Craigslist caves to AG pressure

Does anyone think this will really curb prostitution?

“Craigslist, the Web’s largest classified advertising site, said on Wednesday that it would close its erotic services category, which critics have said is a forum that fosters prostitution and other illegal activities.

To replace it, the company has created a category called adult services, in which postings will be reviewed by employees who will look for indications of activity that is illegal or violates the site’s guidelines. The erotic services category would be deleted next Wednesday, Craigslist said.

Craigslist has been under increasing pressure from officials in several states, as violent crimes involving people who had made contact through the site made national headlines. But the changes did not appear to go far enough to satisfy everyone in the growing ranks of Craigslist’s detractors.”

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AGs aren’t suing phone co. for aiding prostitution

I like this argument as to why these suits against Craiglist are ridiculous:

“Craigslist’s very defensible position in a nut shell is… they tell people that they cannot use their site to engage in illegal activities, when people flag them for doing so they take their ads down, they can’t be held responsible for the fact that they can’t stop them completely. People use the phone to arrange prostitution engagements but the South Carolina AG isn’t suing the cellphone carriers to stop them.”

Posting courtsey Clarion Content:

Craigslist negiotating with AGs over sex ads

Looks like they are running a bit scared:

“Three state attorneys general plan to meet with Craigslist representatives to begin negotiations toward eliminating advertisements from the site for prostitution and other suspected illegal sexual activities.

State attorneys general from Missouri, Illinois, and Connecticut will represent a group of state attorneys general in a meeting Tuesday in New York City with representatives of the Web site.”

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Craigslist prostitution lawsuit

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart’s lawsuit against Craigslist, wanting to shut down its escort service struck me as stupid.  Wendy Davis of MediaPost blog has a more polite but similiar take.  His lawsuit isn’t just stupid it has little chance of going anywhere.  I guess the Sheriff was looking for some headlines.

Sheriff sues Craigslist to ban erotic services

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart called Craigslist, “the single largest source of prostitution in the nation.”  How dumb is that?  Craigslist isn’t a source of prostitution, its a media outlet that allows prostitutes to advertise effectively.  Its like saying that television ads for automobiles are the single largest source for automobiles.  Huh?  If we banned car companies from advertising on television, we would stop people from buying cars.

Yes, before Craigslist, there was virtually no prostitution.  In fact, didn’t that word get invented with the rise of Craigslist?

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Women utilizing Craigslist sex ads

Update:  Ohio 4th grade school teacher skipped out on a half day of work to trick in a nearby motel.  Police set up a sting by answering her Craigslist ad.

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A TV station in North Carolina noticed an increasing number of sex ads on Craigslist and decided to investigate.  They talked with a woman named “Kelly” who has been advertising on Craigslist for years and makes between $1.5 and $2k a week.  Her clients included government officials including a police officer.  She says, “[men] could be to their last $200 in the bank and they would give it to me.”

A local police chief was asked in the article if prostitution is a victimless crime and he said,

“Someone always gets hurt. There is a spouse involved, there is a child involved. There is money being exchanged. Just like for drugs. There’s money being taken out of a home to purchase services that needs to be placed in a home. There’s never a victimless crime.”

Couldn’t that quote be applied to divorce?  Why not make that illegal?

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Prostitutes, Craigslist & the Superbowl

Tampa police are expecting more than mere tourists in Tampa this weekend.  As a result the police will be quite active; they will frequent the usual gather places as well as massage parlors and “asian” (rascist?) spas.”  The article doesn’t mention that the police will answer Craigslist sex ads as part of the operation but there is no question that they are Internet savvy.

“These events draw large numbers of ladies into town. We know because we see gigantic a uptake in internet activity. The ladies post they’re coming into town,” says Bartlett.

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Prostitution in my neighborhood?

Residents of a quiet neighborhood in Albany New York were “shocked” to learn that police busted a prostitution ring in their community by monitoring Craigslist sex ads (see post).  The reason its so shocking?  Let Kevin Leyhane explain,

“That’s kind of shocking in this kind of neighborhood because like you said the park is here.. It’s a nice neighborhood everyone is very friendly,”

Maybe too friendly?

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More Craigslist “sex for sale” busts

Update: May 28, 2009

Nine in St. Mary’s Arrested After Sting Linked to Craigslist

Update: May 25, 2009

7 Arrested In NYC Craigslist Prostitution Ring

May 2, 2009

Hawaii police cruising Craigslist, other sites to nab prostitution

Update: May 1, 2009

Warren County Sheriffs arrest 8 women for prostitution by monitoring Craiglist

Update: April 30, 2009

Police, Former Prostitute Urge Sex Workers: Stay Off Craigslist

Update: April 29, 2009

Ex-Republican candidate caught in Craigslist sex ad sting

Update: April 29, 2009

Attorneys General Ramp Up Misguided Attacks On Craigslist

I agree with the author of this article in terms it not making sense for law enforcement to close down Craigslist escort ads but also believe that  police should focus more on the real crimes rather than arresting people for having sex for money in motel rooms.

Update: April 25, 2009

Texas sisters arrested for Craigslist prostitution

Update: April 24, 2009

Craigslist death renews calls for limiting sex ads

Update: April 21, 2009

Craigslist Killer Suspect Called ‘Predator’

Update: April 20,2009

Kent woman accused of advertising prostitute on Craigslist

Update: April 19, 2009

Link possible between attacks on women advertising on Craigslist in Warwick and Boston

Update: April 16, 2009

21 Arrests in Craigslist Prostitution Sting

Update: April 15, 2009

Alleged craigslist prostitute had stolen a puppy

Update: April 14, 2009

Oshkosh woman accused of running home prostitution business

Update: April 13, 2009

South Brunswick police accuse two women of advertising prostitution on Craigslist

“Staff at the hotel had reported their suspicions in part because of a “significant flow of male visitors,” a department release said.”

Update: April 12, 2009

Woman Who Answered Police Sting Arrested, Portsmouth Police Say

Update: April 11, 2009

Moraine Clerk Of Council Faces Sex Charge

Update: April 10, 2009

Woodbury man arrested for using Craigslist to promote prostitution

Update: April 10, 2009

Jacksonville police to put “an end” to online sex ads

 Update: April 9, 2009

 

Fort Worth vice police being kept busy by explosion of ads online

 “There’s just more fish than you can catch.”

Update: April 8, 2009

Cop spends day looking at Craiglist for illegal activity

Upate: April 5, 2009

Craigslist Prostitute ‘Miss Red’ Arrested In Winder

Update: April 5, 2009

Kittery Maine police investigate report of prostitution ring, one arrested

Update: April 4, 2009

Elder half of mother-daughter Craigslist team pleads guilty to promoting prostitution

Update: April 3, 2009

Broken Arrow, police arrested three women for soliciting sex on Craigslist

Update: March 31, 2009

Two women charged with prostitution in Westport CT after Craigslist post

Update: March 29, 2009

Florida drug agents crack down on prostitution via Craigslist

Update: March 28, 2009

NYPD Cuts Back on Craigslist Vice Investigations

Update: March 27, 2009

Craigslist arrest leads to Seattle gang charged with prostitution

Update: March 24, 2009

Craigslist Sex Sting Nets 4 Arrests in Indiana

Update: March 23, 2009

Westchester County Craigslist Prostitution Task Force Busts 2 More

Update: March 21, 2009

Couple arrested in Craigslist prostitution sting

Update: March 21, 2009

Nearly 100 men arrested in police prostitution ploy

The ad included a photo of an undercover officer, fully clothed, advertising “full-service” massages for $150 an hour.

Update: March 18, 2009

Craigslist pimp pleads guilty to delivering minor to New Orleans

Update: March 16, 2009

Craigslist helps police arrest 3 in prostitution bust in Louisville

Update: March 12, 2009

Claiming ad isn’t prostitution won’t prevent arrest

Women in her ad stated that,

“Anything else that may occur is between consenting adults,” the 25-year-old blond-haired woman stated in her ad. She stipulated that once customers contact her by phone or e-mail, “you agree to these terms and hereby agree that you are not part of any agency using this advertisement for entrapment.” 

Nice try.

Update: March 8, 2009

Officer arrests 8 in prostitution stingIn Henrico VA, the officers used Craigslist to track down suspects.

 

Bowling Green “shocked” that people use Craigslist for prostitution

Are these people that out of it or just want to pretend to be out of it?

Update: March 7, 2009

Omaha Craigslist sex ad bust

Favorite quote: “The hope is, that by the enforcement activities, they will be a deterrence of criminal activity,”  Right, these crime fighters are track to end prostitution in our lifetimes!

Update: March 4, 2009

Ohio police bust prostitution ring

Update: Feb. 28, 2009

Santa Monica Cops using Internet to bust prostitutes

Update: Feb. 24, 2009

Four charged in Craigslist prostitution sting

“The Police Department’s Narcotics and Vice Unit set up a reverse sting operation Saturday in which undercover officers called the telephone numbers on ads in the Erotic section of Craigslist, police said.”

Update: Feb. 22, 2009

Craigslist-based prostitution sting nets 5 arrests in Medford

“We feel we are doing these people a favor by conducting these prostitution sweeps,” George added. “It’s a dangerous way to make a living and is often tied into drugs and organized crime.”

Why do the cops need to justify these sting operations?  In almost all the articles on the subject there is a quote from a cop explaining how important these busts are.  I dare say they protest too much.

Loudoun County man arrested for running 400 women prostitution ring

Update: Feb. 21, 2009

Mother Daughter Craigslist escort team arrested in NY

Mother & Son arrested for running prostitution operation

Update: Feb 17, 2009

46 arrested in online prostitution sting in Osceola Florida

The cops spent four days on the Internet rounding people up.

Update: Feb. 12, 2009

Cops bragging about how easy it is set up Craigslist sting operations:

And here is another defensive quote of the value of arresting for prostitution:

“If you don’t believe that [prostitution is a serious crime] then you’ve never really seen the results up front, and up close. You don’t see the exploitation, the sexual harassment and the rapes that occur as a result of this activity,”

Guess what?  Sexual exploitation, harassment and rapes are all crimes and they don’t necessarily involve prostitution.

Update: Feb 4, 2009

Maine sting nets for prostitution (police answered Craiglist ads)

Raleigh woman arrested in prostitution ring  (police supposedly receive a tip that she was advertising on Craigslist)

Update: Feb. 3. 2009

New term coined: “Craigslist prostitute”

Find it in this story:

Man Robbed in Concord Craigslist Prostitution Robbery

Chillicothe man faces prostitution charge (sting set up through Craigslist)

Update: Jan. 30, 2009

 

10 arrested, both prostitutes and johns in Aurora Il through sex ads posted on Craigslist and Backpage.com.

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• Three people were arrested on Long Island for running Craigslist online escort services; two women for prostitution and one man for “promoting” prostitution.   Police answered the ladies ads and showed up the appointed time for their “date.”  (article)
• Seven arrested in prostitution sting out of Albany New York; a “promoter” and six of his ladies.  The promoter was quite concerned about being busted by the cops so he had a system to check the officer’s phone number and also check out his car but clearly his “system” wasn’t effective. (article)
• Two other escort services were also targeted through Craigslist and arrests were also made in the Albany area. (article)

Prostitute arrested after telling cops about her Craigslist ad

Maybe lying wouldn’t have helped this San Francisco prostitute who was spending some quality time in a Boston hotel entertaining clients she alerted to her presence through Craigslist.   Seems two of her prospective clients stole her laptop and wallet at gun-point.  When the police asked her how these men knew how to find her, she told them she had placed a sex ad on Craigslist and had already entertained one client for the evening.  At least make the cops work at their job.  Don’t make it so darn easy!

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