Creating sex videos whilst trapped in coercive and controlling relationship
Being forced into sex films is a criminal offence. The criminal offence of Coercive and Controlling behaviour is rife in the sex worker industry and many sex film producers are guilty of it.
What is Coercive and Controlling behaviour
How sex film makers use coercion
How do you prove Coercive and Controlling behaviour
What evidence should victims of Coercive and Controlling behaviour get
Can police help sex film actors
Is there legal help for sex film actors
What is Coercive and Controlling Behaviour
Controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship is a serious criminal offence. Under Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015, the criminal offence is committed when two people or more, are in an intimate relationship and one of them engages in behaviour towards the other that is controlling or coercive and which has a serious effect on the victim's physical health or well-being.
Coercive behaviour is an act of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten their victim. Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and dependant by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
How sex film makers may use coercion
The crime of Controlling and Coercive behaviour is relevant to the making of sex videos with particular emphasis on the sex film makers.
Often, sex film producers target vulnerable people in order to exploit them. Some sex film actors were at low ebbs in their lives when they were approached by sex film producers, who 'took them in under their wing'. Slowly and surely, they ensured that their victim was reliant on them for everything through coercion and control. Often, the sex film producers are a team and they can insist that they love and care for their victims and they are intimate with them, whether by choice or not.
After a period of 'grooming' time, the victims of Controlling and Coercive behaviour are bullied into acting in a sex video by threats, rape or mentally coaxed into doing so.
What is trending in porn videos can often depict what sex film producers want from their sex actors. Many sex film actors would not agree to what they end up doing when the camera is rolling, due to the vile nature of some of the acts, like extreme fetish and violence style sex videos. When the performers show reluctance and fear, this is when the sex film producers can use physical or psychological manipulation.
This is why many performers on sex films suffer psychological, physical, financial, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of either a partner or someone else who pretends to be taking care of them and of their emotional needs. They are often asked to prove they love their partner and care for him by performing sex acts, either with the controller or with the controller's friends and associates. Often those coercive sex work acts are extreme or unusual.
Film producers are renown, according to some of our clients, to abuse and threaten their sex video performers and to subject them to violence, physically and mentally, and to to keep them under their control to long term abidance.
In essence, over time, the victim becomes a sex slave to her or his master and loses the free will to decide whether or not they wish to perform sexual acts.
How do you prove Coercive and Controlling behaviour
The test for proving controlling and coercive behaviour is that the victim fears violence or feels alarmed and distressed on at least two occasions, due to the controlling behaviour of the other person. Often, the victim of Coercive and Controlling behaviour will defend the perpetrator, due to fear and due to disillusion that they care for them.
The behaviour of the perpetrator includes control of their victim, depriving them of basic needs, other relationships and their regular life. They can humiliate and dehumanise their victims and control their finances. They can monitor them continuously, known as Tech abuse. Also, threatening them with exposure and publishing private information about them if they are seen to be seeking help.
The effect of the controlling and coercive behaviour on the victim, often demonstrates itself by the victim becoming disengaged, stopping socialising, feeling physical or mental deterioration, depression and suicidal feelings.
What evidence should victims of Coercive and Controlling behaviour get
The evidence that a victim of Coercive and Controlling behaviour can feel difficult to gather, since they are monitored but we encourage victims to document and photograph as much as they can, discreetly.
This could be photographs of injuries, video recordings on a phone, text messages, witness testimonies and evidence of isolation from families and friends, diary entries and if possible, medical records and other interactions with support services.
Can police help sex film actors
The police should help with anyone that is suffering from a crime of Controlling and Coercive Behaviour.
Harassment and the criminal offence of Controlling and Coercive Behaviour are often underused by the police and the CPS, particularly in relation to sex workers and the porn industry. As a result, the conduct of some sex film producers becomes more and more controlling over time as they have no fear of ever being stopped or prosecuted.
There is very little understanding of the nature of Controlling or Coercive Behaviour within sex workers. Naturally, victims of coercive sex work feel threatened, intimidated and embarrassed and as a result tend to not approach the police for help.
Is there legal help for sex film actors
There is legal help for sex film actors and all sex workers. If you are in that fearful situation and you recognise that your sex film producer is repeatedly committing this criminal offence of controlling and coercive behaviour there are ways that our internet law firm can help you. We recognise that it may feel impossible to seek help when you are in a controlling relationship. Sometimes even just having a conversation with an independent person with a lot of experience in the matter can help you either come out of the current situation you are in, or help you resolve an associated issue.
We will protect you and your interest and the conversation will be completely confidential. Cohen Davis solicitors represent the legal interests of porn and sex workers and other individuals who have found themselves in similar exploitative situations.
We are discreet, we do not judge and we will protect you and your interest.
Give our sex worker lawyers a call now, on 0800-612-7211 or email us on Helpline(at)CohenDavis.co.uk.
