State AG to Craigslist: Pull Pornographic Material Or Face Prosecution
South Carolina's Attorney General wants prostitution and other racy ads removed by Friday. Another attorney general says to shut down "online brothel."
Wed, May 06, 2009
Computerworld — Legal pressure is mounting on Craigslist Inc.
After being called to a meeting with attorneys general from three states Tuesday, the top law enforcement officer of another state issued an ultimatum to the online classified ads house: pull graphic pornographic material and prostitution ads from the site or face prosecution.
South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster sent a letter to Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigslist, saying the Web site has not installed sufficient safeguards to keep the site from being used as a "vehicle to advertise or solicit prostitution." McMaster added that he's concerned about the easy accessibility of "graphic pornographic pictures" on the site.
"Many of the classified and communication services on the Craigslist site provide the public with a valuable service," wrote McMaster. "However, it appears that the management of Craigslist has knowingly allowed the site to be used for illegal and unlawful activity after warnings from law enforcement officials and after an agreement with 40 state attorneys general."
The attorney general then added that he wants the questionable ads under Craigslist's Erotic Services category to be removed from the South Carolina part of the site by close of business on Friday, May 15.
In a blog posted on Tuesday, Buckmaster said Craigslist has been working with law enforcement officials and have cut site "misuse" by 90 percent since Craigslist entered into an agreement with 43 attorneys general late last year to do just that.
"We look forward to speaking directly with Attorney General McMaster about his concerns, and finding ways to address them without compromising the utility of Craigslist for South Carolinians, or anyone's Constitutional rights," wrote Buckmaster. "However, we see no legal basis whatsoever for filing a lawsuit against Craigslist or its principals and hope that the attorney general will realize this upon further reflection."
The Erotic Services category on Craigslist has been under scrutiny since Boston University medical student Philip Markoff was arrested and arraigned last month for allegedly murdering one woman and kidnapping and assaulting another after meeting both of them through erotic services ads on Craigslist.
On Monday, Markoff was also charged with assault and weapons charges for allegedly using a gun to threaten a woman in a Rhode Island hotel on an April 16. The woman told police that she had met her assailant through an advertisement on Craigslist.
Then Tuesday, Craigslist executives met with the attorneys general from Missouri, Connecticut and Illinois to discuss the questionable ads.
