Backpage CEO and Top Sharholders Get Off On Pimping Charges.
Many of you are aware that the CEO of Backpage.com Carl Ferrer, and the founders and controlling shareholders, Michael Lacey and James Larkin were arrested in the beginning of October this year for sex trafficking.
They’d been wrestling with authorities for more than a year and a half.
Police wanted greater access to investigate sex trafficking rings who advertised through Backpage.com.
The Backpage big wigs were reluctant to co-operate.
I don’t blame them.
The fact is most of the people who advertise in Backpages’ adult section are like myself… willing, independent entrepreneurs who offer their services by choice not coercion.
Not only that, Backpage makes a whopping 8 figures a year from their adult section!!
I wouldn’t want that messed with either.
However, on Tuesday, November 13 the CEO and his two cohorts will get off on a variety of pimping charges.
Their release is all thanks to the exact same law that protects Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks.
The trio were originally accused of profiting from escort type ads where women offered sex at a price (some were under age).
The three amigos had been charged with pimping.
Late last week however, a judge in California ruled Ferrer, Lacey, and Larkin were protected by the Communications Decency Act.
The act says websites aren’t legally responsible for third party postings on their site.
The judge mentioned that Congress had already weighed in on the matter.
Meaning, we’ve gone down this road before and website owners can NOT be held responsible for what their users do in connection to their site.
Some may see this as a loss for victims of sex trafficking.
However, the Communications Decency Act was upheld in this case which I think is exceedingly important.
The internet must stay as free as possible.
A law professor who was interviewed for a Mercury News report said,
“Every user-generated-content website has illegal content on it. Pretty much all the sites that we enjoy the most are user-generated-content websites.”
I however, am glad that Backpage prevailed.
They provide a rarified platform where both providers and prospective clients can reliably find each other.
I can honestly say, my sensual massage business would not be the same without them.
Here is a video from a young woman who has some common sense ideas about Backpage and what they are about…
Thanks for reading and stay Sensual, Dyann xoxo
bridgesbodywork@ymail.com
