Dangers of Craigslist sex ads

Update II: on police Craiglist sting:

Arcadia California police claim they don’t regularly monitor Craigslist but, “”it was just that one of our guys had heard from somebody else that there was this kind of activity on Craigslist.”  Really?  Just heard recently about this?  So police met a couple of women in hotels including a 13 year old and made arrests. 

“We’ve done things in the past with Craigslist and with Facebook,” Caputo said. “I can think, going way back before Craigslist, of us dealing with a prostitute who had her own Web site.”

Update on Craigslist crime:

Arrests made in Tennessee of a couple running an escort service via Craigslist. 

Another Craigslist related story: teenagers in Michigan advertise a free non-existant baby on Craigslist complete with photo taken off a website. 

Finally, there is the story of Craigslist robberies, what can’t you do through Craigslist?   In this case a man advertises gift cards and cell phones on Craigslist and then when people show up to purchase the advertised goods, the man pulls out a gun and robs them of….cell phones that he posts for sale on Craigslist!

CrimeNe.ws is a blog that follows Craigslist sex ad crimes and crackdown. They posted a story about a typical Craigslist sex for pay transaction involving a man who ran for the assembly in New York. He got violent with the woman offering him an “exotic body rub” because she refused him the full massage when he told her didn’t have enough cash.

CrimeNe.ws ends the story of a paid sexual encounter gone wrong as follows:

“The danger to not only the johns but also for the working girls continues unabated on craigslist no matter what measures craigslist puts in place. Only the complete removal of the erotic services section would be effective in cutting down on these crimes.”

First, why is it “Craigslist” that is the cause of the problem?  Aren’t there plenty of websites and other ways people can engage in prostitution?  Has Craigslist truly increased these kinds of crimes?

Ex-Assembly candidate charged with attempted criminal sexual act

Tags: Craigslist, sex ads, sex crime