Craigslist pledges to fight prostitution ads

Under the watchful eye of law enforcement in Idaho and about 40 other states, Craigslist pledged Thursday to crack down on ads for prostitution on its Web sites.

As part of Craigslist’s agreement with attorneys general around the country, anyone who posts an “erotic services” ad will be required to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The Web site will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.

Jim Buckmaster, Craigslist’s CEO, said the deal will allow legitimate escort services to continue advertising, while providing a strong disincentive to companies that are conducting illegal business.

“We don’t view it as a penalty, we view it as raising the accountability,” he said. “A legitimate business should have no problem with that. They should have no problem providing a phone number or credit card credentials.” Craigslist filed lawsuits this week against 14 software and Internet companies that help people who post erotic service ads to circumvent the Web site’s defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity.

Craigslist, which posts 30 million ads every month for everything from apartment rentals to jobs in hundreds of cities, will also begin using new search technology in an effort to help authorities find missing children and victims of human trafficking.

Bob Cooper, spokesman for Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, said that although the state does not prosecute such cases, there was merit in joining the effort to quash such ads.

“We don’t necessarily think (the erotic ads) are any sort of a public service,” he said.

Police across the country have been arresting people for using Web sites like Craigslist to advertise the sexual services of women and children.

In August, Boise police arrested two men on charges of interstate trafficking for prostitution after police received a tip that a female teen had been brought to Boise from the Seattle area for prostitution. Officers determined that the men had advertised the teen on Craigslist.

Last week, a Boise woman agreed to testify against her ex-boyfriend in a case where police say the couple gave methamphetamine to a 15-year-old girl so they could have sex with her, take pictures and advertise the girl on Craigslist.

“If Craigslist can be more self-regulating, it may reduce the number of citizen complaints this agency gets,” said Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower.

Craigslist is not the only online site that officers have investigated, Hightower said.

“The dark side of the Internet must be stopped from eclipsing its immense potential for good,” said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who brokered the agreement.

He added: “I am fully convinced that Craigslist wants to stop this activity as much as we do.”

Buckmaster said the agreement does not cover Craigslist’s personal ads, where prostitutes have been found advertising for “dates.” But he said the San Francisco-based company has been working with authorities on that issue and on cutting down on the sale of stolen merchandise on its sites.

“We are experimenting with telephone verification in those sections,” he said. “We don’t have any plans to use credit card verification in that section currently. But this partnership is going to be active in that area as well, anywhere where crime does or could occur.”

Breaking News Editor Kathryn Sosbe contributed.

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