( CNN ) -- Christmas came early this year for pimps and johns in Canada . Last week 's unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Canada to strike down all remaining prostitution laws is not only a victory for the professional sex workers who brought their case through the legal system , it is a triumph for those who live off and enjoy the commercial sex industry . Tragically , it 's a time bomb for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable and exploited women , girls and boys . We are documentary filmmakers and our film , `` Tricked '' , opened last week in New York City . For 3 years , we embedded with vice cops , met with the johns , pimps , girls and boys entangled in the professional sex world . We went to the dungeon of a dominatrix , filmed the partially legal model in Sweden and met sex workers advocating for legalization . We followed abolitionists , lobbyists , hobbyists , survivors , the FBI , grandmothers , gay sex workers , transvestites , drug addicts , alcoholics , college kids and PhDs . All had stories to share and a unique perspective on this complex issue . By the end of our extensive investigation , focused on the United States , we shared a conclusion : the commercial sexual sale of someone 's body is not empowering , does not offer gender equality and in most cases is a form of modern day slavery . The myths used by advocates of prostitution are universal . The selling of sex is legal in Canada , but the decision ended prohibitions on operating brothels , making a living from working for a prostitute and communicating in public about prostitution . While striking down these three laws arguably protects the constitutional rights of a certain class of sex worker , it does so at the expense of another more plentiful group : those harmed by the sex industry . Efforts to legalize prostitution are based on the outdated assumption that prostitution is a victimless crime , a view that is effectively used by the pro-legalization lobby . That 's simply not true . For the majority of commercial sex workers , the sex industry is a continuum of harm that feeds on vulnerabilities and spits out damaged victims . In the United States the FBI estimates that 85 % of commercial sex workers experience some degree of force , fraud or coercion ( the federal definition of sex trafficking ) . There is no definitive evidence that legalization ends the exploitation of sex workers . According to several undercover cops we interviewed , a majority of girls have pimps in the legal brothels of Nevada . Most of the girls and women we filmed worked `` legitimate '' escort services for their pimps . Danielle did escort work by day and street work by night -- all her money went to her pimp . In Las Vegas , Cindy worked through licensed escort businesses but had to hand over all her earnings to a violent and controlling pimp . Legalization could potentially cut down on violence by johns , but it can not control the violence outside brothel walls . Another myth often cited by supporters of legalization is that there is a health care benefit , but recent statistics from Germany , where prostitution is legal , show that less than one tenth of 1 % of sex workers actually use the health insurance system . Throughout the sex industry , we found a strong dominance of pimp culture . Where pimps operate , most take 100 % of the money earned by the sex workers . For them , there 's a strong financial incentive to continue business as usual . Would legalization change this truth or eliminate pimps ? Commercial sex workers face violence , whether in brothels or at `` home '' with a pimp . According to one study , working in prostitution is 51 times more violent than the second-most violent profession for women ( working in a liquor store ) . Sex workers said they had been subjected to beatings , knifings and rape . Worse than the physical abuse is the ongoing trauma . Years later , those we interviewed struggle with PTSD , chronic pelvic disease , the repercussions of forced abortions , depression , drug addiction , self-mutilation and shame . We need a comprehensive approach to the sex industry that involves social workers , law enforcement , employers , politicians and citizens as a whole . The first step is to recognize the harm that naturally occurs in the sex industry . The second step is to establish support systems to help victims overcome their traumas and become survivors . And third , we need to stop future victimization by combating the vulnerabilities in our youth . The current evil in the system preys on the vulnerable among us . Prostitution is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world , but legalization and decriminalization is not the answer . The Canadian decision ignores the most important part of the sex industry dilemma : the victims and those adrift in harm 's way . The rights of the small percentage of voluntary sex workers should not take precedence over the lives , bodies and souls of those who are forced to work in prostitution as sex slaves . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors .
Filmmakers say their work documents the harm that prostitution does . A Canadian court recently struck down the remaining legal restrictions on prostitution . Authors : Do n't believe it 's a victimless crime ; abuse , fraud or coercion frequently used . They say we need support systems for victims , and to protect the community .