As the economy in North Fulton County continues to slide into the throws of recession, one profession, the oldest in history, is thriving. Only this time, it’s getting a boost from the nation’s most popular free commerce website: Craigslist.
On any given day, a casual North Side Craigslist surfer can find up to 100 listings for so called “providers” – the new name for old-fashioned prostitutes working their trade. Most of their “postings” are concentrated in Roswell, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs and Marietta – the affluent suburbs of Atlanta. Once relegated to the downtown hotel trade and concentrated in phone books, alternative weeklies like Creative Loafing, and seedy publications in dive bars, the “hooker” trade is now booming – thanks to Craigslist.
What’s worse, the so-called listings are not restricted. Anyone who has an Internet connection and a web browser can get in, click that they are over 18 years of age, and peruse the listings. Many of them are accompanied with explicit photographs. This is essentially free and unrestricted pornography that any minor with so much as a mobile phone can download and view without any parental supervision.
ILLINOIS SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HAS HAD ENOUGH
Taking the bull by the horns, Illinois Sheriff Tom Dart filed a federal lawsuit against Craigslist on March 5, saying the popular online Web site promotes and facilitates prostitution on a massive scale. And he wants to shut it down.
Dart wants Craigslist to eliminate its “erotic services” section, suggesting that many of the section's ads are blatant solicitations for prostitution. “Missing children, runaways, abused women and women trafficked in from foreign countries are routinely forced to have sex with strangers because they're being pimped on Craigslist,'' Dart said.
Dart asserted that his lawsuit follows repeated requests for Craigslist to shut down their “erotic services'' section. In recent weeks, Dart claimed one of his own officers – writing undercover as a 15-year-old girl – posted ads for sex on the site that generated responses from several people, including a convicted sex offender.
GEORGE FOCUSED ON KIDS
Alpharetta Public Safety Director Gary George concurs with the Illinois Sheriff’s approach. “I agree with Dart. That same scenario is now creeping into North Fulton,” George said. “Anything we can do to protect children from sexual exploitation, whether it be physical, emotional, mental or otherwise we need to aggressively pursue.” George added that the liberal posting policies of the popular website were beyond the pale. “We have undercover cops who scan and monitor these postings in Alpharetta every day looking for any indication of child exploitation or child pornography. That is our primary focus at this time,” George said. George acknowledged that catching a local “John” in the act was not his department’s main concern right now. “We are currently focusing our resources on ensuring the safety of our citizens and protecting our children,” he added.
A quick review over the weekend showed postings like “Teens for cash ... $100 quickie'' and “Are you looking to make some good money in this tough economy? Minimum pay is $25 per hour,” etc.
CRAIGSLIST: WHAT, ME WORRY?
Susan Best, a spokeswoman for San Francisco-based Craigslist, said the company cooperates with law enforcement and works diligently to prevent illegal use of the site. She said the company has taken such measures as placing prominent notices banning illegal activity and removing inappropriate ads. “Any misuse of the site is not tolerated by Craigslist,” Best said.
But these are empty words, as the company has no guidelines in place to remove sex for sale ads when they are posted and no restrictions to prevent minors from penetrating the “erotic” section at will.
Craigslist allows users to post classified ads and other items and, like many other sites, generally doesn't check the postings or remove them unless it receives complaints. Federal law offers broad immunity to service providers for content posted by users, as long as they respond to specific complaints.
Best said her company has not yet seen the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. If that is successful, the floodgates will open and a barrage of similar lawsuits is sure to follow by other law enforcement agencies. “It’s vile and disgusting, and it is embedded in an otherwise useful and respected site, which makes it that much more credible,” said one local detective who is not authorized to talk to the media.
So far “erotic services'” ads posted on Craigslist have resulted in several prostitution arrests nationwide.
Federal prosecutors charged a New York man in November with being a violent pimp who forced young girls and women into prostitution, alleging he advertised the services of women between the ages of 15 and 20. And in January, two Wisconsin women were charged with misdemeanor prostitution after allegedly offering sex for money in Craigslist ads.
Craigslist had reached an agreement in November with state attorney generals in Connecticut, Illinois and several other states that called for the company to crack down on prostitution ads. The Connecticut Attorney General's office had contacted the site and after receiving several complaints about photographs depicting nudity. At the time, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who brokered the agreement, said Craigslist cooperated fully and there never was a need to threaten the company with legal action.
“I am fully convinced that Craigslist wants to stop this activity as much as we do,'' Blumenthal said then.
Jim Buckmaster, Craigslist's CEO, said at the time that the agreement would allow legitimate escort services to continue advertising, while discouraging illegal activity by requiring anyone posting “erotic services'' ads to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. Craigslist also agreed to provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.
One random listing in Roswell, posted March 13, reads: “Hey guys. It's your favorite, sexy girl Cherry here and I'm feeling a little naughty! Allow yourself to indulge in your cravings and satisfy that insatiable appetite of pleasure! I’m here to cater to your wants, needs & desires.”
Phone messages to Buckmaster from The Beacon asking him to define “legitimate escort services” were not returned.
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