For a time like this: Internship at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation

By Natalie Deniston

My summer of 2024 was full of both new and difficult experiences during my internship at The
National Center on Sexual Exploitation (“NCOSE”) in Washington DC Had anyone ever told me that
at the start of my law studies I would do an internship at a legal center in the heart of our country
capital, just a few blocks from the White House, I would have laughed. A mountain girl through and through, born
and growing up in Washington state, I love nature, icy rivers and vast spaces – not
busy, fast-paced cities like DC And yet here I was, interning in one of the darkest and most
difficult areas of law, fighting for victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.

But as I have discovered in my journey with the Lord, His hand is in and on everything, and He guides
me on a path of the unexpected and surprise with opportunities to grow in His purpose for me
and to come closer to Him. My only question that I had over the summer was, “Am I called to this
“What kind of work?”

The NCOSE Law Center was my first personal experience in the legal industry, where I worked and
learn from a group of inspiring lawyers and gain practical experience. But this was not
regular group of lawyers working on regular cases. The focus of the NCOSE is on defending and
restoring human dignity in society by influencing policy and achieving victories through
high impact civil lawsuits. The numerous cases they are involved in seek to bring justice and
restoring the rights of survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation, and holding profiteers accountable
their involvement. The tenacious lawyers have taken on big tech companies like Twitter and
Pornhub, next to brothels and clubs in Nevada.

My internship began with a deep dive into the center’s affairs, examining the facts and
claims being fought, and some of the tough battles the lawyers have to fight. It became clear that
one of the biggest obstacles preventing survivors of exploitation across the country
Securing fairness is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which was passed in 1996. The intent
was to provide platforms with immunity from content posted by third parties in order to prevent the growth of
the Internet. Instead, courts have interpreted the law to grant broad immunity to interactive
computer service companies and are not responsible for the content posted on their sites.

I immediately felt a sense of frustration as I read case after case from courts saying:
their hands were tied. Learning the specific details of these clients’ cases and trauma
been through, some of them minors, is heartbreaking. It is disturbing to know that when a minor
asks an influential social media platform to remove the video of their sexual abuse,
company can refuse and face no consequences. Even if the reported content was childish
sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), the company had no reason to take action. Where is the justice that our
What does the legal system promise?

I feel confusion and anger about the way the legal system and the legislature, which are supposed to
representing the people, would allow these ever-growing tech companies to continue without any problems
repercussions. Not a pleasant feeling as an upcoming 2L. Interning at NCOSE and seeing how
They are dedicated to helping survivors who have experienced unimaginable trauma and
Working to change the justice system gave me hope and only increased my passion for justice.

Working with some brilliant lawyers who are committed to an extremely difficult legal field
field was a privilege. Their ability to handle the darkness and their fierce determination to
the gap for survivors is inspiring. Some of the tasks I assisted with ranged from researching
legal questions that were sometimes very specific (thank the Lord for legal search engines)
drafting templates for requests for information, attending live hearings and assisting in the assessment of
discovery documents. Oddly enough, I realized that one of my favorite tasks was researching close
and specific legal questions, finding the right cases, summarizing and presenting the results in a clear manner
organized fashion, and presented it to my supervising attorney like a proud student. It felt like I
had just painted a masterpiece. Don’t get me started on when I got to help draft a motion
to strike.

My summer was nothing I could have imagined, and opportunities came my way from everywhere.
assisted the NCOSE Policy Center with a lobbying campaign in the House, speaking to staff members and
advocate for one of the bills that NCOSE supports, called the Kids Online Safety Act. I helped
staff for a conference called “World Without Exploitation,” where some of the leading giants in
the anti-trafficking movement. I met new friends and had the chance to meet some of the most
iconic experiences that DC can offer. Ultimately, I not only got a first-hand look at life as a lawyer
but more importantly, together with the dedicated team we have helped the survivors of abuse and exploitation
in the law center. I could never have anticipated how profound and life-changing this would be
summer turned out to be.

As my internship came to an end, I reflected on the past few months and asked myself:
again, “Am I called to this kind of work?” Although I’m not sure where the Lord will lead me
exactly, I know this internship was a step towards His calling on my life. About the
Over the past few weeks, the book of Esther has reminded me that God calls us “for a time when
this.” (Esther 4:14). God creates each person to be perfectly placed in His story of redemption.
We are called to a precise path and a specific time, to love others and through His calling, to
glorify God on earth. I truly believe that through God’s guidance, whether visible or invisible, He
a plan and will use me to show His overwhelming love for His children in a world that is growing darker and darker. I
are called for such a time as this.

This post was written by a student at Regent University School of Law. The opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.