There’s no doubt you can procure an escort’s services on Backpage.com. There is also evidence that underage sex workers have been using the site to find customers. However, a California court has ruled that — contrary to allegations made by the state’s attorney general — Backpage’s hosting of these ads is not the same as actual pimping. [More]
prostitution
Backpage Executives Seek Dismissal Of Pimping Charges
By 10.20.16 — Updated: 10.21.16
Earlier this month, the Attorney General of California took the unusual step of charging the CEO of classifieds site Backpage and two of the company’s major shareholders with pimping and conspiracy to commit pimping. At the time, AG Kamala Harris said that Backpage was “unlawfully designed…to be the world’s top online brothel.” Now the company’s lawyers are seeking dismissal of those charges. [More]
CEO Of Backpage.com Charged With Allegedly Pimping A Minor, Conspiracy To Commit Pimping
By 10.6.16
Popular listings site Backpage.com has long been a topic of debate for its decision to continue advertising escorts even as other sites like Craigslist tried to back away from these lucrative listings. But now comes news from California that the state has actually arrested the website’s CEO and charged him, along with two of Backpage’s controlling shareholders, with illegally promoting prostitution. [More]
Visa, MasterCard Cut Ties With Backpage.com After Pressure From Law Enforcement
By 7.1.15
After pressure from law enforcement, both Visa and MasterCard have announced they will no longer process payments for classified ads on Backpage.com. The site has often been criticized for its “Adult” section, which some say makes it easy for pimps and sex traffickers to solicit customers for sex. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Starwood’s W Hotels Are Havens For Prostitution
By 10.7.14
A New Jersey couple has accused the W Hotel chain of functioning as a safe haven for prostitutes to ply their wares from the lobby, alleging in a personal-injury lawsuit that that atmosphere is responsible for an attack on the woman in June 2013. [More]
101 Years Ago, Someone Mapped The Morals Of Portland, Building-By-Building
By 9.4.14
Long before there were interactive police blotter maps, or even funny maps labeling neighborhoods with tags like “Yuppies with Puppies” or “Bars You’re Too Old To Go To,” the city of Portland (the one on the upper-left of the map) actually plotted out which rental homes, hotels, and apartment buildings had been investigated and deemed to be “moral,” “immoral,” or “doubtful.” [More]
Another Thing For Airbnb Renters To Worry About? Your Home Turning Into A Brothel
By 4.14.14
Much like the time your parents got an unexpected phone call that their car now resided upside down in the neighbor’s swimming pool, some Airbnb renters are none too pleased to find their homes have been used for ah, sexual recreation purposes that require police attention. In essence, beware the brothelization of your home. [More]
Walmart Worker Allegedly Prostituted Himself In Store Bathroom During Breaks
By 4.24.13 — Updated: 4.26.13
A Walmart employee in upstate New York allegedly made very productive use of his time during overnight shifts in the store. Unfortunately, he did so by advertising his services online as a prostitute, then meeting clients in a store bathroom during his breaks. Great efficient use of time, but also kind of illegal. [More]
Prostitute Blames McDonald's For Driving Her Into Profession
By 3.28.12
We’ve heard of people blaming McDonald’s for getting them fat or burning their grandchildren with hot liquid, but rare is the occasion that the fast food giant is accused of leading one into a life of prostitution. But if you live long enough, you see everything, hence a federal court case in which a woman accuses McDonald’s and her franchisee ex-husband of pushing her into the world’s oldest profession in the 1980s. [More]
Dunkin' Donuts Staffer Adds 'Sex In Parking Lot' To Drive-Thru Menu
By 8.2.11
It’s officially time to declare a Dunkin’ Donuts crime wave. First came the report of a DD staffer putting a little something extra in cops’ coffee. Now, it’s an employee who decided to spice up the late-night menu with sex-for-cash in the parking lot. [More]
Nevada Lawmakers Talk About Getting Rid Of Brothels
By 2.24.11
While prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and Reno, each county in Nevada is allowed to determine whether or not the world’s oldest profession is acceptable. Ten counties in Nevada allow brothels, and Nevada Senator Harry Reid asked state legislators to consider outlawing them, sparking a debate among elected officials and the business owners. [More]
Child Advocates Say Super Bowl Is Hotbed Of Underage Prostitution
By 2.1.11
Law enforcement officials and child advocacy groups say the Super Bowl is a prime occasion for child prostitution, with pimps taking advantage of the influx of tourists, money and mayhem to sell sex with underage prostitutes. [More]
What It Costs To Whore Out Celebrities On Twitter
By 11.22.10
If you’re a deep-pocketed advertiser who thinks all your product needs to get over the top is some Twitter love from Marlon Wayans, Khloe Kardashian or Lindsay Lohan, pull out your checkbook, because you’re just a payment away from making it happen. [More]
America's First Legal Male Prostitute Quits After Three Months
By 3.29.10
Markus, the first legal male prostitute in the U.S., hung his shingle at the Shady Lady Ranch in Nevada in January. Since then he’s had “fewer than 10 paying customers” according to the Associated Press (which seems to imply there were some free samples maybe?), so he’s quitting and going back into porn. In other words, there’s a new opening at Shady Lady, gentlemen. Wait, that totally didn’t sound right. [More]
Topeka Changes Name To Google For All Of March
By 3.11.10
In a remarkably crass act of prostitution, Topeka has up and changed its name to Google for the month, ABS-CBN News reports. The name change is a way for the mayor to thank Google for using Topeka as a test ground for a high-speed internet network. [More]
Don't Call The Police To Complain About The Prostitute You Tried To Hire
By 1.22.10
A man in New Hampshire called the police earlier this week to report a theft of services complaint. Unfortunately for him, the services happened to be sexual, which meant he was also basically turning himself in for soliciting prostitution. Both he and the alleged prostitute were arrested. [More]
Coming To Nevada Brothels In 2010: Male Prostitutes
By 12.14.09
If you’ve always skipped the brothels while in Nevada because they didn’t offer the kind of companionship you’re looking for, Merry Christmas! On Friday, the Nevada Board of Health changed its health code so that male sex workers can be tested regularly for STDs, which means starting next year men can sell sexual favors alongside the women working at the Shady Lady Ranch. [More]
