A few years ago now, the tragedy in Ipswich brought to the nations attention the plight of women on the streets and yet prior to this there was already aprox 75 UK sex-work-women over the last decade missing or murdered. Just imagine 2 or 3 class fulls of young girls...

One such young woman was Lyndsay Bourne. Her body was found dismembered in woods in the Leeds area and it is in her memory I dedicate this page. Sitting on the trial (I now work as a freelance writer on Adult Issues) I was stunned by this horrific tragedy and will forever have the events of this awful tragedy burnt into my memory, but this could have so easily have happened to me...

At 18, I was a single mum living in dire poverty. It hardly surprised anyone when I ended up on the streets, selling my body. But the streets were a hostile place and over a short space of time I was raped, mugged and beaten severely. One night I suffered the humilation of being bundled into the back of an unmarked police car by two plain clothes who reffered to me as "flesh blood" and "new tart", I was taken to the station, put in a cell, photographed, cautioned and then released - yet all I had wanted to do was to but milk and nappies for my baby. In one instance a client broke both my knee-caps with a hammer, in another I was kidnapped, held hostage for three days, raped beaten and dumped back in the street naked and yet I only worked the streets for a few short weeks. Fortunately, I had the sense to go and work indoors, one girl I used to work with turned up in a ditch only days later...

Charities that I work with all over the country who help working girls are now closing down. It's not difficult to fundraise for childrens and cancer charities - we can all relate to those & they are such deserving causes; no one can deny that (I've personally dontated thousands out of TV appearances to Cancer Research), but meanwhile the people who can realy make a difference to such vulnerable lives need your help.

I've also written a book so that none of my experiences go in vain, turning a negative into a positive, Priceless - my journey thru a life of vice. (published by Hodder). This page is not to promote the book infact its the other way around as the majority of visitors who come by my page are via the book & site.

Please help in any way you can. Love light & blessings to you all

charlie xxx

ps: If you wish to know more about my work please see my site www.preventingoffending.co.uk

Thanks for visiting my page. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Genesis Leeds will receive your money faster & if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax is added to your gift at no cost to you.