Consider Before Consuming

Trigger Warning This episode includes topics of child sextortion and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.  Episode Description In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Shannon Heacock and John Burnett share the deeply personal and devastating story of their son, Elijah. Recently, at just 16 years old, Elijah became a victim of sextortion — a form of online exploitation where predators manipulate and blackmail their victims using threats and explicit imagery, sometimes even using AI-generated content. Tragically, the manipulation and fear led Elijah to take his own life. John and Shannon’s courage in telling Elijah’s story is rooted in their hope that it can prevent other families from facing the same heartbreaking loss. Episode Resources  Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [https://988lifeline.org/] - Call or Text "988" NCMEC Resource: Take it Down [https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/] Victim Resources [https://fightthenewdrug.org/victim-resources] Article: Understanding Sextortion: A Growing Threat and How to Protect Yourself [https://fightthenewdrug.org/understanding-sextortion-a-growing-threat]

Louie Greek is a Training Specialist with Truckers Against Trafficking, who has spent more than a decade fighting human trafficking, using his expertise in law enforcement and military service to train people on how to recognize, respond to, and ultimately prevent exploitation. In this Consider Before Consuming podcast episode, Louie shares eye-opening insights on the realities of trafficking, the role of demand in fueling exploitation, and the actions we can take to stop it. Episode Resources  Truckers Against Trafficking: Resources [https://train.tatnonprofit.org/get-involved] Article: How You Can Spot, Report, and Prevent Human Traffickin [https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-you-can-spot-report-and-prevent-human-trafficking]g Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 96: Valiant Richey [https://considerbeforeconsumingpodcast.com/the-most-important-things-you-can-do-to-end-sex-trafficking] Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn [https://fightthenewdrug.org/lets-talk-about-porn]

*This episode contains descriptions of sexual violence and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.  Episode Description Selena is the Associate Program Director of a sex trafficking survivor sanctuary. As a former porn performer and sex trafficking survivor, Selena knows firsthand what the women she is helping have experienced. In this Consider Before Consuming episode, Selena sheds light on the dark realities of the porn industry, the deceptive nature of sex trafficking, and the power of resilience. Episode Resources Article: I Was Fine with Porn and the Commercial Sex Industry, Until I Worked in a Brothel [https://fightthenewdrug.org/brothel-receptionist-porn-and-prostitution-are-inextricable] Video: What Being In Porn Is Really Like [https://fightthenewdrug.org/what-being-in-porn-is-really-like] Victim Resources [https://fightthenewdrug.org/victim-resources] Hope Rising [https://hoperisingaz.com/]

Mandy is a women's empowerment and trauma-informed life coach who helps women who have experienced betrayal trauma. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Mandy shares her personal experience of discovering her partner’s secret struggle with porn addiction, his cheating with porn stars, and the betrayal trauma that followed. She describes the emotional toll, the gaslighting, and the psychological abuse she endured, as well as the healing journey that led her to become a trauma-informed life coach. Episode Resources  Article: The Emotional Trauma of Having a Porn-Addicted Partner [https://fightthenewdrug.org/a-female-perspective-the-emotional-betrayal-of-porn] Mandy's Website [https://bio.site/wtfdoidonow?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ_0vs74t_CVaPyu3NMMyzUawmWg5Ma1UwQ5cuHnNrHzCKaSV00yb5lnOQ_aem_cai60TeJODAr6ix85rlh2A] Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn [https://fightthenewdrug.org/lets-talk-about-porn]

Timothy Reigle is a coach, author, podcaster, and the founder of Into The Wilderness Ministries. Tim has used his own experience in defeating addiction to help hundreds of men to overcome their addictions to porn and sex. In this Consider Before Consuming episode, Tim shares about the 15 years he spent in a cycle of porn addiction that escalated into destructive behaviors, impacting his marriage and mental health. He shares how he finally broke free, the strategies that helped him find lasting recovery, and how he now helps others do the same. Episode Resources Article: How Porn Can Become an Escalating Behavior [https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-become-an-escalating-behavior] Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 114: Rachel Denton [https://considerbeforeconsumingpodcast.com/navigating-pornography-addiction-with-self-compassion-and-therapy] Timothy's Website: Into the Wilderness [https://intothewildernessblog.com/] Timothy Instagram: @timothyreigle [https://www.instagram.com/timothyreigle]