La Porte County, Indiana-April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness month with a campaign from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) called “Looking Back, Moving Forward.” For 25 years, there’s been a movement across the country advocating for sexual assault prevention. This month provides an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of sexual assault survivors and the communities that have worked for change.
 
But prosecutors and advocates agree there’s still immense work to do, especially here at home in Indiana. In fact, three in five (60% of) Hoosier women, and one in four (25% of) Hoosier men have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime. Additionally, 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police. These statistics come from the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 
Prosecutor Sean Fagan explains that sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact. This can include (but is not limited to):
● Rape or sexual assault of adults or children
● Incest
● Sexual assault/non-consensual sex committed by a person’s spouse or partner
● Fondling
● Sexual harassment
● Sexual exploitation
● Sexual trafficking, or forcing someone to perform sex acts with others
● Exposure of genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent
● Masturbating in public
● Watching someone engage in private sexual acts without their knowledge or
permission
● Non-consensual sharing of intimate image(s)
“Unfortunately, there’s not one solution that can magically fix the enormous problem of sexual assault, but there are ways we can educate our communities about prevention and appropriate response to sexual violence. It’s critical to teach our young children about body safety and the concept of consent. Additionally, the importance of our children learning how and when to report their concerns to safe adults cannot be emphasized enough,” said Prosecutor Sean Fagan. “We also must continue to advocate and support victims and survivors of sexual violence at every opportunity.”
 
Prosecutor Fagan explains that in the age of artificial intelligence (A.I.), constant cell phone use, and the expansion of technology, sexual predators have taken on a multi-layered approach to their abuse. Tech-enabled sexual abuse (TESA) is a newer term used to describe sexual abuse or exploitative behavior carried out when technology tools, online platforms/apps, or A.I. abusers alter photos/videos, create “deepfake” nude images/videos, and then use what they’ve created
to exploit victims online. This creates a very disturbing situation for victims, where it feels like the abuser is in complete control.
 
“Technology can make sexual abuse and exploitation extremely traumatic, and often the victim finds him or herself in a dangerous situation that feels like they cannot escape,” said Prosecutor Fagan. “Our office depends on the courage of community members, colleagues, friends, family, and survivors to report abuse to law enforcement when it occurs. This is the only way we can hold abusers accountable for their crimes, and take action to stop or prevent sexual violence in
the future.”
 
To immediately report sexual abuse, call 911 or your local police department.
 
For information on how to help victims of sexual assault, visit:
https://www.nsvrc.org/how-to-help/
https://www.endsexualassault.org/get-help/how-to-help-loved-ones-and-friends/
#MyFriendToo | Sexual Abuse Support
 
To report child sexual exploitation (including an explicit image, video or cyber abuse), visit: https://report.cybertip.org/