Samantha Banducci came from a loving home, but she was a rebellious teen. She would sneak out of her parents’ house to hang out with friends or go to weekend parties without their knowledge. One night, she snuck out to attend a house party, where she was date-raped by multiple young men and became pregnant.Her parents didn’t find out about the rape and pregnancy until three months later. They supported her decision to keep her baby, but many of her friends distanced themselves and she heard derogatory comments when she was out in public. She felt alone, isolated and ashamed. However, one male friend was empathetic. He complimented her, defended her from criticism and became her boyfriend.After her son was born, she chafed at her parents’ rules and moved into an apartment with her boyfriend. He paid the rent, showered her with praise, and encouraged her to share her hopes and dreams with him.“He was like my knight in shining armour. He was super sweet at first and took care of all my needs and my son’s needs,” Banducci, now 28, says. “I wanted more children and a house on the lake, and he seemed to have the same interests.”But then his personality changed. He had outbursts that made Banducci feel she was doing everything wrong. He would explode at her for not doing her part financially. “He became more and more angry with me about him always being the one who provided and said I needed to do my part,” Banducci says.When he suggested she earn money by becoming a sex worker, she felt pressured and reluctantly agreed.“I was convinced the sex trade was something it was not and that it would bring us back to the honeymoon stage so we’d be on good terms again.” She continued to have a relationship with her parents but lied about what was going on in her life. Her boyfriend introduced her to a female third-party facilitator who handled advertising, booking and payments. The money Banducci earn ...
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