For Additional Headlines - go to our News Section »

• Driver Crashes Into Home
  made by Oldman
• Gas Prices Predicted to Hit $3
  made by lm111
• Gas Prices Predicted to Hit $3
  made by Oldman
• Gas Prices Predicted to Hit $3
  made by gator
• Gas Prices Predicted to Hit $3
  made by sagranberg

• Inmate Beaten at Graceville Correctional Facility Dies
• Surgeon’s Wife Arrested for Drugs
• Enforcement Cracks Down on Spring Breakers; 126 Arrested
• Pot Bust on Panama City Beach
• Pedestrian Hit in Lynn Haven
• Student in Bus Crash Dies
• Department of Health urges Floridians to be Aware of Gastrointestinal Illnesses
• New Bill Gets Teachers Fired Up
• Panama City Man Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges
• Injured Pedestrian Identified

Craigslist Prostitution
11/07/08 - 03:54 PM

Associated Press

 RSS Feed

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has championed efforts against Internet sex crime, but he is not signing a new agreement with the popular Web site Craigslist that’s intended to crack down on ads for prostitution.

Craigslist has signed an agreement with attorneys general in 40 states that targets the Web site’s “erotic services” ads.

Under the agreement, Craigslist will require anyone who posts an erotic services ad to provide a working telephone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card. The Web site will provide that information to law enforcement if subpoenaed.

Craigslist says the deal will allow legitimate escort services to continue advertising, while discouraging companies that are conducting illegal business.

Attorney General McCollum decided not to sign the agreement because of several concerns, including the fee for posting ads.

His spokeswoman says that fee is a problem because it creates the appearance that paying a fee legitimizes ads for prostitution on Craigslist.

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster says while legal escort services and massage services are welcome on the Web site, offers of prostitution and other illegal services are absolutely not welcome.

Buckmaster says he’s confident that the credit card verification and fee to post will be valuable tools to fight illegal activity.

Craigslist says the cash from erotic ads will be given to charity, as yet undecided.

The Florida attorney general’s office says that’s another problem with the agreement: it’s unclear where the money is going and how it will be distributed.

Buckmaster says the recipients have not been announced yet, but prominent on the list will be groups that do good work in the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking.

He calls the new agreement not the end of the road, but rather a milestone in the company’s efforts to eliminate illegal activity and improve public safety on Craigslist.
   
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)