The police sting of an alleged prostitution ring using Craigslist in Philadelphia shows the online service is still profiting from crime and sexual exploitation. Undercover police responded to ads on Craigslist's "adult services" section and connected with alleged prostitutes at a hotel near Philadelphia International Airport.
Six alleged prostitutes and three alleged pimps were arrested. The illicit trade on Craigslist and other websites is common. On any given day, Craigslist's adult-services section for Philadelphia is filled with dozens of suggestive ads from women obviously seeking johns. Another woman, calling herself "Serena," described herself as "the best in every way.
On a typical day earlier last month, the website's Philadelphia adult-services section contained of these ads. Police crack down on these ads periodically.
In Bucks County in , cops arrested a dozen people in a similar prostitution sting. But the problem persists, and Craigslist is one of the leading offenders.
That's why 17 state attorneys general wrote a letter to Craigslist last week, requesting that the service take down its "adult services" section immediately. Corbett wrote separately, asking owners of the website to "enhance its efforts to remove unlawful activity and exploitative content.
