AG criticizes craigslist over prostitution ads
By ConnPolitics.tv Editor on Mar 27, 2008 | In News, Atty. General | 24 feedbacks »
Hartford (WTNH) _ The state attorney general is going after a high-profile web site he says doesn’t do enough to stop prostitution.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is talking about craigslist.com, which allows people all over the world to post classified ads on any number of categories and topics.
The attorney general says that the “erotic services” section on craigslist is loaded with explicit language and pornographic images with hourly rates and phone numbers for call girls, and he wants them purged.
Blumenthal says he has been in discussions with the California-based web site since last november about this, but so far nothing has changed. He notes that earlier this month a woman in Plainville was arrested on a prostitution charge after allegedly advertising on craigslist.
“We’re asking Craigslist to do the right thing in following it’s rules and terms of service,” Blumenthal said. “We’re considering all the options that may be available if it fails to purge these prostitution ads from its web site.”
Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in an e-mail this afternoon, “this month we implemented new screening procedures for erotic service ads, which have dramatically improved compliance with our terms of use and reduced the volume of such ads by 80 percent. We have additional improvements underway.”
Buckmaster also says he’s disappointed that Blumenthal is not recognizing these improvements, but there are some still there.
24 comments
Comment from: Hosed by the system [Visitor] 
I hope he ran a letter off to Spitzer of NY and said the same thing...............
03/27/08 @ 16:33
I had sex with my g/f then gave her $20.00 to get gas on the way home come and get me Rich.
03/27/08 @ 16:37
Comment from: Neal [Visitor]
Hasn't our justice officials better things to be involved with? For years the politicians have accepted illicit activity in the highest Government offices of the land, and now they want to control illicit activity for the common folks. Maybe they are missing the taxes on Prostitution, or maybe they want to grandstand once in while.
03/27/08 @ 16:37
Comment from: the basic one [Visitor]
how about those cats in new haven....is he looking into that??
03/27/08 @ 20:41
Comment from: Don Pesci [Visitor]
Closer to home, the following ads were taken from the Advocate’s web site. When does Blumenthal propose top shut it down?
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Extremes
I WILL OBEY
Professional male seeks discipline from couples, women and men. All commands will be followed without question. 5787
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AT YOUR SERVICE
Have massage table, will travel to bring soothing pleasure and more to your specifications. Ladies, in need of stress and sexual relief? Privacy of your own place. No strings. STD-free a must. 5722
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BI-COUPLE SEEKING ACTION
Attractive middle-aged Bi-couple with open-minded, uninhibited sexual appetite ISO females, couples, TS's, TG's, CD's, and select males (bi or straight) for sessions of intense sexual pleasure. Any age, size, color is okay. We are clean, d/d-free. You should be too. Please call soon! We are horny!
--------------
"LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU"
Lonely WM, cute, shy, 46, brown/brown, 6', 170lbs, aroused by extreme masochism, fantasies of revealing private methods of pleasuring self. Wants to try humiliation as entertainment for sadistic, dominant or curious woman. I'll arouse myself using various toys and implements of turning pain to pleasure. Your wish is my command. 5436
03/27/08 @ 20:42
Comment from: charlie [Visitor]
Doesn't this putz have anything better to do than enfringe upon the 1st admendment: Freedom of Speech. How I wish the public cpould recall this idiot or sue for for4 misuse of funfs.
03/27/08 @ 21:53
Mr Blumenthal has many launched many important investigations with grand announcements powered by news channel 8... NOTE: Channel 8 has failed to follow up on almost ALL OF THEM...lots of of hoopla around that poor foster child who was kept in a cage - remember her? Remember that investigation...boy oh boy wasn't Dick going to be on top of that one...well I am still awaiting the outcome on that one...Well Dick we cant wait to see how your investigation goes...PS I wonder what this has to do with your buddy Elliots Issues....
03/27/08 @ 23:18
Comment from: arg [Visitor]
leave the women alone they do not bother anyone who is not looking, I am sure state time and energy can be put to better use
03/27/08 @ 23:23
Comment from: arg [Visitor]
leave the women alone they do not bother anyone who is not looking, I am sure state time and energy can be put to better use
03/27/08 @ 23:24
Comment from: Soldat [Visitor]
LOL, Sounds like Richard needs to stop trolling craigslist himself. He must of got ripped off by an ad.
I often wonder why these AGs don't go after China? We get tons of dangerous deadly products imported into the country and they do nothing. Why is that? I wonder if they let their kids chew on lead coated toys?
I often wonder why these AGs don't go after China? We get tons of dangerous deadly products imported into the country and they do nothing. Why is that? I wonder if they let their kids chew on lead coated toys?
03/28/08 @ 07:24
Comment from: Jay [Visitor]
They work hard for their money. So hard for it honey. They work hard for their money so you better treat them right!
03/28/08 @ 08:16
Comment from: BOB [Visitor]
Prostitution is the oldest profession, anyone claiming to try to stop it or blame someone else for not doing enough is a show-boating politician that is trying to divert attention from things that are actually important
03/28/08 @ 09:57
Comment from: LibraGirl108 [Visitor]
This is good news to me. Sadly, the prostitution industry is relying more and more on victims of human trafficking, and forced prostition of children and teens. Many people do not seem to realize this, and think all prostitutes are of free will-in debt or drug addicts. FBI In The News updates,that I receive daily by email, provide arrest/conviction notices, have given me a horrific awareness of the frequency of forced prostition in this country. I don't get how a man can pay to have sex with a person not knowing if that person is being forced and/or may be a minor. IMO that is technically rape - u may actually be raping someone.
03/28/08 @ 10:47
Comment from: bubb [Visitor]
Wow - Dick sure has a lot of time on his hands if he's surfing through craigslist - and why Mr. B would you know so much about the erotic services section on craigslist?
03/28/08 @ 11:05
Comment from: John Rowland [Visitor] · http://cityofwaterbury.com/bigpayday
Why doesn't Dick go after the women in the state who are not doing enough to pleasure their man so that he must go trolling craigslist for sex!
03/28/08 @ 12:56
Comment from: Pat S [Visitor]
Mr B should investigate how in the HELL ex governor ex con, Rowland gets a job in charge of the money for waterbury. Investigate Jarjura, not some women providing a service.
03/28/08 @ 13:16
Also, Mr. Blumenthal should investigate the gravitational properties of his hair gel...or does he use dax? Maybe pomeade?
03/28/08 @ 16:08
Comment from: misskitty [Visitor]
I personally have called the AG office many times over billing disputes. He and his staff do a good job
03/28/08 @ 16:13
Comment from: Warren [Visitor]
I am from Connecticut and I think he should mind his own business, about adult prostitution,on craigslist, go after child porn and child sex. But, leave consenting adults alone to get their sex where they can. I figure that we in the U.S. are to sexually repressed (and religious) is why we have so many underage cases ... Blumenthal get off your goodie two shoes high horse!!!! Mind your own business, what, are after Lieberman's job, he was a good AG, before he became a senator....!!!!!
03/28/08 @ 18:14
Comment from: dude [Visitor]
I find it pretty disturbing that there are so many people attacking the "justice department" for actually going after "criminals", especially when they sit there & throw it right in their face, thinking that the internet will somehow shroud them in secrecy & everything on it is somehow protected by the constitution...do you also think you should be able to sit on the steps of police headquarters in hartford & smoke crack, and that you should just be left alone because you're not actually hurting anybody?
believe it or not, the attorney general is charged with enforcing the law that is in place, not interpreting the law to suit his own needs...if someone were to bring evidence to his attention, he would be derelict in his duties if he ignored it
I guess common sense just isn't so common anymore
believe it or not, the attorney general is charged with enforcing the law that is in place, not interpreting the law to suit his own needs...if someone were to bring evidence to his attention, he would be derelict in his duties if he ignored it
I guess common sense just isn't so common anymore
03/28/08 @ 19:15
Comment from: crackhead joe [Visitor]
The only reason he is making any nois about this is because his good friend, the NY governer, got busted. I wonder what our AG has to hide. Prositution should be legal. Drugs should be legal. It would end a lot of problems with these two things if they were legal. Also, the government could could tax the sale of the drugs and sex. This would help fix the economy that our wonderful Bush messed up so badly. Let freedom ring!!
03/29/08 @ 06:59
Comment from: Jenna Jamison [Visitor]
Should really be more concerned with Child and Animal abusers... they are the serial killers of the world.
Maybe if people had more S*X they'd be happier.
Maybe if people had more S*X they'd be happier.
03/29/08 @ 10:19
Comment from: dwight [Visitor]
I can't stand when politicians try to distract Americans from the real issues that need to address. They love making fuss over bullsh*t. The reality is that politicians are stealing taxpayer money and making alliances with disgusting corporate America, driving us further into a two-tiered rich-poor society where the rich trample over us like bugs. Look at Bush's friend, former Enron ex Ken Lay who destroyed Americans. Will you let politicians and corporate America distract us from the real issues?
On another note, we need to go after real crime like corporate crooks, murderers, and burglars. Prostitution (sex for money) between two consenting adults is no one's damn business but the private sex life of those involved. Besides, having a girlfriend/boyfriend is a sex for money relationship. It's scary imagining that there are people interested in knowing and regulating which adults are having sex with each other. Land of the free? My azz.
03/31/08 @ 16:48
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