Posted on 04/15/2018 2:28:57 PM PDT by Beave Meister
The chief executive of Backpage.com pleaded guilty to state and federal charges including conspiracy and money laundering, and agreed to testify in ongoing prosecutions against others at the website that authorities have dubbed a lucrative nationwide "online brothel," authorities said.
"For far too long, Backpage.com existed as the dominant marketplace for illicit commercial sex, a place where sex traffickers frequently advertised children and adults alike," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. "But this illegality stops right now."
Backpage brought in a half-billion dollars since it began in 2004, mostly though prominent risque advertising for escorts and massages, among other services and some goods for sale, according to federal prosecutors. Authorities allege the site was often used to traffic underage victims, while company officials said they tried to scrub the site of such ads.
Chief Executive Officer Carl Ferrer will serve no more than five years in prison under a California agreement in which he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of money laundering in California. Also Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the company pleaded guilty to human trafficking.
And a federal judge in Phoenix unsealed an April 5 plea deal revealing that Ferrer pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and Backpage.com pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Sessions taking out the Clinton Foundation via this route.
Good point. *Nods*
Had never even heard of this site before they shut it down. Scares me that this was that big and largely unknown.
Whoever cuts the first deal gets the deal... the rest get the shaft.
Backpage made political contributions.
Stay tuned ..
It was well known.
If you frequented online game forums you would have seen it referenced in relation to prostitution often.
[Backpage made political contributions.]
Never heard of this thing (until FR).
But your statement got my attention.
Cops loved it... They could easily find dirtbags on backpage.
and “up to five years” always watching your six can still be a long time...
A nice scalp for AG Sessions and more to come.
He will get to keep his wealth.
There goes my love life.
Does that include the Clinton Library and Adult Bookstore?
* April Showers *
Sessions couldn’t knock a sick whore off a barstool.
Sessions taking out the Clinton Foundation via this route.
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I think that’s nothing more than a fantasy. Sessions’ DOJ is doing nothing with Clinton and the Clinton foundation beyond protecting them by NOT DOING REAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THEM.
CEO to testify against employees? Isn’t he special.
Agreed.
Backpage was mostly women who barely made ends meet.
Clinton Foundation was big bucks and paid big bucks.
Lolitia Express private airline is more Clinton style
I worked on an annual multi-agency nationwide enforcement operation targeting teenage prostitution. The case agents always started with Backpage.com.
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