Police Crack Down on Craigslist Sex Industry

You can find lots and lots of things for sale on Craigslist.org -- everything from electronics to used mattresses. You can also find people offering sex for money, a form of digitally arranged prostitution that police are just now beginning to crack down on. Officers around the country are not only pursuing the people that are offering sex services, they're also taking a page from Dateline's 'To Catch a Predator' series and setting up fake Craigslist ads to catch the guys who solicit sex workers.
And just as Craigslist makes it easy to find nearly anything you could ever want, it's also made it easier for police to catch these "Johns." Police statistics are showing that they're now arresting more prostitutes and would-be Johns via Craigslist than they are through traditional stings. For example, Cook County, Illinois, sheriffs department raids this past July nabbed 43 streetwalkers and 60 Craigslist posters. A single ad in Jacksonville, Florida, netted 33 Johns while another in Seattle grabbed 71.
For his part, Craigslist president Jim Buckmaster says there's not much the company's staff of 20 can do to police these ads, while Craigslist founder Craig Newmark did not comment. So, for now it seems the sex industry will continue to flourish in the land of Craig, arrests and all.
From New York Times
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Comments
26
Subscribe to commentsScott SmallApr 7th 2008 2:38PM
Lori Lamb: Why do you think prostitutes and their customers should be locked up? If you don't like dealing with those people, you surely don't have to. But why should a society punish a person with a service to sell or a person who wants to pay for it in a private transaction? And if your only objection is that a law is being broken, it's not like all laws are fair or just. Bad laws need to be changed ... it used to be legal to hit women or two own slaves.
mattApr 7th 2008 2:58PM
Lori Lamb: How is it your business what these mature adults do with their lives? What they do doesn't affect you so you shoul F-CK off you loser
CelluliteQueen.comApr 7th 2008 4:18PM
Move to Nevada... prostitution is legal there!!
www.CelluliteQueen.com
Teach2Apr 7th 2008 6:10PM
Prostitution should be legal. It cannot be prevented. The government should make laws requiring safe sex and monitoring for STDs and AIDS.At least that will protect the innocent wives who get the illnesses but have none of the fun This industry should also be taxed BIG TIME.
BAMAApr 7th 2008 6:39PM
REMEMBER DEOMOCRACY?
KINDA NICE, WASN'T IT?
Chris MohneyApr 9th 2008 10:59PM
Should law enforcement be wasting their time chasing consenting adults? Probably not, the issue is when those adults may be linked to human trafficing, drugs and racketeering. Truth to tell most "providers" probably don't want to legalize it either as they would then have to get a license, pay taxes and all the rest. The scary part is that the "providers" and their "clients" by playing opposite the law leave themselves very vulnerable to other people seeking to take advantage of them. If an escort is beeten up what is she going to tell the police and will they really be concerned, probably not. If a client gets robbed or worse he doesn't really have any place to turn either. The bottom line is that it is very hard to enforce "morality" laws. Does anyone remember prohibition, basically one group should never be able to force their values on another by writing it into law.
ToddApr 8th 2008 3:23PM
Ok .. so I take a woman out to eat, then to the movies, then for a night cap ....hopefull it would end up back at my place for a little one on one action and of course i paid for the whole night....WHAT the hell is the differance. At least if i give a woman 50 bucks and i get some we are both happy ...rather than paying for all that crap just to end up with my cok in my hand ......
RayApr 8th 2008 4:50PM
I'm glad that the people that frequent these sites and any other establishments that have this kind of entertainment have a place to go. Better that they have an out let then be preying on someones child on the street or someones wife in a mall parking lot.
Mr. TApr 8th 2008 5:47PM
They aren't paying for the sex. They are paying for her to go home afterward. Otherwise it's just a date.
pipelayer413Apr 8th 2008 7:20PM
down here in daytona beach they arrested 7 hookers off craigs list..one hooker showed up with her husband and kids in the car..mommy turns tricks while they wait in the car..good role model huh..they watched mommy hauled off to jail..whats this world coming too..billary clinton trying to become president these are the people voting for her..
DaveApr 9th 2008 11:02AM
Vote Libertarian and this type of nonsense wouldn't exist.
To the government I say "Stay out of my bedroom, my boardroom and my bloodstream".
comaApr 9th 2008 12:53PM
My guess is it's ok for the government to break laws that we are to follow. Use to be a law against ENTRAPMENT! To catch killers...hardcore criminals I could understand. We are still free to an extent...as long as the government and all our neighbors feel that what we are doing is ok.
emory lamarApr 9th 2008 2:15PM
a quick fix would be to get rid of the "erotic" and "adult" sections. obviously craigslist isn't trying too hard to address the problem.
Michael KApr 9th 2008 1:53PM
OOOHHH...THE COPS BUSTED "JOHNS"!!!! WOW, I'M IMPRESSED. I WISH I COULD MOVE TO EUROPE, WHERE SEX FOR 'SALE' AND MARIJUANA USE IS OK. LAND OF THE FREE HUH? OVER 1 MILLION IN JAIL OR PRISON FOR NON VIOLENT POT SMOKING OR A LITTLE CARNAL PLEASURE. LEAVE PRISON FOR VIOLENT SCUM.
Gary VocksSep 5th 2007 4:18PM
What a waste of tax dollars for the cops to spend their time and resources busting consenting adults for sex--even if it is for pay!
joeJan 22nd 2009 4:34AM
LMFAO why is porn legal but being a whore isn't ? its the same thing sex for $ ill tell u why... the porn industry is taxed b/c the girls/guys are 10-99 they pay taxes !! whores on the street get the $ tax free that's why being a whore is illegal the f**king government doesn't get their cut plain and simple !
Philip RichardsNov 21st 2007 5:30AM
Prostitution is reportedly the 'oldest business'
in the world. As long as there are live human beings there will always be adults who seek sex for pay. In my opinion, what an individual does in private is nobody else's business. Police should have NO authority to invade a private,
personal meeting ! ! ! ! !
THE JUDGE...
RICH SANTANANov 21st 2007 2:59PM
PROSTITUTION SHOULD BECOME LEGAL-ITS A CONSENT SEX BETWEEN 2 ADULTS , IN LAS VEGAS THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT TO HIV TESTS AND AND SOME PARTS IN EUROPE TOO! In the Netherland the crime rate is very low compare to U.S.A AND PROSTITUTION IS LEGAL-THE PROSTITUTES. COPS SHOULD FOCUS ON MURDERS, KIDNAPPING , CHILD PREDATORS.SEX IS SEX ITS PLEASURE. BUT IF IT BECOMES LEGAL I AM FOR SAFE SEX AND ADVOCATE TO HIV AND OTHER VENERIAL DESEASES AND USE OF CONDOMS BY JOHNS AND ALL UNDER THE LAW AND SIGN IN AGREEMENTS-PARALEGAL STUDENT-RICH SANTAN
AND BY THE WAY I HAVE A SUGAR DADDY 4 MILLION DOLLARS ASETT GENTLEMEN AND TREATS ME VERY VERY ELL- A PROUD MALE PROSTITUTE THAT IS STUDYING PARALEGAL TO WORK FOR A CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER-MY GOAL! PLEASE HAVE SAFE SEX AND USE CONDOMS!!
Lori LambNov 21st 2007 4:33PM
GOOD! It's about time these whores were taken off the streets and off line. Since when is it okay to offer sex for "250 Roses" and the cops don't take that as selling your ass? Roses my sweet white heiney! These broads need to be locked up and so do the fools who buy their services.
Jason BrowneNov 21st 2007 4:41PM
I think its disgusting that the states and federal goverment would waste taxe dollars on this! We are fightting two wars right now and this is there main concern? And i would bet these crooekd politicans are the biggest users of craigslist erotic services section. Hypocrisy at its best my fellow americans