. >> reporter: lani santo is the executive director of a non-profit group called footsteps, founded in 2003, not to proselytize but to provide counsel and support to those who want to explore life outside the confines of the world in which they were raised. they've assisted over 700 altogether so far, a majority are young men. >> i mean my mother still hasn't called me. my mother hasn't spoken to me this whole time. >> we are seeing a lot more, just in this year alone, we've seen a 60% increase in our membership and in new people coming to us, and that's compared to a 35% increase that we've been on for the last few years. >> reporter: in the past, it was easier to shelter those in ultra- religious communities from the outside world. television, magazines, radio, even libraries were off limits. then along came the internet. >> the internet is a real probl for them. there has been -- there have been efforts, for example there was a recent gathering at citi field here in new york that was against the internet. but it's a case of trying to close the barn after the horses are out. >> repor