Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today joined local, state, and federal partners in unveiling a new advertising campaign drawing attention to young people exploited through human trafficking.

“Sexual trafficking exists because of a demand,” Conley said. “That demand is aided and abetted by websites and newspapers with ads for sexual services. As these posters make clear, those services are all too often coerced out of young teens, both boys and girls, who have been pressured, tricked, and even forced into a life that deprives them of choice and dignity.”

Suffolk DA Conley, with Dr. Barbara Ferrer of the Boston Public Health Commission (left) and Mayor Thomas Menino (right), speaks at the unveiling of a new ad campaign raising awareness of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The ads mimic posts on websites and newspapers that promote the exploitation of underage boys and girls.

Conley was joined by US Attorney Carmen Ortiz, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Mayor Thomas Menino, Dr. Barbara Ferrer of the Boston Public Health Commission, and Audrey Porter, assistant director and coordinator of survivor services for the My Life My Choice Project, which helps the young victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Also present were Massachusetts State Police Lieutenant Colonel Frank Matthews, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, and MBTA Transit Police Deputy Chief Joseph O’Connor.

The multi-disciplinary coalition – which also includes scores of service providers from various non-profit and child protection agencies – lent their support to a series of advertisements that mimic ads found online and in print offering sexual services for a fee.

Under the heading “Seductive Blonde Angel, 19,” one such ad reads, “I’m the girl behind this ad. I’m 15 years old … I don’t know how to get out of this life but I know this – I fear the man who sells me and I hate the men who buy me.”

In 2004, Conley implemented a policy under which juveniles arrested in sex-for-fee cases are treated as victims rather than criminal offenders. Working hand-in-hand with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, prosecutors dismiss criminal charges against those young people and instead connect them with medical care, counseling, job training, and other services. Earlier this year, he filed a bill that would expand that policy statewide.

“But changing the law isn’t enough,” Conley said. “We have to change public perceptions as well. We need to make self-respect and respect for intimate partners something every adult will talk about when raising, teaching, or mentoring a youngster. That might sound like a tough topic for parents and caregivers to confront, but it can be done – and we’re here to help you do it.”