On the surface, Jack is the consummate family man. After 30 years of marriage , he and his wife are well-known, active in their community, and generally well-liked. Jack, however, has a secret life. Except now the doo-doo has hit the fan. After a year of the affair, Jack is ready to move on. He likes the sugar baby experience, which makes him feel important and special, but he is ready for someone new.
Along with the threat comes a reminder that a divorce will cost Jack a lot more than what the sugar baby is asking for. Of course, that same cursory glance will also suggest that plenty of people on these sites are serious and sugar daddy dating is a real thing. Generally, these relationships are couched in language that legitimizes them. Basically, rich men are expected to either mentor or spoil a student, a struggling actress, a young entrepreneur, a secret lover, or whatever.
In fact, they would be difficult to prosecute under most prostitution statutes. The simple truth is that it is not unlawful to pay for companionship. In most jurisdictions, it is unlawful to pay for sex, but companionship and sex are not the same thing. So, as long as a sugar daddy relationship involves an element of companionship, it is not entirely a money-for-sex transaction.
This muddies the waters of legal vs. The simple, sad truth is that internet dating sites are rife with predators. Anyone, not just sugar daddies, can be taken. These relationships are, by nature, highly sexual. Often, the sugar baby sends sexualized pictures or videos and asks for similar pictures or videos in return. The imagery and information are usually willingly shared by the sugar daddy, who believes that his sugar baby is truly as loving and kind and benevolent as she seems.
When he does end things, no matter the reason, the extortion starts. And I can assure you, based on my professional experience as a sex and intimacy therapist, the men whose payoffs we hear about are only a small fraction of the men who face this type of blackmail. Sure, sugar daddy dating websites say they vet their members to prevent prostitution, scams, and blackmail, but I personally doubt those efforts.
