Russell's Story:
Russell spent the first nine years of his life as a gypsy/carny, traveling from city to city as part of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. In between seasons, he and his mother would live out of their car or a Northern California commune, where he lived as a "feral child" with little to no supervision. He was exposed to sexuality at a very early age in this environment and frequently sold to pedophiles by his mother to pay for drugs or other necessities. Eventually abandoned by his mother, he spent several years in and out of the foster care system. He would run away and survive with other homeless youth, trading sex for food, shelter and basic needs. From time to time his mother would return to his life, and then leave again, forcing him to relive the trauma of abandonment.
Eventually, Russell ended up in the juvenile justice system and spent two and a half years incarcerated. When he aged out of the system, he had no high school education and no practical life skills, other than those he had learned while living on the streets. He used sex for survival and was trafficked by an older peer- living in abandoned basement apartments, eating out of trash cans and doing whatever he had to do to survive. He was often pursued by older gay men who pursue younger men and often craved the "father figure" companionship and safety from the streets provided by this type of "sugar daddy" arrangement.
He held odd jobs, and when he could save enough, Russell would travel to South and Southeast Asia. He developed a keen love of this part of the world, inspired by his own ability to thrive in extreme environments. He eventually met a woman while living in India, who would change his life and become the mother of his children.
Overwhelmed by the responsibility of marriage and family, he and his Tibetan wife separated, and Russell relapsed and began using drugs, engaging in self-sabotage and once again living on the streets. After three years of homelessness and drug abuse, Russell had a moment of clarity, brought on by a drug-induced psychosis. He put down the methamphetamine pipe and never used drugs again, out of fear of losing his children forever and desire to live.
He earned his GED at age 42, graduated from community college with honors, and then received two degrees from Berkeley in Anthropology and South and South East Asian Studies. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Russell completed a research project in Cambodia exploring resiliency factors for male survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. He also received the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship to continue research in Indonesia.
As a CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Child) survivor and former foster child, Russell has a unique and insightful perspective on the issues that male trafficking victims and survivors face in their daily lives. These experiences bring authenticity to his research and efforts to fight sexual exploitation. His years living in India and learning from Buddhist teachers have given him inner peace and sense of joy, and power to transcend the past and thrive in the present.
Russell is a thriving, contributing, fully engaged and self-actualized member of society. He has discovered his purpose and is dedicated to working side by side with other survivors, activists, government leaders all those who seek to end exploitation. He lives in Oakland, California and is available to travel to give lectures, keynote presentations, participate in research, mentor other survivors and give testimony.
Russell spent the first nine years of his life as a gypsy/carny, traveling from city to city as part of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. In between seasons, he and his mother would live out of their car or a Northern California commune, where he lived as a "feral child" with little to no supervision. He was exposed to sexuality at a very early age in this environment and frequently sold to pedophiles by his mother to pay for drugs or other necessities. Eventually abandoned by his mother, he spent several years in and out of the foster care system. He would run away and survive with other homeless youth, trading sex for food, shelter and basic needs. From time to time his mother would return to his life, and then leave again, forcing him to relive the trauma of abandonment.
Eventually, Russell ended up in the juvenile justice system and spent two and a half years incarcerated. When he aged out of the system, he had no high school education and no practical life skills, other than those he had learned while living on the streets. He used sex for survival and was trafficked by an older peer- living in abandoned basement apartments, eating out of trash cans and doing whatever he had to do to survive. He was often pursued by older gay men who pursue younger men and often craved the "father figure" companionship and safety from the streets provided by this type of "sugar daddy" arrangement.
He held odd jobs, and when he could save enough, Russell would travel to South and Southeast Asia. He developed a keen love of this part of the world, inspired by his own ability to thrive in extreme environments. He eventually met a woman while living in India, who would change his life and become the mother of his children.
Overwhelmed by the responsibility of marriage and family, he and his Tibetan wife separated, and Russell relapsed and began using drugs, engaging in self-sabotage and once again living on the streets. After three years of homelessness and drug abuse, Russell had a moment of clarity, brought on by a drug-induced psychosis. He put down the methamphetamine pipe and never used drugs again, out of fear of losing his children forever and desire to live.
He earned his GED at age 42, graduated from community college with honors, and then received two degrees from Berkeley in Anthropology and South and South East Asian Studies. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Russell completed a research project in Cambodia exploring resiliency factors for male survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. He also received the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship to continue research in Indonesia.
As a CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Child) survivor and former foster child, Russell has a unique and insightful perspective on the issues that male trafficking victims and survivors face in their daily lives. These experiences bring authenticity to his research and efforts to fight sexual exploitation. His years living in India and learning from Buddhist teachers have given him inner peace and sense of joy, and power to transcend the past and thrive in the present.
Russell is a thriving, contributing, fully engaged and self-actualized member of society. He has discovered his purpose and is dedicated to working side by side with other survivors, activists, government leaders all those who seek to end exploitation. He lives in Oakland, California and is available to travel to give lectures, keynote presentations, participate in research, mentor other survivors and give testimony.