Joshua Broome spent seven years in the pits of the pornography industry before hitting rock bottom and leaving it all behind in 2013.
Over the last 12 years, Broome told The Christian Post that God has completely transformed his life, leading him from a career that left him desperate and rudderless to a faith-filled, pastoral ministry and calling.
Broome now warns others about the dangers of pornography, proclaims the hope of the Gospel and works diligently to strengthen laws that protect children and society from the perils of the adult film industry.
“I was in the porn industry from 2006 to 2013. I left in January of 2013,” Broome said. “Over the last 11 years, I found Jesus, started a relationship with Him, surrendered my life, met an incredible girl, got married, got a theological education.”
He sees his own transformation as evidence of the power of the Gospel, drawing parallels between his story and that of biblical figures like the Apostle Paul.
“As wild as it is to hear that there is this guy that was in the porn industry that now travels and preaches the Gospel, I think about Paul, who used to persecute and kill Christians, writing most of the New Testament,” Broome said. ”God doesn’t waste anything. … When you are rescued from something, it’s instinctive to reciprocate what you’ve been given.”
Broome said his mission today is deeply personal, as he seeks to push back against the very industry that once dominated his life. He’s hoping to help others embroiled in the adult film space see their inherent value.
“I care deeply about each and every person who is currently in the porn industry,” he said. ”I’m not mad at you. I don’t hate you. I want the best for you. You are created in the image of God.”
He continued, “But what you’re doing with your life is not what God designed, and it’s not what is best for you. I feel the same way about the person consuming the content.”
And that’s where a lot of Broome’s efforts have been spent of late, helping warn of the dangers of porn consumption. In recent years, he has become an advocate for stronger laws around pornography — both for performer protection and for preventing minors from accessing explicit material.
“I’ve had people pour into me and educate me around the legislation — or lack thereof — around pornography … consent, performer rights, and consumption side regulations like age verification,” Broome said.
That’s why he has been so vocal about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold Texas’ age verification law for porn sites. As The Christian Post previously reported, in June, the high court ruled 6-3 in Free Speech Coalition et al. v Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, that a state law requiring pornography websites to use “reasonable age verification” to ensure users were old enough to access adult material doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution.
Broome was elated over the conclusion of this case, though he was surprised the high court took as strong of a position as it did.
“I was shocked that it was upheld, for sure,” he said. “I thought the best-case scenario was going to be a remand. … I’ve been working on age verification [laws].”
Opponents argued the law violated First Amendment rights, but Broome doesn’t buy into that narrative.
“It’s not an infringement on your rights. It’s a boundary, not a barrier,” he said. “If you want to consume it, prove you’re of age. You live in America, you’re an adult — then you can choose to make a bad decision. But you shouldn’t be able to as a child.”
The data surrounding pornography use and exposure, he said, is alarming, particularly regarding children.
“The average age of first exposure went from 11, and it’s trending toward 8 years old,” Broome said. “Most kids are seeing it for the first time on a smartphone or iPad. … If you’re on an unprotected device, there’s a 100 percent chance you’ll see something that falls under the category of pornography.”
The danger, he explained, isn’t just moral — it’s neurological.
“The prefrontal cortex in your brain isn’t even 50 percent developed at age 8. … That’s the part of your brain that allows you to control impulse and regulate emotions,” Broome continued. ”Pornography damages it. Strategically, by Satan, the thing that allows you to regulate emotion is damaged by something we ought not consume.”
According to Broome, this creates distorted beliefs about intimacy.
“It teaches you to … use people,” he said. “That’s why there’s such a correlation between depression, suicidal ideation and porn consumption.”
Broome believes the Texas law’s enforcement could be a game-changer for other states across the U.S., as age verification picks up steam and support.
“Texas was actually implementing fines for websites that weren’t following the checks,” he said. “That’s how you get a huge corporation’s attention — you impact their money. Until there are repercussions, they won’t change.”
For Broome, the fight against pornography is both legislative and spiritual. He believes his story shows that change is possible — and he’s on a mission to help others escape porn while simultaneously getting culture to shift in its approach to adult material.
