Annie Lobert

Annie Lobert
Lobert, founder and president of Hookers for Jesus
Born (1967-09-26) September 26, 1967 (age 57)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
NationalityAmerican
Other namesFallen York
EducationFrederic High School
Occupation(s)Executive director, missionary, motivational speaker
Years activeEstablished ministry in 2005
Known forHookers for Jesus
Spouse
​
(m. 2009)​
Websitewww.hookersforjesus.net

Annie Lobert (born September 26, 1967) is an American former call girl and sex industry worker, who founded the international Christian ministry Hookers for Jesus. In 2010, she produced and starred in a three-part documentary on the organization, Hookers: Saved on the Strip, which was broadcast nationwide on cable television's Investigation Discovery.[1]

Early life

Annie Lobert was born on September 26, 1967, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is the daughter of Chet and Joanne (née Osgar) Lobert. She is the second youngest of four children. She has a sister, Diana, and two brothers, Chuck and Bill. Diana died from Marfan's syndrome in 1995. Lobert attended Amery High School in Amery, Wisconsin, and graduated from Frederic High School in Frederic, Wisconsin, in 1986.[1]

At 18, she did prostitution in Minneapolis, Hawaii and Las Vegas, for 16 years.[2] She left the sex industry with the support of Al Nakata, one of her regular customers, who had fallen in love with her. After leaving prostitution, Nakata trained her in estimates and service reviews in order to work with him in his Super GT Series auto body and design firm.[1]

Career

Hookers for Jesus

In 2005, she founded the organization Hookers for Jesus, an international, Christian faith-based nonprofit organization that addresses prostitution, sex trafficking, and sexual violence and exploitation linked to pornography and the sex industry.[2][3]

In 2007, Hookers for Jesus established a safe house program in the Las Vegas area with one of The Church at South Las Vegas intern homes.[4][1][5] The program, titled "Destiny House", is a safe haven for victims of sex trafficking and primarily serves prostitutes and local sex trade workers. Annie left CSLV (Church of South Las Vegas) and currently has a new Destiny House Estate. Annie now attends Valley Bible Fellowship of Las Vegas.[5]

Media and public appearances

Lori Albee, Heather Veitch, and Annie Lobert at the Adult Entertainment Expo, 2007

In 2006, Lobert began working on a joint media project with Heather Veitch of JCs Girls, entitled "Saving Sex City". However, the project was short lived and as of November 2008, Lobert and Veitch were no longer producing episodes.[6]

In March 2009, Lobert participated in a nationally televised informal debate presented by ABC News Nightline that posed the question, "Does Satan Exist?"[7] Other participants in the debate included Carlton Pearson; Deepak Chopra; and Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, where the debate was held. The debate was the third installment of the "Face-Off" series presented by Nightline, following "Does God Exist?" and "America Addicted to Porn?".[8]

Lobert has spoken in churches and regional conferences throughout the United States, as well as during news reports and national news magazine programs. Her topics generally include a presentation of her testimony and experiences as a victim of sex trafficking, while sharing an overview of the primary and secondary harmful effects of involvement in the sex industry.[1]

As of 2010, Lobert has been involved with MTV EXIT Concerts and The Whosoevers, a rock band and national evangelistic speaking group. During these events, she speaks and shares the story of her life.[9] Taking the name "The Whosoevers" (from John 3:16), the purpose of the group is to "impact those whose pain has previously driven them to addictive or self-destructive behaviors."[10] Regular members and leaders of the group include Korn member, Brian "Head" Welch; Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. and Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf.

In 2010, Lobert appeared on news programs and talk shows in support of an Investigation Discovery documentary show, Hookers: Saved on the Strip, including on NBC's Today Show with Meredith Vieira,[11] and HLN's The Joy Behar Show.[12][13][14]

Annie Lobert and her Destiny House program are depicted as themselves in the 2022 indie sex trafficking thriller Beyond the Neon. Although the movie itself is scripted, Lobert and the interviews with victims are authentic and documented footage of real survivors.[15]

Television appearances

Radio appearances

Lobert has appeared on talk radio and interviewed in major news publications throughout the world, including the Africa, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the United States.[30][31][32][33]

Author

Lobert's autobiography, Fallen, was released in February 2015 by Worthy Publishing.[34]

Personal life

On June 5, 2009, Lobert married Oz Fox, guitarist of the Christian band Stryper. The ceremony, which took place at The Church at South Las Vegas, was broadcast live on the Internet.[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Lobert, Annie (November 22, 2010). "Hookers: Saved On The Strip". Investigation Discovery. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Kumar, Anugrah (October 3, 2012). "How Hookers for Jesus Founder Turned Away From Sex Trade to Serving God". The Christian Post. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Starr, Michael (November 15, 2010). "She's a hooker for Jesus. Honest". New York Post. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Almeida, Angela (June 26, 2015). "Q & A with "Hookers for Jesus" founder, Annie Lobert". MSNBC.com. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "The Destiny House". Destinyhouselv.com. September 10, 2008. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  6. ^ "Saving Sex City on Myspace Films". Myspace.com. April 21, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  7. ^ a b "ABC News: Tempers Flare at Debate on the Devil". Abcnews.go.com. March 26, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  8. ^ "ABC News: Nightline Face-Off". Abcnews.go.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  9. ^ "Conference". The Whosoevers. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  10. ^ Smith, Debra (Spring 2011). Price, Tom (ed.). "The Whosoevers - Bringing Youth to Christ". Calvary Chapel Magazine. 47: 36–43.
  11. ^ "Former escort fights to get prostitutes off street". NBC.com. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  12. ^ "The Joy Behar Show: HLN: Joy Behar speaks with Annie Lobert, founder of Hookers for Jesus". HLN. December 28, 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  13. ^ "Hookers for Jesus – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs". Religion.blogs.cnn.com. December 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  14. ^ "CNN.com Transcripts". Studentnews.cnn.com. December 14, 2010. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  15. ^ McLean, Larry A., Beyond the Neon (Crime, Mystery, Thriller), BNF Films, Madero Films, Magnum Opus Pictures, retrieved March 24, 2023
  16. ^ "A High Class Call Girl Finds a Higher Calling". YouTube. October 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  17. ^ Brown, Ely (March 13, 2009). "ABC News: Nightline Face-Off: Does Satan Exist?". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  18. ^ Brown, Ely; Karlinsky, Neal (March 12, 2009). "ABC News: Saving Sin City: Hookers for Jesus Target Unlikely Flock". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  19. ^ Le Droit de savoir (in French)
  20. ^ "Joyce Meyer Ministries with Annie Lobert of Hookers for Jesus". YouTube. September 28, 2009. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  21. ^ "Morris Cerullo's Helpline: Annie Lobert". Helplinetv.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  22. ^ Starr, Michael (November 15, 2010). "Annie Lobert saving souls from street in 'Hookers: Saved on the Strip'". NYPOST.com. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  23. ^ "Jim Bakker Show". Jim Bakker Show. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  24. ^ "Daystar VOD: Joni Lamb Show". Daystar.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  25. ^ "Video » Escaping Sexual Bondage". lifetoday.org. March 17, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  26. ^ "LIFE Outreach International: Annie Lobert". Lifetoday.org. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  27. ^ "Praise The Lord: Annie Lobert - 10-22-09 Part1". YouTube. October 5, 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  28. ^ "Pussycat Preacher". Pussycatpreacher.com. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  29. ^ "The Tyra Banks Show". Tyrashow.warnerbros.com. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  30. ^ "Los Angeles Times: Born again, Vegas style". Vegasblog.latimes.com. January 7, 2008. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  31. ^ Tomaso, Bruce, ed. (January 9, 2008). "Dallas News: Former hooker and former stripper team up to save souls in Las Vegas". Religionblog.dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  32. ^ Sherwell, Philip (January 26, 2008). "Hookers for Jesus: Ex sex-workers save souls". London: Telegraph. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  33. ^ Sherwell, Philip (February 3, 2008). "Former hookers adopt a missionary position". Sunday Tribune. South Africa.
  34. ^ Lobert, Annie (February 17, 2015). Fallen: Out of the Sex Industry & Into the Arms of the Savior. Worthy. ISBN 978-1617954207.
  35. ^ "CNN: Hookers for Jesus founder, Christian rocker wed in Vegas". Edition.cnn.com. June 5, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2011.