KCCI/YouTubeA criminal defence lawyer from Iowa has opened up about her life as a part-time sex worker, a role she has found to be both empowering and lucrative.
30-year-old married mother-of-one Katherine Sears became involved in sex work three years ago and works three weeks at a time at a Nevada brothel, where sex work has been legalised. She claims this is something she’s always wanted to do.
Katherine has said she once earned a whopping $55,000 after just three weeks of sex work, seeing around 10 to 15 clients on her busiest days. By going public with her story, Katherine hopes to help towards the decriminalisation of sex work.
You can watch Katherine being interviewed about her work in the following clip:
As reported by KCCI, Katherine met her husband John Sear a few years back when they were both attending Drake Law School.
Katherine had already been engaged in sex work when the couple first met. John is said to have no issue with her extra means of income, telling KCCI, ‘I really don’t care that much’.
The couple practice criminal law together, and now have a four-month-old son. Following her baby’s birth, Katherine has taken time out from sex work to focus on family life and her legal practice.
Going forward, she wants to tackle the ‘judgemental stigma’ attached to sex work and hopes to educate others about the realities of the oldest profession. She has also said she would be willing to take on sex worker cases on a pro-bono basis.
KCCI/YouTubeSpeaking with KCCI, Katherine said:
Prostitutes are people. Prostitutes I’ve known are some of the best people I’ve known.
I think a lot of people are upset about prostitution without understanding what it is they are being upset about.
She added:
We degrade women who are open about sexuality, You’re supposed to be this way and if you’re not this way, you’re bad. So, I think it’s a lot of indoctrination. […]
Their bodies belong to them and we have absolutely no reason to be telling them that you cannot condition your consent this way.
Katherine believes the decriminalisation of sex work would help to put an end to human trafficking, as sex workers would be more likely to go to police officers with their concerns regarding potential trafficking victims.
KCCI/YouTubeMany decriminalisation activists believe legalising sex work would make for a a positive first step towards legitimising the profession; allowing for improved health and safety standards and greater human rights protections.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.