In part three of the ‘Unseen’ series from the GBH News Center For Investigative Reporting, journalists Jenifer McKim and Phillip Martin look at the sex trafficking of boys in Massachusetts and the role of apps like Grindr in helping to perpetuate such abuse. McKim and two of the survivors featured in the story, German Chavez and Chris Bates, joined Jim Braude on Greater Boston to talk about their experiences.
Chris Bates says he grew up in a rural community and felt isolated, so he turned to app like Grindr, which led to exploitation. "I was trying to find my people. I didn’t feel like I belonged, I felt like an outcast at my community," he said. "That’s where I learned survival sex — through that app."
German Chavez also joined the app as a young boy, looking for a community, but found himself being taken advantage of by older men. "As a minor, I felt like it was always my fault," he says about the exploitation. As he grew older, he realized "these men taking advantage [of] the fact that as a minor, I was so vulnerable. I’ve learned that it’s not my fault."
WATCH: Trafficking survivors share their story in ‘Unseen’ investigation
