Police Put on the Spot by Camera-Wielding ‘Coparazzi’ Sex Worker

The sun is rising when Masterson finally gets the chance to speak to a police officer. During that time, Tim frantically calls and texts her to apologize; he says his dog dragged his wallet out onto the patio (m’kay).

Masterson didn’t tape her entire meeting with the cops — she says her phone died — but you can hear her politely explain why they’re on camera at 17:28. “Being that I’m at a very vulnerable circumstance right now, I just want to make sure no one infringes on my civil rights,” she says. Masterson told Jezebel that the cops started blaming her for what happened as soon as her phone shut off, saying what she did was illegal and that she had no business going to a stranger’s house so late at night. She claims Officer Mathews watched her video and said her drop-kick could be construed as battery, not self-defense against a man who physically tried to block her from leaving his apartment. She received the business card below. The case was closed.

Tim did not respond to multiple requests for comment, nor did Officers Haberkorn or Mathews. A LAPD spokesperson took our questions earlier this week but said he had no idea if or when the department would get back to us. When Masterson emailed Officer Haberkorn, he asked her to stop contacting him.

The law is rarely kind to sex workers. A Texas jury recently acquitted a man of murder who said he didn’t “intend” to shoot and kill a prostitute. Two narcotics officers in the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department — yep, the same department that employs the cops who “helped” Masterson — are currently under investigation for allegedly using their badges to lure women into unmarked cars and force them to perform sex acts. A commenter on our post on the subject wrote that she, too, was sexually assaulted by an LAPD cop years ago; she claims he “groped my entire body under my underclothes and inserted his fingers into my vagina” before confiscating some cigarettes that didn’t have tax stamps. “Until LAPD treats this as a systemic issue instead of a case of ‘bad apples,’ LAPD will continue to have a rape problem,” she wrote.

Even anonymous internet commenters have more credibility than sex workers. Masterson, who has appeared on VH1’s Rock of Love, has a reputation for being unhinged; her name’s first page of Google results is full of hits about how she’s a crazy man-hating “femacunt” and — gasp! — “admitted prostitute.” History teaches us that there’s no better way to disenfranchise a marginalized woman than accusing her of insanity.

“People call me crazy to dismiss me, because they can’t argue my truth using logic” Masterson said. “That’s what happens to all sex workers who speak out.”

Jessie Nicole, a representative of the Sex Workers Outreach Project’s L.A. chapter, said Raven had a reputation for “not being taken seriously” among local sex workers, too. “She’s not an ideal poster child,” Nicole said. “But that’s not a bad thing. Sex worker activists are trying to shift the idea that there’s no ‘better victim’ — just because she’s out there doesn’t mean she has less of a right not to be assaulted.”

Nicole said Masterson’s “Coparazzi” project was exciting, given how few resources there are for sex workers in L.A. “People who aren’t marginalized — sex workers, people of color, trans women — take it for granted that the police are a source of safety,” she said. “But [Masterson’s] story is hardly unique. It’s only unique that she got it on camera.” Videotaping isn’t a possibility for sex workers who want to retain anonymity, but “outing” could be a “viable, powerful option” for some.

Baskin said Masterson’s work reminded her of “Bad Date Lists,” a review/warning system for dangerous clients that only exists in a handful of cities, and noted that the Center often advises sex workers to collect information on police officers; Masterson’s guidance is “advice that everyone can take on.”

“Recording is a useful tool if it’s legal,” said Baskin (some states have hidden camera statutes), “and sex workers don’t have a lot of tools to keep themselves safe. It’s important to think of anything creative you can do to feel feel like you have more power in a situation.”

Masterson says she was raised from a young age to believe that sex workers have rights; her dad, a New Orleans cop, taught her that prostitutes can get raped, too. “If I wasn’t doing ‘cop watch,’ they would’ve treated me way worse,” Masterson said. “They would’ve taken me to jail, or worse.”

Note: Masterson identifies “Tim” by what she says is his first and last name in her video and on her blog, but since we couldn’t independently verify his identity, we gave him a pseudonym.

Image by Jim Cooke, photos via Shutterstock.