Implausible and unbelieveable

February 3, 2012

1–2 minutes

Backpage, human trafficking, Village Voice Media

Suthers Demands Website Drops Sex Service Ads:

This is an article about Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and how he wants Backpage to remove their adult ads. Same old posturing from Village Voice Media but there’s a quote in this article that I would like to show you that shows how attorneys operate on an entirely different plane than real people.

First Amendment attorney Tom Kelley, who does not represent Backpage.com, says they have protection under the Constitution and through communication laws.

“Unless it can be shown that the criminal activity is so blatantly advertised that denial of knowledge of what is going on is just implausible, unbelievable,” Kelley said.

I went to my local Backpage under the escort section and this is the first ad I found…

IM SUPER SEXXI AND SUPER SUBMISSIVE…IM HOTT,READII,AND WAITING FOR YOU.. ABOUT ME:: *ClEaN *DiScReT & CoNfIdEnTiAl •MY DONATIONS-NON~NEGOTIABLE

***CALL NOW!!!!***HURRY SPL WONT LAST LONG DONT MISS OUT!!!

AVAIL.NOW **ATTN** SPLS FOR INCALLS ONLY!!!!

The ad is accompanied by pictures of a woman in lingerie.

How can anyone not say that this isn’t blatant? I would say that it would be implausible for Backpage to deny what is obviously going on. Do they think she’s having incalls for cooking classes? Or is she a submissive yoga instructor?

Yet badly outdated laws like the 1996 Communications Decency Act allow Backpage to continue to make money from what is obviously and blatantly prostitution and human trafficking. There are supposed to be laws that protect the victims but in this society, you can see which of the two laws takes precedence.

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14 responses to “Implausible and unbelieveable”

gelfling

February 4, 2012 at 2:21 pm

You know what, though? Craigslist has proof that women advertising on there are being nabbed up and murdered in the Long Island area, possibly by a serial killer, and they’re not even making an effort to monitor postings.

One thing I’ve been considering is people living in high crime areas filing class action lawsuits against sites like that. Of course they wouldn’t win but they’d get so many fame-hungry attorneys lining up on Good Morning America and the like, MAKING this a public issue. A media circus is the only thing that will make enough people pay enough attention to start demanding change.

Reply
1. Trench Reynolds
  
  February 6, 2012 at 7:34 pm
  
  The problem is that backpage isn’t as well known as craigslist so people think that it’s not that big of a deal.
  
  Reply
  1. shannie
    
    February 6, 2012 at 9:06 pm
    
    Maybe it’s just me, and the people I know but I have always thought of Backpage as being worse then CL when it came to sex services and such..Like CL’s crack addicted little brother with herpes.
    
    Reply
    1. Trench Reynolds
      
      February 6, 2012 at 9:09 pm
      
      That is the most awesome way of putting it.
      
      Reply
Forever damaged

February 5, 2012 at 3:46 pm

My minor child was advertised and sold on backpage and even though the sick person who commited this horrible crime was prosecuted and put in prison, I feel justice has only been half served. Backpage continues to commit the same crimes against children with no fear of ever being reprimanded. If people really cared about making a difference in the way children are exploited online, they would seek to change the cda230. Why is this not the top priority for the attorney generals, mayors, governors and federal officials who claim to be against backpage and all other sites that facilitate crime of this nature. Backpage will never stop, the money from selling humans is too great and they have federal protection. They assisted in the sale of my child and got paid for it. Are they not as guilty as the johns and the pimps?

Reply
1. Trench Reynolds
  
  February 6, 2012 at 7:36 pm
  
  In my eyes they are unfortunately they’re ‘protected’ by an antiquated internet law.
  
  Reply
shannie

February 6, 2012 at 9:37 am

You know what, gelfling? (love the name by the way!) You have a good idea, I don’t how it would pan out or if it would even fly but damn it sure would get support and would make news. I am from NYC and Long Island, even if the missing escorts families were to file a lawsuit against CL would make news. I don’t know if they’ve tried or waiting on more evidence…Shannen Gilberts case was found to be unrelated to the other bodies they discovered, which they never would have if it wasn’t for her family and the common link of selling sex threw Craiglist..

Reply
1. Trench Reynolds
  
  February 6, 2012 at 7:37 pm
  
  While prostitution and trafficking is still happening on craigslist focus also needs to be placed on backpage as well. Especially considering its owned by Village Voice Media who used to be a voice for the defenseless.
  
  Reply
  1. shannie
    
    February 6, 2012 at 8:51 pm
    
    I totally agree, Backpage needs to have the light shined on them as well…I was just using the others posters example to say how a class action suit could possibly bring awareness and hopefully change to the way these people are being exploited…I just recently started reading your blog on Craiglist crime, I like what you’re doing.
    
    Reply
    1. Trench Reynolds
      
      February 6, 2012 at 9:09 pm
      
      Thank you.
      
      Reply
      1. shannie
        
        February 6, 2012 at 9:41 pm
        
        Welcome, keep up the good work.
Cody

February 24, 2012 at 11:56 pm

Trench, I went to my local backpage site, and if that isn’t prostitution I don’t know what is. I have a buddy that hooked up with a chick from across the country off of craigslist, then a few months later him and his buddies called a hooker from craigslist (or some other site) and sent her to his neighbor’s house as a joke. My point is these sites promote prostitution and not a damn thing is being done about it, which you already know.

Reply
1. Trench Reynolds
  
  February 24, 2012 at 11:59 pm
  
  What’s worse is that there are a lot of people out there who still don’t think that it’s a big deal.
  
  Reply
Cody

February 25, 2012 at 12:07 am

Some of those people are positions of power, and still don’t see these “pimps” for what they are, monsters who prey on young girls.

Reply