Former sex trafficking victim pardoned by President Trump reveals disturbing secrets of legal brothel
Share this @internewscast.com

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Rebekah “Bekah” Charleston had an eerie feeling when she walked inside the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel in western Nevada.

“While the TV show ‘Cathouse’ might’ve portrayed it as glamorous, in reality, it’s just a double-wide trailer in the middle of nowhere. Entering it feels like going into a literal compound,” the former sex trafficking victim told Fox News Digital.

“It was unusual because no one was allowed to own a car there,” she said. “We were confined to our workplace, forced to sleep in the rooms where we served customers all day. We’d change the sheets, but then we had to sleep in the same rooms. This is not like any regular job.”

A sign for the Love Ranch.

Bekah Charleston said she had to work at the Love Ranch before she could be moved to the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“The house immediately takes 50% of your earnings off the top, no exceptions,” she added. “The harsh truth is that only half of what you charge customers goes to you, after performing all the sexual services. Then, you’re also charged for room and board, food, and supplies.”

“Everybody has their hands on your 50%. … I know some people who have worked there who have bragged about making a million dollars in a year. Well, that’s automatically $500,000. And then out of that, there are 12 months of room and board, 12 months of supplies and other things. It winds up being a lot less than advertised.”

A bunch of women trying on lingerie at the Bunny Ranch.

The Moonlite Bunny Ranch was previously the subject of an HBO reality TV series “Cathouse.” (Stephan Gladieu/Getty Images)

While some of the ex-employees alleged in the docuseries that they’d experienced violence at the hands of customers, Charleston said she didn’t face similar encounters.

A side profile of Dennis Hof smoking a cigar.

Dennis Hof was never charged with any crime of violence against women. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I’ve heard a lot of other stories – people that have died there, people that have nearly died there,” she said. “There are a lot more details coming out about that in the series. But, thankfully, I didn’t face violence at the hands of sex buyers.”

Charleston said she was eventually pulled out of the Bunny Ranch when her trafficker realized she wasn’t earning enough for him. She also described struggling to deposit enough money in the bank.

Leaving felt “liberating,” she said.

“In some ways, [being in prison] was a little bit of a vacation,” she said. “It was the first time I didn’t have people touching my body. … I got to eat three meals a day. I would sometimes get to sleep eight hours a night. … In some ways, it was a reprieve from the lifestyle that I had been lured and manipulated into.”

Women working at the Bunny Ranch

Bekah Charleston told Fox News Digital she was relieved to leave Nevada’s cathouses.  (A&E)

When Charleston was released, she was determined to turn her life around. In 2013, she launched Bekah Speaks Out, which provides training and consulting services to law enforcement and community leaders. She earned degrees in criminal justice and criminology and filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Nevada over the legalized prostitution industry. 

An aerial view of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch.

An aerial view of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel located in Northern Nevada once owned by Dennis Hof. (Getty Images)

Charleston also worked with senators to advocate for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which “aims to provide victims the opportunity to vacate or expunge federal convictions resulting from their victimization.”

The White House took notice. Officials said Charleston is a victim of sex trafficking who was forced into prostitution, and she now volunteers to help victims. Her pardon by President Trump was also supported by a law enforcement agent who arrested her.

A woman stepping outside of a limo.

Britney Angel, a prostitute, is getting ready for a “date” at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. (Stephan Gladieu/Getty Images)

“I was shocked to get the pardon,” said Charleston. “I feel really blessed. … [But] those things still show up on my record. I still have to explain to people, ‘Hey, I do have a piece of paper that President Trump signed and says he forgives me.’

“I’m still fighting for full relief, which is the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act,” she said. “It’s up in Congress right now. … We’ve been trying to get this bill passed since 2016. If it were to go through, they would go back and redact the records, and it would be as if it never happened. That, to me, would be true justice. I [wouldn’t] have to explain myself any longer.”

Charleston hopes speaking out encourages others to come forward.

Bekah Charleston wearing a sign around her neck and a blue blazer with a matching shirt smiling.

Bekah Charleston at the 2023 Nevada Sex Trafficking and Prostitution Summit. She now advocates for victims of sex trafficking. (IMAGN)

“It makes me sad to know how many girls, many young women, were sucked in, thinking, ‘I’m going to live this glamorous lifestyle. I’m going to have fun and have sex all day and make money,’” she said. “You’re a prisoner stuck on the property, it’s not always going to be fun and you don’t really make that much money.. … I’m excited about what I get to do today and help other people.”

“Secrets of the Bunny Ranch” premieres June 12 at 9 p.m. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Fighter jet exploding on takeoff.

Frightening scene as fighter jet erupts in flames and crashes during take-off, pilots escape just in time

THIS is the terrifying moment a fighter jet burst into flames before…
NYC public defender terminated over antisemitic social media post targeting Israelis

New York City Public Defender Fired for Anti-Israel Comments on Social Media

A public defender with Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) was fired over a…
Russian cruise missiles hit US company in massive Ukraine strike amid Trump’s peace push

Russian Missiles Target US Company in Major Ukraine Attack During Trump’s Peace Efforts

In one of the largest overnight strikes since the war began, Russia…
James Dobson death: Founder of conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, dies age 89

James Dobson, Founder of Focus on the Family, Passes Away at 89

James Dobson, a child psychologist who founded the conservative ministry Focus on…
Kayla Bailey found alive after two-day search, mother speaks out

Kayla Bailey Located Safe After 48-Hour Search; Mother Breaks Her Silence

Kayla Bailey was located alive in a forested area following a two-day…
Six dead in dairy accident in rural Colorado plains area

Tragic Dairy Incident Claims Six Lives in Rural Colorado Plains

close Video <!–> Staff from Colorado’s Breckenridge Ski Resort collect 780 pounds…
Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, dies at 89

Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, passes away at 89

Dobson founded the conservative ministry Focus on the Family and was long…
Florida must stop expanding ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration center, judge says

Judge Orders Florida to Halt Expansion of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility

A federal judge in Miami has issued a preliminary injunction to stop…
Aerial view of a university campus.

Chattanooga Cops Issue Urgent Alert: ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ in Response to Gunfire Reports at UTC

AN active shooter alert has been issued at a college campus in…
Public execution in Iran using a crane.

Chilling Scene: Iran Executes Convicted Killer by Crane in Front of Disturbing Audience, Including Children

THIS is the chilling moment Iran’s tyrants hang a murderer from a…
Photo of Danna Angelina Munoz Rayon.

Remains of Missing 21-Year-Old Mother Discovered in Garden After Family Gets Ominous Messages from Unknown Source

The body of a 21-year-old missing mother was discovered buried in a…
Chicago Police Department Officer Jalen Woods sues city of Tempe, Arizona, says he was arrested without cause

Chicago Officer Jalen Woods Sues Tempe, AZ After Alleged Wrongful Arrest

CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago police officer is suing the city of…