
New York, NY (September 26, 2025) — Across the U.S., lawmakers are ramping up enforcement against massage parlors in the name of fighting human trafficking, but sex worker advocates warn these crackdowns do little to stop trafficking and instead make conditions more dangerous for workers.
In 2025 alone, fourteen states including New York, New Hampshire, and New Jersey have passed or proposed laws that expand the government’s power to close massage businesses, suspend licenses, and prosecute property owners. These efforts are framed as anti-trafficking, but in practice, they often result in the arrest and displacement of immigrant and low-income workers, many of whom are not being trafficked.
“These laws don’t distinguish between trafficking and consensual work whether sex is involved or not,” said Ariela Moscowitz, Director of Communications at Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW). “They rely on raids, surveillance, and criminalization instead of support, safety, or services. Workers end up arrested, evicted, and worse off than before.”
Enforcement-heavy approaches frequently push workers further underground, away from healthcare, legal protection, and community. Rather than improving safety or reducing exploitation, these policies increase workers’ vulnerability to violence and coercion while doing little to combat trafficking.
Key Facts:
* Over a dozen states have introduced tougher massage parlor regulations since 2023.
* New laws often include emergency closure powers, expanded inspections, and criminal penalties for landlords.
* Workers are routinely arrested during raids, which are often dangerous, then face housing loss, deportation risk, and unemployment.
* No evidence shows these laws reduce trafficking, but they do make workers more isolated and at risk.
It is time to shift from criminalization to support, which would center the rights, autonomy, and safety of workers instead of punishing them under the guise of protection.
Decriminalize Sex Work
Decriminalize Sex Work is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual, adult prostitution in the United States. We work with local organizations, advocates, and lobbyists to build community support and convince legislators to stop prostitution-related arrests. Evidence shows that decriminalizing sex work will help end human trafficking, improve public health, and promote community safety.
New Poll: Most New Yorkers Support Decriminalizing Prostitution
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Media Contact:
Ariela Moscowitz, director of communications
[email protected] | (212) 368-7874
New Poll: Most New Yorkers Support Decriminalizing Prostitution
Citywide survey reveals shifting public opinion amid high-stakes mayoral race
New York, NY (September 15, 2025) — A new citywide poll reveals a significant shift in public sentiment, with a growing majority of New Yorkers now supporting the decriminalization of prostitution. As political rhetoric around the issue escalates, the findings make one thing clear: voters are ready for change.
The poll, conducted between September 4 and 5, 2025, surveyed more than 550 registered voters across all five boroughs. Only 33% believe prostitution should remain a criminal offense, while 52% say the government should stop wasting resources arresting adults for consensual sex work.
“This poll shows that New Yorkers are increasingly ready to move away from criminalization and toward a more compassionate and pragmatic approach,” said Melissa Broudo, Legal Director at Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW). “Decriminalization not only protects sex workers from exploitation and abuse, but also allows law enforcement to focus on real threats to public safety.”
The findings arrive at a pivotal moment in New York City's mayoral race, where sex work policy became an unexpected flashpoint. Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s past support for decriminalization was publicly attacked by incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, both of whom falsely claimed that decriminalization would fuel human trafficking and sex tourism.
“New Yorkers have spoken loud and clear — policing consensual adult sex work is at the very bottom of their priority list,” said Crystal DeBoise, Director of Strategic Partnerships at DSW. “This poll sends a strong message that directly contradicts Mayor Adams’s narrative. Voters want safety and support, not surveillance and criminalization.”
The poll also tested public opinion on the so-called “entrapment model,” a policy framework that criminalizes buyers of sex but not sellers. Sometimes branded the “Nordic model” or “equality model,” this approach is often marketed as a means of curtailing prostitution and combating trafficking. But voters strongly oppose it. Only 10% support the model, 51% oppose it, and 39% remain unsure.
“Countries that have implemented the entrapment model continue to see violence and exploitation perpetrated against sex workers,” Broudo added. “It doesn’t work, and New Yorkers sense that.”
Decriminalize Sex Work
Decriminalize Sex Work is a national organization pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual, adult prostitution in the United States. We work with local organizations, advocates, and lobbyists to build community support and convince legislators to stop prostitution-related arrests. Evidence shows that decriminalizing sex work will help end human trafficking, improve public health, and promote community safety.