When fire swept through Katherine Stone’s home in Seattle she could not think of a way to turn things around. The family home was not insured, and there was no money to repair it.
Two years later, the 20-year-old has found her way to a brothel in Nevada where she is auctioning her virginity to the highest bidder.
“People say you are supposed to do it for love. But if you think about it, I am doing it because I love my family,” she told CNN.
She said she had seen a Facebook advertisement and “I found out all about the brothels and the money”.
She added: “It made me think, ‘Wow, it's a chance at fixing all that I need to fix’. I have the right to choose what I do with my body. And in this troubling economy, do you blame me?”
Ms Stone contacted brothel owner Dennis Hof, who owns the Moonlite Bunny Ranch near Carson City, and he agreed to the deal, which which involves him getting half of the bid.
Mr Hof told the news outlet: “It is her choice. I don’t think it is a good idea for a girl to drink six tequilas and lose her virginity on the bathroom floor in a frat house….If she wants to [sell] it, I think that’s great.”
Ms Stone has n’t taken an offer yet, with her virginity bid at more than $400,000.
She added: “I’m waiting for a man who I feel a connection with so that the experience can be special for both of us. It’s really not just about the money.” Ms Stone said that while she is at the brothel, she is under contract to offer men non-intercourse services, explaining: “I have done small simple parties. Massage parties, stuff that has been very PG-13.”
She said she planned to continue working at the ranch for the next five years and make her way to law school. Not everyone has approved of her decision.
“I read an article about myself online that made me cry,” she said. “It was a Christian lady. She said I had no self-respect, which I disagree with completely. I mean, I obviously value myself.”
