CA - Backpage founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin (found dead 2023), charged with facilitating prostitution, Oct 2016 *retrial 2023*

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http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/backpage-com-ceo-carl-ferrer-arrested-pimping-charges-n661426

The CEO of the adult classifieds ads portal Backpage.com was arrested in Texas Thursday on allegations of sex trafficking and pimping involving underage victims

The California Department of Justice said in court documents that the investigation was sparked in part by reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that the site was being used for prostitution.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/33338433/backpagecom-raided-ceo-arrested-for-sex-trafficking

Authorities also issued arrest warrants for Backpage's controlling shareholders: Michael Lacey, 68, and James Larkin, 67.

There's still a long road ahead but hopefully this will lead to saving some exploited kids!

websleuths.jpg
 
This is great news! I've begrudgingly combed BP for missing girls and women....a very depressing place.

Is it shut down?
 
Backpage.com is also being investigated by the Senate concerning underage sex trafficking.

In March, the Senate voted to hold Ferrer in contempt of Congress after he failed to appear at a hearing about online sex trafficking conducted by the Senate Subcommittee for Permanent Investigations. Backpage has also refused to respond to the Senate Subcommittee’s subpoenas for internal company
documents

http://abcnews.go.com/US/backpage-ceo-arrested-texas-pimping-charges/story?id=42630663
 
Thank Goodness. I hope this sticks. I worry he will get a good attorney and escape these charges.
 
Imo. They should have used the site to arrest every pimp and criminal Johns and drug dealers that the site has to offer. Jmo.

The police and feds were very lazy and just single handedly forced all illegal activities to go back underground where it will now be harder to catch these people.

Now the ceo may be a dirt ball. But he handed LE in every city and state a chance to bust every prostitute and pimp and Johns on that site.

So not only they could have made a million arrests. They could have also gained 1000s of confidential informants whom could have provided them with even more information to solve other cold cases or to find and arrest 1000s of drug dealers and illegal gun owners across the U.S with secret buys and busts.

Plus I'm sure a huge percentage of the Johns probably have warrants out for their arrests from previous crimes or they may be in illegal possession of drugs or guns when they show up.

But now its too late to catch them.

So since Backpage has given the cops the platform in every city in the United States plus tons of cities in other countries;

Tells us that the fbi and local pd did not utilize this platform as they should have. Jmo.

So now they have to go back out to the alleyways at midnight to deter prostitution or to make an arrest.

When all they had to do was catch all the flies with the honey platform that backpage gave them. Jmo.
 
https://nypost.com/2018/04/06/backpage-com-shuts-down-after-reports-of-fbi-raid/


"Sleazy classified site Backpage.com was shut down Friday after the FBI raided the home of its co-founder, according to new reports.

Agents raided ex-owner Michael Lacey’s home,*according to a local CBS affiliate*— while users are sharing screenshots of a message saying it has been “seized” by the feds."



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!

Backpage.com shut down by FBI, several indicted on crimes related to sex trafficking

Seven people have been indicted on 93 counts of several different crimes related to the classifieds website, Backpage.com. The crimes include money laundering and running a website to facilitate

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says almost every single sex trafficking case involves online ads, mostly from Backpage.com.

According to the DOJ, the biggest issue with these websites is that it facilitates sex trafficking for people who would have been to sheepish to pursue sex on the streets, especially to look for children.

There have been previous cases against Backpage.com that were thrown out.

The DOJ says the site has earned $500 million in revenue from prostitution since it was created.
 
Just wonder why it took so long. There are other such sites and will be more. But how many cases have we seen just here at WS where backpage has been involved?

When they begin blasting the names and pictures of the men purchasing these young girls on the internet, perhaps we'll see some progress. I cannot understand why that doesn't happen. Why are the pervs protected?
 
Just wonder why it took so long. There are other such sites and will be more. But how many cases have we seen just here at WS where backpage has been involved?

When they begin blasting the names and pictures of the men purchasing these young girls on the internet, perhaps we'll see some progress. I cannot understand why that doesn't happen. Why are the pervs protected?

American culture is far more comfortable with blaming and shaming the women than with admitting their husbands, bosses, sons, brothers, etc. are at the very least, equally responsible.


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Backpage.com gave free ads to prostitutes, new indictment in Arizona alleges | Business | Dallas News

A new indictment in Arizona against operators of Backpage.com alleges the classified ad site gave free ads to prostitutes and cultivated arrangements with others who worked in the sex trade to get them to post ads with the company.

The indictment filed Wednesday repeats allegations in an initial round of charges and adds six new money laundering charges against founder Mike Lacey and 50 charges of facilitating prostitution against chief financial officer John Brunst.

 
The website's other co-founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin, as well as five other executives, faced 93 charges involving facilitating prostitution through the Backpage site and money laundering.

It's not just the Florida spa investigation allegedly tied to Robert Kraft. Sex trafficking is rampant across US

It’s nearly been a year since the feds seized Backpage and its affiliated websites last April. They hit several people, including Backpage founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin, with a sprawling criminal indictment set to go to trial in 2020.

Accused pimp set for trial after teen's murder put spotlight on Backpage
 
Behind a paywall:


Backpage trial set to begin; former New Times execs charged with aiding prostitution
The Arizona Republic
 
From 6 months ago:


A five-page opinion from a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel has affirmed the findings of a district court judge refusing to dismiss a case against the operators of now-defunct Backpage.com, an classified advertising website purportedly replete with “thinly-veiled prostitution ads.”

The non-precedential decision found that the prosecution did not commit egregious enough witness questioning abuses to warrant granting the defendants’ double-jeopardy motion to dismiss for twice-over prosecution in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

The case will now proceed to trial in Phoenix, Ariz.
 

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