Students given discount codes to sell sex online in ‘gateway’ to exploitation, major report into modern slavery warns
A major report into modern slavery in the UK has warned that vulnerable young people are being recruited to sell sex under the guise of legal prostitution before being sexually exploited at school and university.
Independent abolitionist commissioner Eleanor Lyons has warned that the sexual exploitation of women and girls is on a “clear and sustained rise” in the UK, with pimps using the internet to reach new victims and advertise them online and subscription platforms acting as a “gateway” for exploitation.
Survivors said women and girls were sometimes offered discount codes to sign up for adult services websites and told it would lead to a life of glamor and financial independence. One survivor said the platforms deliberately targeted young women by offering free premium accounts to students with university email addresses.
But the report warned that many people continue to be sexually exploited, including by criminal gangs who use adult services websites to recruit, control and profit from vulnerable victims.
Among the cases highlighted in the shocking report is a survivor who recalled a “university-issued guide” promoting prostitution as a way to pay off student loans.
Another woman, described as a well-educated professional and mother, described how she signed up for an adult services website to get money after her divorce but soon found herself being controlled by a pimp. The man was running a group on the website which he thought would provide the mother with income stability, but instead took control of all communication and accommodation, leaving her “trapped”.
The report, titled ‘Behind the Profile’, warns that there is “a cultural shift in which sexual exploitation is becoming increasingly common and reframed as empowerment”. One survivor, who came from a stable and supportive family, said it seemed normal given the proliferation of online subscription platforms selling sexual content.
Another girl recalled being impressed when a schoolmate joined a sweets site when she was just 16 years old. The platforms connect men who provide financial support to women in exchange for companionship or intimacy.
The girl said it quickly turned into selling sex and described her experience: “There was a girl in my English class… she was meeting older guys on this website… I opened an account there… It was a very strange, very sneaky transition… Suddenly you’re going up to hotel rooms to meet guys you’ve never met before for money.”
The report, released Thursday, is based on testimonies from survivors and an analysis of 62,900 ads on 12 sex sales websites. One survivor, who was first trafficked through an escort agency at the age of 19, said the agency operated under the guise of legal escorting but actually used violence, isolation and control to traffic girls and young women.
He told investigators he knew a girl, who was 17 at the time, who was abused by the agency starting when she was 13 or 14 years old.
Another woman, in her early twenties, opened an online account to make quick money after getting out of a difficult relationship. Within a few weeks, she met a man who offered help with texting, saying he would handle difficult buyers and make the process safer. Soon her account was locked and the man took control of all her earnings, using money and intimidation to gain control over her.
The report found organized crime gangs use adult services websites to recruit, control and profit from vulnerable victims. Criminal activity was both UK-based and transnational; women were trafficked across borders as well as across the UK.
Another survivor described how online accounts created the illusion that the woman was acting freely. He said: “[I was] essentially getting raped on webcam. And of course the people watching don’t realize that… the profile is written in such a way that it’s like I’m independent and I’m enjoying it.”
But others said some men openly discussed having sex with trafficked women on the platforms. “You’ll see guys posting… ‘these girls are being kidnapped’… ‘you can get away with doing this to her’… it’s right there on the page,” one survivor said.
Survivors interviewed for the report warned of these potential doors to sexual abuse. They also said online platforms’ use of “menu” systems and niche categories contributed to an increase in violence.
One of the women stated that she had multiple encounters in which she thought she would die. “If I had tattoos, if a buyer killed me, they could at least identify the body. I thought I would drown.”
Another recalled a guide published by the university that promoted prostitution as a way to pay off student loans. Independent has previously written about training offered to support Durham University students working in the sex industry.
Between 2020 and 2025, referrals from women in support of modern slavery increased by 86 per cent, from 1,114 to 2,076.
Although the majority of adult female trafficking victims in the UK are foreign nationals, a significant majority of child victims are British nationals. Child sexual abuse is also on the rise; referrals increased from 370 in 2020 to 568 in 2025 (a 54 percent jump).
According to online web traffic estimates analyzed by the anti-slavery commissioner, the 12 adult services websites he looked at received nearly 42 million visits worldwide in January.
The most advertised nationalities on the sites were British, Brazilian and Romanian women. The most preferred UK city for women was London, followed by Glasgow, Manchester and the South East.
Of the nearly 63,000 ads analyzed for the report, 59 percent showed three or more indicators of trafficking and exploitation.
Rape Crisis offers support to those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them in England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, in Scotland on 0808 801 0302 and in Northern Ireland on 0800 0246 991 or visit their website at: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you’re in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
