The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
The online classified advertising site Craigslist has been asked by a group of state attorneys general, including Virginia's Ken Cuccinelli, to remove its adult services listings category, which they say features ads for prostitution and "trafficking children."
A bipartisan assembly of prosecutors from 17 states this week sent a letter to Craigslist officials calling for "immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads."
According to Cuccinelli, the recent letter follows a 2008 agreement between state prosecutors and Craigslist owners who pledged to step up monitoring for illegal activity and to coordinate with local law enforcement.
Since then, Cuccinelli contends, there hasn't been much evidence to suggest that the number of "illegal advertisements on the Web site" has been reduced.
"The Adult Services section of Craigslist.com has become a forum for inviting illegal - and potentially very dangerous - activity throughout Virginia," Cuccinelli said in a statement about the joint letter. "Given the frequency that law enforcement finds these ads on the site, it seems clear that whatever monitoring Craigslist may be doing of posts is not sufficient."
Cuccinelli's office plans to contact Virginia sheriffs and police chiefs about potential illegal activity on Craigslist and has offered the investigative assistance of the attorney general's computer crimes sections.
In a statement, Craigslist said: "We strongly support the Attorneys General desire to end trafficking in children and women, through the Internet or by any other means. We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking, and to combat such crimes wherever they appear, online or offline."
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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Another distraction
Here we go again elected officials throwing out the "it's for the children" rhetoric while they do whatever shady and underhanded stuff behind the scenes. Want to protect children? Don't have them. It's not like the next three generations are going to enjoy the massive debt we laid at their feet. Not having them is doing them a favor.
Craigslist
I believe Cucci would be better off if he served his church.His high moral values are getting in the way of his duty to the citizens of Virginia, all of us. Not everyone is married with children. Perversion and Puritanism are both extremes and most of us live somewhere in the middle. No decent person encourages human trafficking. Even criminals draw the line at crimes against children and punish them. If Cucci wants to do some good get tough on crimes against children & women. If it's a family member most of our policy now is "counselling" probation, or offender lists. After a sex offender is convicted, confine them forever separate from everyone else (Gitmo?). Craigslist could be a source to identify and punish. This will make everyone safer. Grown ups, as long as you don't involve the unwilling, you are supposed to be free to make your own decisions - good, bad or ugly. Its why we love our country and our freedoms. Cucci is supposed to be protecting our freedom, not forcing his values on us.
Forget the economy! We'll get to that after we stop illicit sex.
It is so wonderful to know that our elected officials are using their time to take care of issues that are SOOOOOOO important to voters. Unemployment is pale in comparison to disgusting sinful behavior of consenting adults advertising sexual services on Craigslist. (I wonder how Cucci found this site?....well, we won't go there.) WE MUST STOP ALL ILLICIT SEXUAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS NOW! Then we can worry about tiny insignificant problems like unemployment, a crumbling infrastructure, traffic congestion, violent crime and a host of other problems facing Virginians. It takes SOOOO much courage and principles for a politician in the Bible Belt to stand up and speak out against prostitution.
Fine, leave consenting adults alone...as long as they are adults
Unfortunately, a significant number of prostitutes are not consenting adults but young girls being exploited. Many times they experience violent crime. I am glad that at least Cuccinelli is working to protect the innocent--which is his job. Some of us worry about the welfare of our children as well as the economy, infrastructure, etc. Those whose job it is to focus on economic issues have been distracted by their many extended vacations.
when???
"Those whose job it is to focus on economic issues have been distracted by their many extended vacations."
When did the Commonwealth's elected officials take extended vacations? McD did go to europe....what was that all about again?
So glad you asked.
The trip to Europe by our governor was to market Virginia tourism and products, particularly wine, to Ireland, Netherlands and Germany.
Is this anymore than another attempt to grab headlines?
While it appears that the women on the site are in deed offering illegal services, many post pictures and all post phone numbers. It seems that if this were a priority with law enforcement, that it would be easy for them to locate these posters and arrest them if their activity is in deed illegal. After a while either those posting would all be in jail, or the word would get out and the site would no longer have any postings. Thus the AG would be successful in the end result. But it appears that Lt. Gov. Bolling is the invisible man in this administration.
Virginia, way to go!
I wish Cuccinelli and McDonnell were in office in NC. VA is blessed.
so do i
I also wish Cuccinelli and McDonnell were in office in NC. Virginia can do so much better.
Next he is going to
outlaw street corners so the pros can't solicit there either. . .
What a clown!