Want to catch serial killers faster? Listen to sex workers.

When I got back into sex work in New York City in 2015, I was told, “Never go to New Jersey, no matter how much money he offers you.” Jose Torres, a 46-year-old now known as Joey the Playerhad lured young women with the promise of a lot of money, which he never paid. He became aggressive and often “attacked and raped” his victims, after to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. He was sentenced in October 2023, and just last month he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

It’s good news that Torres has finally been stopped – but law enforcement took quite a long time.

To catch current and future serial offenders who attack sex workers in New York, lawmakers should have Immunity Act by State Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda (D–Bronx) in 2023. The bill would have given victims of human trafficking and sex workers who are victims of or witness crimes the ability to report and seek help without fear of being prosecuted for prostitution. The bill passed the Senate and Assembly Legislature Committees but never came to a vote, despite receiving strong bipartisan support, including 48 co-signatories in the state parliament And 16 in the State Senateand the support of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The bill is expected to be reintroduced in the next session.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that people like Joey the Player have been allowed to terrorize victims. Similar stories were told when bodies turned up on Long Island in 2011. Rex Heuermann, now known as the Long Island Serial Killer, was Sex workers in the crosshairsalthough for years no one seemed to take the case seriously. The police eventually arrested him and charged him with the murder of at least three women. last year— 13 years after Heuermann’s first victim was discovered. Since then, he has been calculated with two more murders; the investigation is ongoing.

Why does it take so long for police to crack down on crimes against sex workers? For one thing, as members of a criminalized class, sex workers are terrified of being arrested even if they try to report crimes committed against them. Yet those who have tried are too often turned away by police, who treat violence, sexual assault and even murder as an occupational hazard of sex work.

When sex workers disappear or their bodies are found across the country, police processing the crime scene label the incident “NHI,” or “No Human Involvement.” This lowers the priority of these cases and allows perpetrators like Torres and Heuermann to prey with impunity.

Instead of reporting their case to the police, where their cries for help may fall on deaf ears, victims often call the National hotline for sex workers to report a crime. The hotline played a key role in Torres’ arrest and conviction, connecting police with reluctant victims and providing important background information and context about the attacks.

Torres’ victims had tried to report his violent behavior to several local law enforcement agencies over the years, to no avail. In 2018, sex worker advocates began working with local police to investigate Torres. That same year, the Sex Worker National Hotline received a call from FBI investigator Michael Scimeca, who said he wanted to help. The organization was initially skeptical, but went to great lengths to ensure victims would be protected and sought out an attorney to assist with the investigation.

It took a coordinated effort by sex worker-led organizations, an attorney who understood what was at stake, over 30 exceptionally brave victims, and an unusually compassionate and dedicated investigator to finally arrest a blatant and unrepentant criminal. Torres was arrested on February 14, 2020.

“(Torres) was brought to justice by sex workers who came forward and, with the assistance of an attorney, reported his violence to the FBI,” the hotline said. published on his blog after his conviction last month.

Throughout its case, the court never referred to the survivors as anything other than sex workers, and the victims were treated with dignity and respect. The court recognized sex work as a transaction between two consenting adults and emphasized that consent to exchange money for erotic services cannot be extended to assault and rape.

This arrest, conviction, and sentencing was made possible because sex workers were listened to. When sex workers can freely report crimes, it can lead to safer communities and bring perpetrators like Joey the Player and the Long Island Serial Killer to justice. It is widely believed that law enforcement would have taken the disappearances and deaths of sex workers on Long Island more seriously. Heuermann couldn’t have killed so many young women.

By making it easier for sex workers to report crimes, laws like New York’s Immunity Law will help criminals like Torres and Heuermann must be held be held accountable before they commit further attacks, thus ensuring greater security for the population. Lawmakers should work to pass the law in the next legislative session.