Justice Department officials on Monday praised the actions of the FBI and other natural law enforcement agenciesseizing Backpage.com , the popular classified website long criminate of enabling sexual practice vendor and profiting off criminalized sex activity work .
Sex worker rights advocates , meanwhile , say the red ink of Backpage and the US government ’s other drive to shutter standardized sites is build toward a crisis , squeeze innumerable sexual activity workers across the country off the internet and into harm ’s way of life .
Attorney General Jeff Sessions , claiming the FBI ’s endeavour were a “ a major step toward keep women and nipper across America dependable , ” cited not only sexual urge trafficking during his praise of Backpage ’s dying on Monday , but the site ’s role as a “ prevalent market place for illicit commercial-grade sex . ”
Backpage visitors were present with a placard on Friday describing a Union law enforcement action involve the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the US Postal Service — research worker at which handle wire fraud and other mail service - colligate crime — as well as the Internal Revenue Service and multiple United States Department of State agencies from Arizona and California to Texas .
Seven individuals affiliate with the website , include 69 - year - old Backpage founder Michael Lacey , have been shoot in a 93 - tally bill of indictment with a range of money - laundering crimes as well as facilitate harlotry using a quickness in interstate or foreign commerce , and conspiracy to do so .
Also charged are Backpage employees James Larkin , Scott Spear , and John E. “ Jed ” Brunst of Arizona , and Daniel Hyer , Andrew Padilla , and Jaala Joye Vaught of Texas .
“ Backpage has earned one C of millions of dollar from facilitate whoredom and sex trafficking , placing profits over the well - being and rubber of the many thousands of women and children who were victimized by its practices , ” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange , describing intimate email and ship’s company document obtained by the feds as “ disgraceful in their callousness . ”
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Lacey and the other suspect were “ complicit ” in the role of Backpage to “ exploit human beings for monetary amplification ” and that they would now “ be sustain accountable for their heinous actions . ”
“ Whether on the street or on the Internet , sexual activity trafficking will not be brook , ” added Wray . “ Together with our constabulary enforcement collaborator , the FBI will uphold to vigorously combat this activity and protect those who are short-change . ”
lawgiver , including Senators John McCain and Claire McCaskill , and dupe organization seek justness for sexual urge trafficking victims have widely praise the FBI ’s move , yet others have criticized the closing , contend it is probable to jeopardise sex workers ’ sprightliness by pushing them offline and into more dangerous situations .
The Women ’s March on Saturdaytweetedthat the Backpage takedown was an “ inviolable crisis for sexual activity worker who rely on the site to safely get in soupcon with clients , ” adding : “ sex activity proletarian rights are women ’s right . ”
politico , meanwhile , present criticism over the passage of two bills packaged as anti - sex - trafficking first step : the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act ( FOSTA ) and the Stop enable Sex Traffickers Act ( SESTA ) . The bills have been wide rejected by sex activity doer ’ rights counsellor and other experts for placing sex workers in straightaway hurt .
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Although Backpage was repeatedly name in Congress as the rationality the bill were necessary , neither was in effect when the FBI took action Friday — demonstrating to many that such laws are entirely superfluous , serving only to subjugate sexual practice workers and imperil their lives . Deprived of dependable spaces on-line , sex actor abide to lose the one channel enabling them to freely exchange data about potentially dangerous clients .
Many , experts fear , may be forced into a biography on the streets , where womanhood in the trade have been historically brutalise by men bent on siphoning their gain . In astatement , the Sex Workers Outreach Project called the seizure of Backpage “ another example of state - O.K. violence against the sex study community and their fellowship . ”
add SWOP : “ attempt to deter sexual practice workers from their jobs by removing advertising and masking platform is blood-related to pushing sex work ‘ underground ’ and in the street — where workers have less power in recounting to their clients and where sex workers are at peachy risk of exposure of check and police violence . ”
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