Nixon, 25, studied drama at York College before getting a place at The Arden School of Theatre in Manchester.
She said she auditioned twice for parts in Coronation Street before being cast as Walsh.
Ahead of filming, she said she had to “delve into research” to prepare for the role.
“I have to do it justice to serve the people who have been through it,” she told BBC Radio York.
“There’s been a rise in cases, and a few in Manchester [where Coronation Street is based], so you just have to try and handle it with as much care as you possibly can.”
Nixon said that, as the plotline develops, Will “comes to realise he is a victim [and that] it’s not love and she will get her comeuppance”.
Luneta Tajblova, a senior practitioner at Barnado’s TIGER service, which supports exploited children, said she hoped shining a spotlight on the issue might help a young person realise they are being groomed.
“That’s what makes grooming so dangerous and so insidious,” she said.
“Sometimes it might be that they’ve been groomed in the past and they’re out of that situation, but still don’t quite realise that that’s what’s happened.”
She said the charity had been consulted about the storyline to ensure it was believable, not overly sensationalist and “trauma informed”.