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An Illinois sheriff filed a federal lawsuit against Craigslist, referring to them as the "single largest source of prostitution in the nation."

The owners of craigslist had a federal lawsuit filed against them on Thursday by an Illinois sheriff accusing the popular national classified-ad Web site of knowingly promoting prostitution.

"Craigslist is the single largest source of prostitution in the nation," Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said. "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."

According to Dart, the FBI has discovered over 2,800 child prostitution ads on craigslist, with Chicago, Illinois, ranking in the top 10 cities as far as juvenile prostitution. Dart also mentioned cases of child neglect, which have occurred while parents were taking part in activities solicited on the Web site.

One e-mailed statement from craigslist read that, "Craigslist is an extremely unwise choice for those intent on committing crimes, since criminals inevitably leave an electronic trail to themselves that law enforcement officers will follow." The statement also said that craigslist had not seen Dart's complaint.

"On a daily basis, we are being of direct assistance to police departments and federal authorities nationwide," spokeswoman Susan McTavish explained.

McTavish also said, "Misuse of craigslist to facilitate criminal activity is unacceptable, and we continue to work diligently to prevent it. Misuse of the site is exceptionally rare compared to how much the site is used for legal purposes. Regardless, any misuse of the site is not tolerated on craigslist."

In November, Craigslist became part of an agreement with 43 states' attorneys general, regarding the establishment of further restrictions on the Erotic Services section. The agreement involved craigslist putting a phone verification system into action for listings that required users to give a valid telephone number, which would be called before their ad would be posted.

Additionally, craigslist implemented listing fees for ads in the Erotic Services section, requiring a credit card, with the proceeds to be given to charity. Dart referred to the fees as "dirty money" though, calling the move  a "publicity stunt" with minimal realistic outcomes because pimps can use stolen credit cards or simply post ads in free sections.

Dart claimed that for two years craigslist has neglected his written requests to put an end to the Erotic Services section and that despite hundreds of arrests, craigslist has failed to take action or to sufficiently monitor the section.

"Pimps are preying on the most vulnerable members of our society and taking advantage of our struggling economy," he said. "The worst part is craigslist's owners know their Web site is still being used for illegal purposes, and they're doing nothing to stop it."

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One way or another
By nemoshotyany on 3/8/2009 1:21:28 AM , Rating: 5
You pay women for sex one way or another. A prostitute could be a payment of $20 bucks. A regular woman, you gotta take her to dinner and a movie or something. That could run you like $100+. And then you still might not get any. I haven't payed for a prostitute before but the way this recession is going looks like prostitutes are the only financially feasible option. J/K




RE: One way or another
By Alexstarfire on 3/8/09, Rating: -1
RE: One way or another
By nemoshotyany on 3/8/2009 3:31:24 AM , Rating: 5
If you go so far as to acquire a girlfriend then you'll be paying with much more then money, then you start paying with your life ;).


RE: One way or another
By PlasmaBomb on 3/8/2009 7:53:30 AM , Rating: 3
Weddings are expensive ;)


RE: One way or another
By 67STANG on 3/9/2009 2:26:00 AM , Rating: 5
That's besides the point. Once your married, you aren't paying for sex. You are paying for no sex.

It's like my dad always told me... don't trust anything that bleeds for a week and doesn't die.


RE: One way or another
By True Strike on 3/10/2009 1:08:04 PM , Rating: 2
Hah! I always feel sad for anyone who repeats that saying. Because obviously they haven't had a girlfriend, or if they did, she obviously wanted an excuse for you not to touch her.
4 days, for the large majority of women.
She is using the other 3 to avoid you.


RE: One way or another
By MrPoletski on 3/12/2009 10:25:04 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
4 days, for the large majority of women.
She is using the other 3 to avoid you.


No, she is using the other 3 to sharpen her battle axe.


RE: One way or another
By phxfreddy on 3/8/2009 6:46:35 PM , Rating: 5
If it flys, floats or fcuks its going to be an expensive hobby!


RE: One way or another
By 91TTZ on 3/9/09, Rating: -1
RE: One way or another
By phxfreddy on 3/12/2009 11:06:55 PM , Rating: 2
As in AirPlane !

and I should have said:

If it floats, flys or fcuks its cheaper to rent.

That would be: boat / Airplane / woman just to be painfully clear.


RE: One way or another
By duffyanneal on 3/8/2009 9:54:04 AM , Rating: 3
LOL @ the newb! Take it from someone with experience on life you don't have a clue what your talking about. :D


RE: One way or another
By TheSpaniard on 3/8/2009 12:50:23 PM , Rating: 2
amen I say to you sir!

you just have to create situations where they are exposed to you for large amounts of time and it will just happen! last time for me it was "can you teach me arabic"

this is why scientists end up marrying their co workers!

salam


RE: One way or another
By phxfreddy on 3/12/2009 11:08:53 PM , Rating: 2
I yi yi. Just how many women are there in the area of math / science / engineering. Last time I looked ( I am EE ) the pickings are very slim. Very slim indeed.


RE: One way or another
By TheSpaniard on 3/18/2009 10:57:30 PM , Rating: 2
really? over in the biochemistry area they out number us ~2:1

(of UI anyway)


RE: One way or another
By mindless1 on 3/8/2009 3:21:45 PM , Rating: 3
I recommend staying away from $20 prostitutes, but if you ever meet one you won't need anyone to tell you that.

Dating a so-called "regular woman" (what is that?, anyone who doesn't hook falls into a category?) tends to be about a relationship, you're doing things you want to for recreational purposes (I mean the activity, not the sex). If all you want is cheap sex, find a bar somewhere and a gal prone to party, drink her fair share and sleep with the guy she leaves with. You'll end up with someone less skanky than the hooker and not be breaking the law.

On the other hand, the whole idea of paying $100 to take a woman out to get laid is a misconception, if she wanted you she'd not insist on $100 dates if you're settling for just one step above hookers, or if she didn't want you the $100 date wouldn't make a difference.

Plenty of women will prey on guys who think an expensive date automatically ends in sex, just to get their drinks for free and a nice meal. If you're financially limited enough that it comes down to the cost for sex, you'd be better off avoiding such women as they'd tend to notice you aren't also driving an expensive car, wearing fancy clothes, and living in a classy neighborhood, nice home or apartment/etc.


RE: One way or another
By nemoshotyany on 3/8/2009 3:48:50 PM , Rating: 5
1. I plan to stay away. It was all a joke. J/K = Just Kidding
2. In the context of what I was speaking about there are prostitutes and women. Fell free to add any other category or sub category you choose.
3/4. The whole point of the joke was that whether your hire a prostitute, have a girlfriend, get married, random hookup in a bar, one way or another you pay for sex. Indirectly or directly.


RE: One way or another
By mindless1 on 3/11/2009 9:33:53 AM , Rating: 2
I can appreciate it was a joke, but some guys actually think like that. Then again, some women encourage it, expect a man to throw money at them as if it were the turn of last century instead of a modern society where women should be held as equal.


RE: One way or another
By wordsworm on 3/8/2009 4:08:08 PM , Rating: 3
Nemo - could be worse. You could marry her, then later divide all you've saved up between yourself, her, and both your lawyers.

The thing that's always kept me from using a sex worker's services is my fear of the diseases. You might get more than you paid for and end up paying your savings to a doctor and a hospital.


RE: One way or another
By FaceMaster on 3/8/2009 5:53:45 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
You pay women for sex one way or another. A prostitute could be a payment of $20 bucks. A regular woman, you gotta take her to dinner and a movie or something. That could run you like $100+. And then you still might not get any. I haven't payed for a prostitute before but the way this recession is going looks like prostitutes are the only financially feasible option. J/K


See guys, get off your computers and get some more exercise. People like nemoshotyany and myself are so good looking we don't need to pay them.


RE: One way or another
By wordsworm on 3/14/2009 11:12:04 PM , Rating: 2
"People like nemoshotyany and myself are so good looking we don't need to pay them."

Most of us wouldn't have sex with our mothers no matter how good looking they say we are.


RE: One way or another
By walk2k on 3/8/2009 8:19:56 PM , Rating: 5
Ok 2 things.

#1 (most important) DO NOT take advice on relationships from DailyTech... my god you people scare me.

#2 legalize it, end of problem
or at least, allows law enforcement to go after child-slavery and other coercive situations - NOT consentual adults.


RE: One way or another
By Oregonian2 on 3/9/2009 7:56:53 PM , Rating: 2
#2 has already been done in some counties in Nevada. There's an HBO series about one of the legal places (and I think a Showtime or other channel about a different one). Made Isabella Soprano famous (she may be more than the $20 mentioned though).


RE: One way or another
By rburnham on 3/9/2009 8:41:40 AM , Rating: 5
Actually, you pay prostitutes to go away after the sex.


RE: One way or another
By callmeroy on 3/9/2009 9:24:31 AM , Rating: 3
Well life is nothing but a collection of moments, peoples opinions and the world according to our own perspectives.

You can easily say no matter what you pay for sex even in a committed relationship, but is that really even notable. You can make a case along the same lines for ANYTHING....when I buy a BigMac from McDonald's, I guess I'm paying for the napkin that they give me as well. I mean my only point how you look at it. You could say "of course you are paying for the napkin its part of how they mark up the price of their products to cover their expenses".

Well same thing in a committed relationship -- unless you are in a abstinant relationship (which is beyond even very rare in today's society) , I'd say you are paying for the relationship and the sex is part of that.

Furthermore that's the difference as well. If your goal is *JUST* sex, then your are definitely PAYING for it because that's your goal. If your goal is something more committed and serious, I'd say you are more paying for that relationship to flourish and grow. (Damn it why do I feel like Dr. Phil now -- i hate him!)....

Its all perspective.

In the end, you either pay ca$h or you pay in feelings, self-sacrifices, etc.

So you are getting "screwed" one way or the other I guess. ;>


RE: One way or another
By aapocketz on 3/10/2009 6:12:58 PM , Rating: 2
gentlemen, some women actually work (not necessarily in the classical sense) and can pull in an income.

step 1: marry hot girl who makes a lot of money
step 2: use birth control
step 3: profit

in effect she will be paying you to have sex. Think about it. Step 2 should not be skipped to achieve DINK status.


RE: One way or another
By MrPoletski on 3/12/2009 10:22:55 AM , Rating: 2
A friend of mine once said that all women are prostitutes.. it's just some are more honest about it that others hehe;)


RE: One way or another
By DASQ on 3/13/2009 4:19:02 PM , Rating: 2
The real trick is to have your girlfriends end up paying YOU for sex. Alllrrriiigggghhhtt.


and in other news... elvis is dead.
By teng029 on 3/7/2009 11:19:50 PM , Rating: 2
they're just figuring this out now??




RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By SpaceRanger on 3/7/2009 11:42:41 PM , Rating: 5
Well.. They had a governor to impeach, declare Pluto as a planet. They had a lot of things on their plate..

*nods*


RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By PhoenixKnight on 3/7/2009 11:51:59 PM , Rating: 5
Now, now. I think you're giving them too little credit. There's plenty of other illegal, questionably moral, and completely pointless stuff that the Illinois government is wasting their time on.


RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By atlmann10 on 3/8/2009 12:25:10 AM , Rating: 1
As for prostitution and the internet, not that prostitution isn't one of the oldest industries in the known world. Prostitution and the internet and this dishi7 sheriff crack me up. Go to eros dot com, bigdoggie dot net, theeroticreview dot com there are hundreds more and you'll get a link to many from those sites. Those sites have existed in volume since before cragslist even came into existence. So have a hundred other I actually busted some house wives with it for a couple people that paid me. I also busted a few Husbands there are needless to say 100's of them. SO this guy and his craigslist BS are just for publicity because the site is recognizable but it's not a super bigwig in the industry like google to name. Not that you can find a HO in 5 minutes on GOOGLE but the pay the government for whitespace and hundreds of other things.


By Oregonian2 on 3/9/2009 8:00:35 PM , Rating: 3
Come come now, if it wasn't for Craig's list, prostitutes would have to apply for a stimulus package bail-out at taxpayer's expense in order to create jobs.


RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By ViroMan on 3/7/2009 11:50:04 PM , Rating: 5
Democracy is full of red tape and tar which slows anything down, including investigations.

As good as democracy can be.. its only as good as those who are allowed to control it.

Don't get me wrong... I love democracy but, I would use an analogy to describe ours. Our government(USA) is like windows 3.1 It needs a reboot now and then to clear the crap out of memory and fix the memory leaks, even if you don't do much with it.

Changing presidents is like installing new drivers. Sometimes the new drivers work better, sometimes they make things worse.<cough>Creative</cough>


RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By atlmann10 on 3/8/2009 12:17:20 AM , Rating: 2
OMG, are these people all utter idiots. This is kind of like the hemp issue. Just so you know this is not a pro mary J post in the least. Hemp can be grown that has no THC in it and can be used for paper to begin with and actually has quite a few other uses as well. However, because there are other things that can come from it it is illegal by default. So we use other sources for things like paper and we use them with no need seeing as help can be used for it, and it grows much much faster than trees or anything else used for paper. But because paper companies as well as most other major things that have a commercial market politicians are in there back pocket. If you wanna know some about internet ho's read the next post.


RE: and in other news... elvis is dead.
By arisch on 3/10/2009 1:05:24 PM , Rating: 2
Hemp used in a manner that does not cause THC to enter the human body is already legal in the United States.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr100901.ht...


By MrPoletski on 3/12/2009 10:34:20 AM , Rating: 2
Hemp from cannabis plants that do not produce THC is considerably less durable than hemp from those that do.

The latin name for the plant (the one that gets you high) is cannabis sativa.

That is latin for 'hemp useful'.


Big freakin' deal
By themengsk176 on 3/8/2009 1:52:13 AM , Rating: 4
The only people who are wronged by the act of prostitution are the prostitutes themselves. Anti-prostitution legislation is silly, immoral, and ultimately unenforceable.

If the state were representative of a mature and non-vindictive electorate, prostitution would be a perfectly legal and private affair.




RE: Big freakin' deal
By kyleb2112 on 3/8/2009 3:08:21 AM , Rating: 2
...apart from the billboards.


RE: Big freakin' deal
By mindless1 on 3/8/2009 3:30:00 PM , Rating: 2
For the record, most people disagree about anti-prostitution legislation is immoral, and plenty of convictions show it is enforceable.

You could say "but they don't catch most instances", and I could say "nor do they with moving violations like speeding" but if they see it and aren't occupied with something more important, expect the offender to get a ticket.

If you are in favor of prostitution the answers are simple, vote that way or move to an area where enough others feel the same so it's not illegal.


RE: Big freakin' deal
By taber on 3/8/2009 5:06:11 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
most people disagree about anti-prostitution legislation is immoral


Really? Do you have any statistical proof to back that up other than your own opinion?

quote:
plenty of convictions show it is enforceable


That's sounds a lot like the argument that we're winning the war against marijuana in the US. Just because you get convictions and therefore it's "enforceable", doesn't mean you're successfully enforcing it, if the majority of people get away with it, I'd say it's not a success.

quote:
If you are in favor of prostitution the answers are simple, vote that way or move to an area where enough others feel the same so it's not illegal


Seriously? Those are the only answers?


RE: Big freakin' deal
By mindless1 on 3/11/2009 9:30:27 AM , Rating: 2
yes I do, statistically most people belong to religions that oppose it, and vote against those who support it.

If it's not enforcable then why are you so pro-legalization, what would it matter then?

Seriously, you can't selectively allow laws to be broken, everyone has to give and take a little in order to get along as a society. If you don't approve of the laws governing the society you live in, there are only two variables, the law (you vote to change) or the society (you move out of it).


RE: Big freakin' deal
By Chemical Chris on 3/8/2009 3:36:18 PM , Rating: 3
I agree 100%. Its the worlds oldest profession, and it isn't going away anytime soon. By making it illegal and forcing it underground, you pave the way for the abuse of woman that occurs when the 'boss' is a pimp and career criminal. By making it legal, it can be regulated, and many of the abuses that occur would cease. Rather than money going to the blackmarket, it could go into tax revenue (yes, you should pay a tax on prostitutes, just like any other service).
Most importantly, legalized prostitution would protect the women in the business.
I find it funny how 'the West' mocks, say, Saudi Arabia, or Iran, for having their moral code embodied in their legal system, yet when we do it (prostitution, drugs, homosexuality), its considered 'normal' and 'just'.

ChemC


RE: Big freakin' deal
By Targon on 3/9/2009 7:21:41 AM , Rating: 2
A special tax on prostitution would not be necessary if they are paying a normal income tax. This is something that NY State and others have forgotten about, the idea that if we are already paying an income tax, then all of these special taxes on this service or that service could be eliminated.

The idea of just charging a certain percentage across the board, with a minimum of options for deductions would solve many financial issues. Cutting back on taxes, and doing a comparison between the pay a government worker gets compared to the average in the private sector for the same job would also eliminate a LOT of government waste. Why do government workers without any special skills make more on average than those who work in the private sector? Why does the government pay more for products and services than those in the private sector? Money...and waste.


Just legalize it
By NordicNINE on 3/8/2009 10:45:32 PM , Rating: 2
It seems as though the problems lawmakers have with prostitution are child prostitution and women getting beat up/killed by pimps, drugs, diseases, etc...

Why not just legalize it and then you can monitor and tax it.
So, no street prostitutes, just legal "chicken ranches" that must have a license and the women (or men I guess) get tested often, etc...

BTW, I have never been with a prostitute and don't care to. I've never even been to a strip club, I just think it would be a great source of taxable income for the states since they are all short.




RE: Just legalize it
By n yusef on 3/9/2009 12:59:33 AM , Rating: 2
I'm all for legalization, but the Nevada-style whore-houses are notorious for their poor treatment/abuse of the sex workers. The girls working for themselves on craigslist are generally much safer than those in Nevada.


RE: Just legalize it
By NordicNINE on 3/9/2009 1:21:19 AM , Rating: 2
Maybe not that exact system, but something similar.
I would think if it's taxed well enough to provide profit for the county/state and still have money to heavily monitor it through some new agency. Monitor it often and have severe penalties for not following the rules.


Is there something wrong prostitue ?
By chick0n on 3/7/2009 11:45:01 PM , Rating: 1
I mean seriously, whats wrong with it?

I never had one (dont need it hehehe), but this is just like selling services. Sure it might create a lot of problems, say some gang might force "unwilling" females to get into the business. but if the person doing this on his/her will, I really don't see a problem with that. Just trying to make a living.




By Zensen on 3/8/2009 1:35:15 AM , Rating: 2
Just in case you ever change your mind and you do need it, there is still that opportunity available for you...


By mindless1 on 3/8/2009 3:26:13 PM , Rating: 2
If you had read as far as the 2nd paragraph you might have seen

quote:
"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."


Besides which, even if you don't feel it's morally wrong it is still illegal. It's generally frowned upon to selectively enforce some laws but not others, officials are somewhat compelled to act when they see large scale illegal activity. I'm not saying Craigslist is or isn't guilt of charges, just that this is their perception and so the rest is understandable.


Oh no!!!
By Spookster on 3/8/2009 3:54:47 AM , Rating: 5
Now all the politicians will have to find a new way to get dates.




Good grief
By JWalk on 3/9/2009 2:54:27 AM , Rating: 2
The anti-prostitution laws have always amazed me. Name another "service" that is 100% legal as long as payment isn't involved. Think about it. Consensual sex between two adults is perfectly legal. Giving a person money is perfectly legal. But... giving a person money FOR having sex is illegal. Oh, well except for the times it isn't. Like say, the porn industry. Oh wait, I forgot. Those women are being paid for their acting, not having sex. Well, in that case... here is a tip for anyone thinking about visiting a prostitute: Bring a video camera, and hire yourself an "actress" for a couple of hours. ;)




RE: Good grief
By vapore0n on 3/9/2009 8:25:35 AM , Rating: 1
Its all about the money. Once you pay for sex, that pussy becomes a business.
So it now involves tax and what not.

Given that there are propositions to tax cars per mile, their next move would be to put a hump counter on that kitty. Tax it by the hump. That 20$ hooker will be a lot more expensive in the future.


RE: Good grief
By arisch on 3/10/2009 1:31:52 PM , Rating: 2
Porn should be illegal too.


The TV news...
By CZroe on 3/8/2009 3:25:45 AM , Rating: 2
I saw this being reported on TV news programs a couple days ago (HLN I believe) and they were reporting it like there are no legal "Erotic Services" in places where prostitution is not allowed. Hello?! Stripper. Dominatrix. Cake-girl. Nude photo modeling. Etc.




RE: The TV news...
By mindless1 on 3/8/2009 3:32:13 PM , Rating: 2
They were reporting it like it is more newsworthy than individual cases of one prostitute on a street corner.

With any newscast, it would be unreasonable for them to recant every possible factor relating to every topic, only "new"s, it has to fit in the time allotted.


How about Google?
By grebe925 on 3/7/2009 11:42:19 PM , Rating: 1
Or any of the other search engines and various other methods to obtain the same information about sexual services on the Web?

Even a law-and-order obsessed country like Singapore takes a very liberal view when it comes to the issue of sex. The U.S. has a very hypocritical approach (use it to sell anything, but don't sell it by itself). That's the real problem.




RE: How about Google?
By atlmann10 on 3/8/2009 12:30:29 AM , Rating: 2
Grebe I agree with you a hundred percent. This crap is BS if the US government legalized it and taxed it much like the hemp issue, and regulated it we wouldn't be where we are right now financially for sure. Think about it in countries where either are legalized for personal consumption what are the benefits? Well a large reduction in street crime mostly on the substances side and they make money, on the prostitute side they control humanly transferred disease and get paid.


TPB
By Uncle on 3/8/2009 3:31:51 PM , Rating: 2
This is interesting. Can one compare how Craiglist works vs's TPB. When someone puts up an ad is there a person who reviews the ad before hand at a central server or does each city have their own etc etc.




By uhgotnegum on 3/9/2009 11:26:24 AM , Rating: 2
Calling it the source doesn't make it true, and going after Craigslist (or any other private business) for NOT doing the job that police are hired to do is irresponsible and still doesn't attack the problem.

Shame on the Sheriff for trying to pimp himself (politically) with this vendetta. Feeding the public's need for a "cause of the moment" is (one of) the most disturbing trend(s) in our society today.

The only way the Sheriff would've made this a more concrete example of a reelection campaign is if he'd thrown in the words "child predator" or "sex offender"....b/c at no point does anyone ever say that a campaign against "those people" is wrong (in case I'm not being clear, I think there are a number of inappropriate campaigns against "those people"). At least with prostitution, people can joke about "not needing prostitution, but if others do, let them have at it" or some other backhanded way of disagreeing.

To sum up...Sheriff is looking for 15 sec. of fame and a reelection platform. Craigslist is the target. Prostitutes and pimps rejoice, because it's not their fault that they have a way to promote their illegal actions.




"Nowadays you can buy a CPU cheaper than the CPU fan." -- Unnamed AMD executive









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