A second minor has joined a lawsuit to sue Twitter over the company’s alleged involvement in and profiting from the child’s sexual exploitation on the site.
In January, Twitter was hit with a lawsuit alleging that a young boy who was solicited and recruited for sex trafficking, known as John Doe #1, had to endure his own sexual abuse material being promoted on Twitter, even after attempts were made to remove the content.
A second alleged victim, known as John Doe #2, joined the federal lawsuit Wednesday.
“Both plaintiffs were harmed by Twitter’s distribution of material depicting their sexual abuse and trafficking, and by Twitter’s knowing refusal to remove the images of their sexual abuse (child pornography) when notified by John Doe #1 and his parents,” read a press release from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE).
NCOSE, The Haba Law Firm, and The Matiasic Firm are suing Twitter on behalf of the minor over the company’s “involvement in and profiting from their sexual exploitation, which violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act and various other protections afforded by law,” the press release outlined.
“Twitter has profited from the knowing distribution of child sexual abuse material depicting these two young men when they were children, and it must be held accountable. Twitter cannot sweep under the rug the fact that it both allowed child sexual abuse material on its site and refused to remove it,” blasted Peter Gentala, senior legal counsel for NCOSE.
Sex trafficking survivor and advocate Eliza Bleu called out the lack of mainstream coverage of the second minor coming forward to sue Twitter over the sexual exploitation.
“A second minor survivor of child sexual exploitation is suing Twitter. *Not one mainstream media news outlet has covered the story,” she wrote.
“I booked my largest podcast appearance for this week. If the media won’t give this brave survivor a voice, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure his story is heard. If it was my child I would want someone to do it for me,” added Bleu. “Period.”
I booked my largest podcast appearance for this week. If the media won’t give this brave survivor a voice, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure his story is heard. If it was my child I would want someone to do it for me.
Period.
— Eliza (@elizableu) April 12, 2021
Bleu blasted Twitter in January following the announcement of John Doe #1’s suit.
“John Doe serves as a voice for countless victims and survivors in the United States and around the world,” Bleu told The Daily Wire at the time. “Most of the children being abused cannot report their abuse to Twitter. Big tech has shown consistently that they are unwilling to remove the child sexual abuse material and human trafficking from their platforms at scale. So, much as we have seen in times past, it takes brave survivors stepping forward to create change.”
“John Doe is that survivor in this case,” the advocate asserted. “His bravery will have a positive impact on the Internet forever. He is a fighter. A young man wise beyond his years willing to take on big tech.”