Craigslist Sued as "single largest source of prostitution

[gonzo]

Chicago- Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced today that his office has sued Craigslist and has asked a federal judge to ban the Internet company from posting its "erotic services" section, which the sheriff said is a clearing house for prostitution.

Dart also asked the judge to force the online classifieds company to reimburse the sheriff's department for the approximately $100,000 it has spent pursuing its Craigslist investigation over the past year.

"Craigslist is the single largest source of prostitution in the nation," Dart said.

He added later, "I could make arrests off Craigslist 24 hours a day, but to what end?" By filing the suit, he said, "I'm trying to go up the ladder."

Dart said he had been working with Craigslist representatives for months, sending letters requesting them to take down or provide greater self-policing of their "erotic services" section, but his pleas have been met with no response.

The sheriff said he believes the company has been unresponsive because the "erotic services" section generates a large portion of the company's $80 million annual revenue.

"They have crafted their site to accommodate people," the sheriff said. "None of the ads require any imagination. There's no mystery at all. We all know what's going on here."

A 19-year-old woman, who was not identified, appeared at a press conference with the sheriff and said she was drawn into prostitution after she applied for modeling work through a different section of Craigslist.

"It started out as a photo shoot. That's not enough -- they don't want you to do just a photo shoot," she said.

The woman said that undercover Cook County sheriff's police recently met with her at a hotel room in the south suburbs and she was subsequently arrested for prostitution. But she said authorities told her they could tell she had been a victim herself.

"I thank God that the officers picked me up. This is something that will go on for life," she said.

The woman said that even after her arrest, her photos are still being posted on the "erotic services" section.

"Even after you get 'clean,'" she said, "they still have your photos and they can post them anywhere."

The woman spoke calmly but her voice and hands shook at times.

Among recent prostitution-related ads that the sheriff's office has monitored were one advertising "15 min $50 roses ... 1 hour $150 roses," and another saying a "busty blonde pregnant beauty" was available, according to the sheriff's office.

Over the years, Dart's office has made dozens of arrests of people accused of using Craigslist for prostitution.

Last June, Cook County sheriff's police arrested 76 men and women on prostitution-related charges in a sting involving Craigslist. Undercover officers posed as customers who made dates with women featured in "erotic services" ads on the site. Once an offer of sex for money was made, the woman was taken into custody, officials said.

In December of 2007, four Chicago-area men were charged with using Craigslist to run a prostitution ring that employed girls as young as 15. Dubbed Operation Quiet Money, the three-month investigation monitored advertisements on the Web site.

In January of that year, the sheriff's office estimated that it had already busted nearly 75 women accused of selling sex on Craigslist in the last 18 months.

Craigslist today denied that it knowingly facilitates prostitution. In an e-mail message to The Associated Press, spokeswoman Susan Best said the company has taken several steps to prevent the illegal use the site, works willingly with law enforcement and pulls inappropriate ads.

[RawAlex]

Same old excuses by an online company "we pull the innappropriate ads when notified" is pretty much like saying "we ain't looking unless you rub our noses in it".

It never stops with the online world.

[pornlaw]

ummmm... got some First Amendment issues here.. Im betting this is a political stunt and the good Sheriff of Nottingham Tom Dart is going to be running for office shortly on the "Im tough on crime" ticket.

Lets see this one get by a Rule 12(b) Motion....

Michael

www.AdultBizLaw.com (http://www.AdultBizLaw.com)
www.2257Safe.com (http://www.2257Safe.com)

[Evil Chris]

Same old excuses by an online company "we pull the innappropriate ads when notified" is pretty much like saying "we ain't looking unless you rub our noses in it".

It never stops with the online world.Yup. Sounds a lot like "we will remove your content from our tube site if you tell us to...."

[TheEnforcer]

Umm.. escorting is generally legal. It only becomes prostitution when sex is involved. So are they to assume every ad submitted is for prostitution?

[RawAlex]

Umm.. escorting is generally legal. It only becomes prostitution when sex is involved. So are they to assume every ad submitted is for prostitution?

Here is an example from the Toronto Craigslist ads:

We provide companionship to gentlemen who know they deserve the best. We don't play games, and prefer men who are just as straight to the point as us...please call when you are in town. Smart & elegant, bound to turn heads in any room! Discretion is a must. We have lovely bodies with delicate curves.

Asian JoJo is a must-see erotic hottie with so many selling point and sex tricks in bed. She is 20yrs old, 36DD/24/36, and 103lbs. She had a bachelor degree on S.e.x.o.l.o.g.y and specialized in creating the new Banging positions. If you think that you are the one of the most unbeatable Sex Banging Banging Professional, you need to come and battle with Asian SaSa. YOU ARE REALLY GONNA OPEN YOUR EYES!!! UPSIDEdown B.B.B.J, GYMnastic BOOBS Bangering.

We are located in an upscale building at Yonge and Steeles, and have warm shower and clean towels available for you. Looking forward to meeting you at your Second Home Away From Home!!!!
3 Ns: NEVER RUSH! NEVER UPSELL! NEVER DISAPPOINT YOU!!!!!!

Single: $100/30 min & $180/60 min Duos: $180/30 min


100%Real pic if not you will get anything for free
We are available for G.r.e.e.k and C.u.m.m.i.n.g In M.o.u.t.h for Special

I dunno, you think they might be having sex for money? ;)

[Buckwheat]

This is exactly why i buy all my pussy on eBay!

[EmporerEJ]

ummmm... got some First Amendment issues here.. Im betting this is a political stunt and the good Sheriff of Nottingham Tom Dart is going to be running for office shortly on the "Im tough on crime" ticket.

Lets see this one get by a Rule 12(b) Motion....

Michael

www.AdultBizLaw.com (http://www.AdultBizLaw.com)
www.2257Safe.com (http://www.2257Safe.com)


Yea, that's what I was thinking when I first saw this. Didn't we already fight this fight, a couple years ago, with a different subject?

And on Sheriff tough guy, I think you're dead on the nuts. Biggest thing in small government....balance budgets.
So, "tough on crime, and I make the CRIMINALS PAY" gets many, many votes in small town USA. The timing is just a little too close for any other interpretation.

[RawAlex]

I think you will find that solicitation for prostitution isn't a protected free speech. It is very obvious that the ads in this part of craigslist are for sexual services, all the fancy code words (I like the ones that ask for a "donation" instead of payment, and then tell you what the donation has to be). Free Speech isn't entirely all that free.

You also have to look back a bit further - Cragislist made an agreement with the state AG to better police the ads, but it appears they are not doing it. So at some point, they opened themselves up for this one.

[EmporerEJ]

Here is an example from the Toronto Craigslist ads:



I dunno, you think they might be having sex for money? ;)


I don't care...when can they schedule me in?

:yowsa:

[softball]

Same old excuses by an online company "we pull the innappropriate ads when notified" is pretty much like saying "we ain't looking unless you rub our noses in it".

It never stops with the online world.

What, exactly is your point and why should they stop? Its not like they are stealing content or doing anything more immoral than anyone posting here. Do you have a problem with craigslist or any number of escort review sites out there?
I certainly don't. The waste of time here is this sheriff. Blaming the messenger is like blaming a vehicle for a speeding violation.

[gonzo]

--arstechnica.com

The number of Erotic Services listings on Craigslist have gone down so significantly over the last 12 months that the company describes the results as "spectacular." The news comes less than a week after the Cook County Sheriff's Department filed a lawsuit against the company for facilitating prostitution, but Craigslist insists that it's doing more than enough to fight illegal activity.

Craigslist has seen a "spectacular" drop in Erotic Services listings since it began implementing various verification methods in 2008, the company said this week. In five major cities across the US—Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles—the drop has ranged between 90 and 95 percent over the last 12 months, and the remaining ads are "much improved" in their compliance with both Craigslist Terms of Use and local laws.

According to a post made on the official Craigslist blog, the company continues to work closely with law enforcement across the country to arrest those engaged in "the horrific crimes of human trafficking and exploitation of minors." Additionally, the revenue generated from Erotic Services listings is earmarked for donation to charity, which Craigslist says will begin "soon."

The news comes less than a week after the Cook County Sheriff's Department in Chicago sued Craigslist for facilitating prostitution. Sheriff Thomas Dart said in a news conference that his department had been making arrest after arrest due to Craigslist, leading to his lawsuit seeking the closure of the Erotic Services section of the site, as well as a reimbursement of $100,000 for the costs involved in pursuing Craigslist-related prostitution cases over the past year.

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster [pictured] said he was "mystified" by the lawsuit. He said that Craigslist had met in 2007 with the Cook County Sheriff's Department to discuss the purposes of the Erotic Services section, and that "inexplicably, Sheriff Dart apparently bypassed the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and filed this complaint through a private law firm." Buckmaster said that he planned to vigorously defend Craigslist against the lawsuit.

This suit was filed despite Craigslist's efforts to clean up its act, including a November 2008 agreement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Attorneys General of 40 states to implement a number of protective measures. In addition to a new phone verification system launched in March 2008, Craigslist began requiring credit card verification for each listing in the Erotic Services section. These two measures were meant to make posters more accountable for their listings, as Craigslist could blacklist phone numbers or credit cards that had posted "inappropriate" ads in the past. As a result, the company has apparently seen a dramatic drop in Erotic Services listings, which, of course, was the goal.

Clearly, a drop of 90 to 95 percent in major US cities is a positive development, but it's not enough for those who want Erotic Services closed altogether. Those people seem to believe that if that section of the site is gone, prostitution listings on Craigslist will cease to exist—a faulty assumption, as the reason it exists in the first place is to pull those listings out of other, less-regulated parts of the site.

Craigslist is trying to make it clear to the public that it's working hard to reduce illegal activity as much as possible, though Buckmaster noted that the company can't be held liable for content posted by its users. This much is true: section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has protected Craigslist in the past when it came to discriminatory housing ads, and would likely protect it again over prostitution listings.

[gonzo]

--Kansas City Star

Federal prosecutors in Kansas City this afternoon detailed their first-in-the-country use of a commercial sex trafficking law to go after would-be customers instead of those selling minors for sex.

Seven men, including four indicted by a federal grand jury today, now have been charged since Operation Guardian Angel began earlier this year.

The men allegedly responded to online ads placed by investigators offering 11 and 15-year-old girls for sex. Authorities arrested the men after each traveled to an undercover location to meet a girl.

The operation is a partnership between federal agencies and Kansas City and Independence police departments as part of the human trafficking rescue project.

Those charged face minimum sentences of 10 or 15 years in federal prison and could face up to life.

The defendants include an active duty recruiter for the U.S. Navy, a local businessman, a truck driver and a finance manager at a Mississippi auto dealership.

The first indictments were handed down last month against three Kansas men: Steven E. Mikoloyck, 47, of Overland Park; Ryan S. Doerr, 33, of Silver Lake, near Topeka; and Jimmy “Steven” Johnson, 22, of Olathe.

The attorney representing Mikoloyck and Johnson did not respond to an interview request. Doerr’s lawyer declined to comment while the case is pending.

Shane A. Childers, 32, assigned to the U.S. recruiting office in Lenexa, was charged in a complaint filed Friday. The Mississippi man, Christopher M. Cockrell, 33, was charged Monday. Childers did not yet have an attorney, according to court records, and the attorney representing Cockrell did not respond to an interview request.

A grand jury indicted both of those men today along with two others: Steven C. Albers, 40 of Kansas City and Richard J. Oflyng, 31, of Ottawa, Kan.

Investigators said that after placing the ads on Craigslist they were “inundated” with responses.

According to court documents filed to support charges against Cockrell and Childers, undercover officers received e-mail responses allegedly from both within minutes of posting an ad last Thursday.

The documents detail e-mail exchanges and phone conversations between the men and undercover officers in which they discuss the ages of the girls, how much it would cost for various sex acts and where to go to meet them.

When the men requested photographs of the girls, authorities sent pictures of actual law enforcement officers when they were 11 or 15, according to the documents.

Childers, who was wearing part of his Navy uniform, was arrested Thursday after he arrived at undercover residence in Kansas City. He allegedly had arranged to have sex with the 11-year-old girl for $80.

After his arrest, he told police that he intended to “save the girl” and get her out of the house, but then admitted that he had intended to have sex with her, according to the court documents.

Cockrell allegedly agreed to pay $60 for 30 minutes with the 15-year-old and said he would pay an additional $20 if he didn’t use a condom.

Officers provided an address for him in Kansas City. On Sunday afternoon Cockrell parked his pickup truck in the driveway and was greeted at the door by an undercover investigator.

Once inside, he allegedly handed the officer $100 and told him to keep the change. After being arrested, he admitted that he had intended to have sex with the 15-year-old girl who he believed was a runaway who was being “pimped out,” the court documents allege.
----------------------------------------
[forshadowing alert]
Guys who pimp out chicks in this business to pay their bills and perputrate their GFY "street cred" are closer than you think [/foreshadow]

[boobman]

150roses, LOL I like the verbage here

[RawAlex]

The number of Erotic Services listings on Craigslist have gone down so significantly over the last 12 months that the company describes the results as "spectacular." The news comes less than a week after the Cook County Sheriff's Department filed a lawsuit against the company for facilitating prostitution, but Craigslist insists that it's doing more than enough to fight illegal activity.

I always love shit like this. Craigslist could work backwards on this one, raising the price and requiring ads be pre screened before being posted in these sections. They don't. They are doing what all dishonest web companies do, they fudge it and say "gee, the volume is so big we can't do much".

In this regard, they are lying sacks of shit. They don't want to give up the huge traffic to the site they are getting from these ads. That traffic is what in part justifies the rates paid by companies in other sections.

[Donfoolio]

pure insanity. not to mention prostitution should be 100% legal world wide...

even though it would hurt this business, I would just move into pimping full time :D

[RawAlex]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/craigslist.erotic.services.2.1008592.html

CL gives in, erotic ads to disappear

[tony404]

I wonder if they have to drop that section.How much of a drop in traffic will they get?

[gonzo]

I wonder if they have to drop that section.How much of a drop in traffic will they get?

Im sure there are people praying they dont.

Hard to make payments on a new truck if you can't suck off a few guys on the side.

[sarettah]

Im sure there are people praying they dont.

Hard to make payments on a new truck if you can't suck off a few guys on the side.

So, that's how stinkfingerz is is paying for it. http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?t=904837

I kind of wondered about that. :yowsa:

[RawAlex]

I think that is what the extended cab is for, so you have space to "stretch out and work".

[Hell Puppy]

You can haul a shitload of aluminum cans and copper tubing from old appliances in something like that.