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Video Transcript

He said that I would make $20 million from the documentary. And that it was, if porn was legal, then escorting and prostitution should be legal, too. And that once it aired, or whatever, that I would—and all the other girls—would get $20 million each.

Text Slide: Lauren was a teenager when she was tricked into a world of prostitution by a purported movie producer named David Delay.

When I met them, I was a senior. I was a gymnast, and I was doing gymnastics. I wouldn't say I was a shy person in high school, but I didn't really talk about relationships or anything. And so I kind of just went on there to meet people and possibly find a relationship. Who knows?

Text Slide: Lauren met Delay's accomplice, Marysa Comer, on an Internet dating site and felt like they made a connection.

I can't remember what she really, like, said exactly. But I know she was just friendly and kind of pursuing in some way. That she was a nice person and actually genuinely cared and wanted to get to know me. 

Text Slide: In fact, David Delay was a master manipulator, luring Lauren and other women into a web of human trafficking, blackmail, and child pornography.

At first, they treated me very well. David bought me things and bought coffee and just treated me like a friend, I should say. Like a good friend who you would think was a nice person. They took me to, like, hotels and stuff just for fun at the beginning. I just thought that, “Oh, I’ll have a lot of money and I’ll be around people that care about me.” I just thought that sounded great.

Maybe a month after meeting them, it kind of got to the point where they slowly introduced the whole escorting or prostitution phase—whatever you want to call it.

Text Slide: Lauren was trafficked all over the country and was not allowed to keep any of the money.

I think I was kind of just in shock, and I didn't really know what to think of it. And I just wanted to be cared about and I wanted a person to care about me and to be loved. So at that point, I just really didn't know what to do.

Text Slide: David Delay coerced Lauren into signing a contract that required her to work as a prostitute under the guise that he would interview her about her experiences for his documentary.

I think it was five or six months after living with them, in November of 2014, I called my mom. She obviously jumped on it—was like, “Oh, you want to come home, great!” And she knew that I needed to get out of the situation.

Text Slide: A family friend helped Lauren escape and brought her home to her mother.

They were not there at the time, so that’s how I got out. They had scheduled some man to come over that night. But I had decided before they, before that person comes over, that I was gonna get on it and actually leave. So that’s what I did.

Text slide: Lauren and her mother contacted their local police, who investigated the case with the FBI.

Text slide: David Delay was convicted last year on 17 charges related to sex trafficking and child pornography. He was sentenced in April 2018 to 33 years in prison. His co-conspirator, Marysa Comer, was sentenced to three years in prison.