Former Child Prostitute Seeks Healing Through Tattoo Removal

Each year, more than 120 children in Los Angeles County are forced into prostitution.

Child advocates say over the past two decades a disturbing trend has emerged: pimps are literally branding their child victims with tattoos that symbolize ownership.

One of the victims of this barbaric procedure is 15-year-old girl, who, for her protection, we will call "Selena." When she was just 12 years old she ran away from a foster home in New York City and began working as a prostitute.

She says she and four other girls worked out of seedy motels in Brooklyn and Yonkers. One day her abusive 35-year-old pimp got her high on drugs and alcohol, had another girl hold her down, and branded her with his Zodiac sign.

The result is a 3-inch block of ink on her right thigh with a crescent moon representing the Gemini.

The branding created conflicting emotions for the lost little girl. Selena says it was the first time anyone had ever claimed her. She believed her pimp loved her.

"He said, ‘You are definitely mines now. I put that sign on you.’ I was like, ‘OK.’ I felt happy, I'm not gonna lie. I felt really happy because he finally said I was his," Selena said.

Selena says she was repeatedly beaten over the 8 months she spent with her pimp. She says he threatened to kill her if she left. She eventually escaped, and was later mowed down by a hit-and-run driver.

"I was walking with two guys and a car turned the corner and ran us over," she said.

Selena was left with two broken legs and scars on her face. She believes her pimp is responsible for her injuries but she never reported him to authorities.

"I left and I didn't come back. He said 'I'm definitely going to find you.’ I'd be like yeah, yeah, but then I left, and I felt like he did that," she said.

Selena eventually wound up at the Children of the Night shelter in Los Angeles. The nonprofit organization has saved more than 10,000 kids from sex trafficking over the past 30 years.

The organization's founder, Dr. Lois Lee, says once the girls achieve a certain amount of success in the program they are rewarded with the opportunity to have their tattoo removed.

"I can never change what it is that happened to them. There's no amount of psychotherapy or drugs that are going to remove those memories — but I can create distance from what happened to them, so they can start to forget the detail," Lee said.

Selena was so nervous about having the tattoo removed she clutched a teddy bear during her April 15 trip to the doctor. A chaperone from Children of the Night held her hand throughout the procedure.

The removal was done by Beverly Hills dermatologist to the stars Dr. Stuart Kaplan. He has volunteered his time to removed tattoos from hundreds of former prostitutes over the past 20 years.

"They have scars in their mind. They have scars in their body, " Kaplan said. "Hopefully, by doing this I'm actually treating both because the scars in their mind will say, 'Hey you know what? There are good guys out in the world. There are people that are looking to help.'"

The doctor says he's seen girls with profanity written across their faces and the initials of pimps etched into their skin.

"How do you date or get a job? How do you move on from something like that? You can't. By taking off these tattoos I'm giving them back their self-respect. They get the sense that someone has reached out to them and done something good for them," Kaplan said.

The doctor goes out of his way to make sure the girls feel comfortable coming to his high-end office on Roxbury Drive.

"When they come to Beverly Hills they are treated as a regular patient and they sit with regular patients in the waiting room. I don't want them to feel like a charity case," he said.

Selena cried out a few times during the procedure, but Kaplan suspects it was more out of fear than actual pain, since he gave her numbing shots beforehand. He comforted her throughout the removal process, calling her brave and strong.

The doctor used a laser machine to zap off the ink. He says it feels like someone is shooting rubber bands at the skin. The tattoo is erased a little bit at a time and can usually be entirely removed in about five visits.

Kaplan says seeing relief on the girl's face when the tattoo is gone is all the reward he needs.

"We care about all of our patients, but this is more than business. This is when you feel like you are really making a difference," he said.

Selena says wiping away her pimp's brand means she can move on with her life.

"I don't really think about him no more, because he's the past," Selena said. "I'm looking for the present and the future."

Her future is bright. Selena is back in school and hopes one day she can rescue other girls in similar situations.

"I learned that I am brave, smart, kind sometimes and I can do it whenever I put my mind to it," she said.

Kaplan hopes his volunteer work will inspire other professionals to donate their services to Children of the Night.

"Maybe food services, maybe carpentry, maybe donation of supplies. There are so many things we can each donate. It's not hard when you stick with what you are trained to do. It becomes a pleasure," he says.

If you'd like to help, visit the Children of the Night website at childrenofthenight.org.