CNN today presses Craig Newmark on the “adult services” ads that throng Craigslist:
Sold on Craigslist: Critics say sex ad crackdown inadequate
“Most of the young women we’ve worked with who have been exploited online talk about Craigslist,” said Andrea Powell of the anti-trafficking group The FAIR Fund. “Craigslist is like the Wal-Mart of online sex trafficking right now in this country.”
…A 20-year-old identified only as “Jessica” works out of low-rent hotels on Washington’s busy Interstate 95 corridor. She posts ads mid-morning for $10 and says she earns up to $250 from each man who answers and shows up. She told CNN her “man” — her pimp — was good to her, but that the vast majority of the females who post ads are run by pimps who force them to have sex with as many as a dozen men a day.
She said many of the prostitutes give everything they earn directly to the pimps. If they don’t, they’re beaten…
According to internet research firm the AIM Group, Craigslist this year is expected to earn a third of its revenue — more than $36 million — from its adult services section alone.
See also:
The Rebecca Project: “Dear Craig” (6/4/10)
Craig, I am MC. I was first forced into prostitution when I was 11 years old by a 28 year-old man. I am not an exception. The man who trafficked me sold many girls my age, his house was called “Daddy Day Care”. All day, me and other girls sat with our laptops, posting pictures and answering ads on Craigslist, he made $1,500 a night selling my body, dragging me to Los Angeles, Houston, Little Rock–and one trip to Las Vegas in the trunk of a car.
YouTube Video: “The Rebecca Project”
Yahoo! News: “Craigslist faces new prostitution investigation” (5/4/10)
Online Media Daily: “Craigslist Claims Fewer ‘Erotic Services’ Ads Due To New Listing Requirements, Defends Against Sheriff’s Lawsuit”
New York Times: “7 Accused of Using Craigslist for Prostitution” (5/20/09)
Attorneys General Press Craigslist about Ads for Prostitution and Other Illegal Activities (5/4/09)
“Craigslist is allowing advertisements for illegal activities like prostitution on its site,” Koster said. “It is blatant. It is irresponsible. It is illegal.
New York Times: “As Prostitutes Turn to Craigslist, Law Takes Notice”