Law Enforcement Initiatives: Prostitution on Craigslist/backpage in the State of Florida

Law Enforcement Initiatives: Prostitution on Craigslist/Backpage in the State of Florida

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09, 10, 2014

Law Enforcement Initiatives: Prostitution on Craigslist/Backpage in the State of Florida

Prostitution related crime have been rampant across the State of Florida. The crimes are in the form of sex slavery, violence and child exploitation. Prostitutes are often rounded up in the streets, making them resort to ingenious options in soliciting for clients. The widespread use of the internet equally encourages prostitution. Subsequently, the use of websites like craigslist (www.craigslist.org) and Backpage (www.backpage.com) that offer local forums and classifieds for services and other related sales. A couple of years ago, there were many politicians who stood up against Craigslist, due to the presence of prostitution in their site. The management of Craigslist had no option but to cooperate with law enforcement officials who directed and still conduct many initiates to curb prostitution.

Many officials from law enforcement agencies realized that Craigslist.org was a significant instrument, which assists them in discovering and arresting prostitutes and other law breakers. Undercover detective sprang into action. They conducted constant surveillance on Craigslist and performed various sting operations. The law enforcement actions were more centered on Craigslist as website or company. Arguably, the over-concentration on Craigslist and leaving minimum attention on the actual lawbreakers would imply that most of them would still remain at large, and the activity would have to be shifted to somewhere else.

Precisely, Craigslist bowed down to the pressure from the law enforcement initiative; hence, and they listed many actions that the company was going to undertake to eliminate and prevent prostitute related advertisements. Craigslist obligated people involved in providing adult services to avail their valid credit card information and functioning phone numbers. Furthermore, the company manually vetted all advertisements under adult services. Conversely, Weitzer (2010) noted that the outlined Craigslist and law enforcement initiatives did not stop prostitution and human trafficking. This reality was because the prostitutes and other related lawbreakers shifted their activities to other alternatives, mainly the Backpage.

Other people and entities have contended that the prevailing law implies that Backpage.com is an intermediary; hence, it is not legally liable as a service supplier. Nonetheless, the showboating persists against the Backpage. This notion and reality got into Village Voice Media the owners of Backpage. Subsequently; they sold off their related newspaper as a gesture to separate them from the main website, and to avert any conflict concerning property relating to the two. It made it very convenient for the law enforcement agencies to increase their initiative against Backstage.com. The police and other law enforcement agencies have and continue collecting evidence incriminating those involved in child trafficking and prostitution from Craigslist and Backpage.