Tanya Gould was 18 when a pimp lured her into commercial sex trafficking through a romantic relationship.
He was older, handsome, and showered her with gifts and attention.
“Things at home I couldn’t make sense of as a child … I honestly was just looking for love, that’s my story. A promise of love, a promise of feeling seen and belonged, validation,” Gould told the Tim Tebow Foundation in January.
A broken home and prior sexual abuse had tarnished Gould’s self worth.“I had a ton of vulnerabilities,” Gould said.
She said when the pimp told her ‘I’m sorry that happened to you,’ she took it as care and empathy. …