Sugar dating, sugar daddies (and momma, even though they are not as common) are real and take place more often than one would think. The physical, psychological, financial, and criminal risks are enormous despite their worldwide prevalence.
What is Sugar Dating?
A “sugar relationship” is a transactional sexual arrangement in which a younger partner (a “sugar baby”) provides companionship and sex to an older, wealthier partner (a “sugar daddy” or “sugar mommy”) in exchange for money or gifts.
Minors Targeting in Sugar Arrangements
This phenomenon is a growing industry with dating websites profiting from setting up these arrangements. Law enforcement authorities have a different view of the situation. “We have found adults who are actively using these sites to either target minors, or if they learned that the person is a minor, they don’t care,” said King County Prosecutor Ben Gauen.
A woman, who KOMO News is only identifying as Alicia, said she started using the Sugar Dating site when she was just 14 years old. She said she met several older men online.
“Some of them were like, ‘Oh wait, you’re too young,'” Alicia said. “But most of them were like, ‘OK, I’m fine with that.’ They feel like they own you.”
Connecting Beyond Sugar Dating Sites
Since COVID, more minors and younger adults are searching for relationships online, some of which turn into “sugar daddy” sites that lure unsuspecting people into relationships that are transactional rather than romantic. Police say more sugar dating websites and social media platforms, such as Snapchat, are now being used by sexual predators to lure minors, and the law is struggling to keep up.
Since the pandemic, pedophilic activity is on the rise around the country and law enforcement is attempting to crack down employing online tracking devices for such sites.
Every time their technology detects a hashtag that uses a sugaring term, a series of automated warning messages are sent to potential victims and perpetrators about the potential dangers, giving them an opportunity to stop engaging on-line before it’s too late.
Power Imbalances: A Warning Sign of Dangerous Relationships
Apart from the legal issues involved in such activity, sugar dating creates an unhealthy imbalance of power which can become difficult to break once it begins. The exploitative nature of sugar dating may lead to coercion and sexual violence.
Similar to pedophilia, sugar dating operates in secrecy. Few, if any, who enter into one of these relationships let their families or close friends know about the relationship. The person who enters into such an arrangement faces threats, violence, shame, and loss of whatever compensation they are receiving. All of these factors make it very difficult to break free from the situation. The power and control that a sugar daddy can exert over a younger person can be enormous and overwhelming psychologically, financially, and even physically.
If you have been subject to such a relationship and would like to consult with an attorney experienced in such matters, please contact us for a free initial consultation.
