This shocking ad brings home the reality of child prostitution

Be warned, this video is upsetting.

A shocking new film by Free A Girl, an international organisation dedicated to freeing children from forced prostitution and prosecuting the offenders, shines a chilling spotlight on the reality of life for more than two million victims of child sex trafficking worldwide. The video begins with a number of little girls, their faces hidden behind animal masks, innocently unboxing sex toys and chatting happily about what they imagine the items might be used for. "A wand," one suggests, another says "a dolphin", "a love heart" or "a rolling pin". Then a message rolls across the screen: "Innocent imagination for these girls. Horrible reality for others." What follows is a piece of horrifying footage showing a little girl being sold to an unseen man for sex. A woman's voice tells the man the child is seven-years-old. Her price? $40. The harrowing piece of footage was intended to shock viewers into understanding the true horror of child prostitution and donate to the campaign to stop it. It was released as part of the Week Against Child Prostitution, which takes place from May 15-21, a week in which groups in the Netherlands raise money to fund the fight against child prostitution all over the world. Free a Girl founder Evelien Hölsken said:

"An estimated two million children all over the world are caught up in prostitution, of whom 1.2 million are in India. Girls are forced to have sex every day with dozens of men. "We want this to stop and appeal to the whole country to join forces with us and take action. Together, we can liberate the girls from the horrific circumstances in which they live and offer them a bright new future."

In the past eight years, Free A Girl has contributed to the liberation of 3,802 girls from brothels in Asia. Part of the proceeds from the song in the soundtrack, Here Am I by Dutch singer/songwriter Niels Geusebroek, will go to the charity. You can watch the video below (be warned, it is a hard watch). To donate, visit Free A Girl. https://vimeo.com/216533542