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Friday, August 27, 2010

CALL TO ACTION: Attorney Generals Letter to Craigslist - Is Your AG on the List?

STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL
A Communication From the Chief Legal Officers
Of the Following States and Territories: 
Arkansas  *  Connecticut  *  Idaho  *  Illinois  *  Iowa  *  Kansas  
Maryland  *  Michigan   *  Mississippi  *  Missouri  *  New Hampshire  *  Ohio  
Rhode Island  *  South Carolina  *  Tennessee  *  Texas  *  Virginia


August 24, 2010
Sent via facsimile

Jim Buckmaster, CEO
Craig Newmark, Founder
craigslist, Inc.
1381 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122

C/O

Edward Wes, Esq.
Perkins Coie
101 Jefferson Dr
Menlo Park, CA 94025-1114

RE:  Adult Services Section of Craigslist

Dear Messrs. Buckmaster, Newmark and Wes:

We are writing to request that you immediately take down the Adult Services portion of craigslist. 

The increasingly sharp public criticism of craigslist’s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it.  In our view, the company should take immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads.  Because craigslist cannot, or will not, adequately screen these ads, it should stop accepting them altogether and shut down the Adult Services section.   

In July 2010, two girls who said that they were trafficked for sex through craigslist wrote an “open letter” to your company in which they pleaded with you to eliminate the Adult Services section.  Their poignant account told a horrific story of brutalization and assault suffered not just by them, but also by untold numbers of other children. 

Other reports about the Adult Services webpage support these claims.  Indeed, in a recent report, CNN correspondent Amber Lyon posted a fictional prostitution advertisement on the Adult Services section, and received 15 telephone calls soliciting sex in just a three hour period.   

Ms. Lyon then confronted Mr. Newmark with an actual advertisement found on craigslist depicting a young woman in highly suggestive attire and clearly listing hourly rates.  She then asked Mr. Newmark pointedly what services he thought the ad was selling.  

Regrettably, Ms. Lyon’s question was met first with silence, then with misdirection.  In fact, when Ms. Lyon told Mr. Newmark that some child advocates have dubbed craigslist “the Wal-Mart of child sex trafficking,” he chose to walk away.  These reports and others show that that craigslist’s imagined utopia, where every Adult Services advertisement is harmless until proven otherwise, is a fallacy.  

In your recent blog posts and public statements, including the CNN interview, you imply that victims, law enforcement officials and children’s advocates may be at least partially to blame for these incidents because they have not provided craigslist with police reports, ad copy or links documenting these heinous crimes.  This variant of “blame the victim” is deeply troubling.  It also disregards, perhaps intentionally, two fundamental facts.  First, craigslist is the only player in the sex industry who is in a position to stop these ads before they are published.  Second, once an ad goes live on the site, it is a virtual certainty that someone will be victimized.  Yes, the perpetrators may eventually be apprehended and brought to justice, but the victim, assuming she survives, will carry the scars for life.  No amount of after-the fact documentation will erase that enduring harm.  Equally important, your much-touted “manual review” of Adult Services ads has failed to yield any discernable reduction in obvious solicitations.   

We recognize that craigslist may lose the considerable revenue generated by the Adult Services ads.  No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution, and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by craigslist. 

We sincerely hope craigslist will finally hear the voices of the victims, women and children, who plead with you to make this important change.  We, too, call on craigslist to listen and respond now by shutting down the Adult Services section of its website.  Such action is the right thing to do to protect innocent woman and children. 

Very truly yours,
[Signed by 17 Attorney State Generals]

Source:  http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2010/082510craigslist_signon.pdf

CALL TO ACTION:

If your Attorney General is not listed above, please contact them and request they join the others.  You can simply google your state's name & Attorney General.  They will have a form to email them.  Please fill it out.  I simply copy & pasted the above letter and added:

"As a victim's advocate, that specializes in working with women and children that have been victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, I hope that you will join us in ending this public exploitation." 

Together we are better & can make a difference! 

Thank you,

Julie Shematz
CEO & Founder of Beauty From Ashes Ministries

Thursday, August 26, 2010

State Attorneys General Call on Craigslist to Drop Adult Services


Craigslist should remove its adult services section because the website cannot adequately block potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking, attorneys general in 17 states demanded Tuesday in a joint letter. 
"Only Craigslist has the power to stop these ads before they are even published," Kansas attorney general Steve Six said in a statement. "Sadly, they are completely unwilling to do so." 
The joint letter acknowledged Craigslist faces the prospect of losing revenue if it were to remove the adult services section. 
"No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist," the letter said. 
Craigslist supports states' efforts to stop illegal exploitation, spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best said in a statement that did not indicate whether the website plans to get rid of its adult services section. 
"We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking," she said. 
Some encounters set up through Craigslist have ended in violence and even death, authorities have said. 
Last week, authorities said a former medical student accused of killing a masseuse he met through Craigslist committed suicide in the Boston jail where he was awaiting trial. 
Philip Markoff, 24, was found unresponsive in his cell Aug. 15. A former Boston University student, Markoff had pleaded not guilty in the fatal shooting of Julissa Brisman of New York City and in the armed robbery of a Las Vegas woman. Both crimes happened at Boston hotels within four days in April 2009. Rhode Island prosecutors also accused him of attacking a stripper that week. 
Markoff had met the women through advertisements for erotic services posted on Craigslist. 
The website has put safeguards in place as it has evolved over the years. 
In November 2008, after pressure from 40 state attorneys general, Craigslist required posters to provide a working phone number and pay a fee for placing an ad in the erotic services section. 
In May 2009, the website renamed erotic services to adult services and said it would adopt a manual screening process, where postings would be reviewed before publishing. 
But state officials believe Craigslist is still not doing enough to stop illegal ads from appearing.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal subpoenaed Craigslist in May, asking the website to provide proof it was holding up its promise to help stop ads for prostitution.
Craigslist should provide its evidence in a few weeks, said a spokeswoman for the Connecticut attorney general's office. 
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley released a separate letter Tuesday that was sent to Craigslist officials and also called for the removal of adult services. 
"You should continue to build on your success in connecting users to each other and providing a forum for the exchange of legal goods and services," she said. 
The 17 states whose attorneys general signed the letter are Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Source: Fox News

State Attorneys General Call on Craigslist to Drop Adult Services


Craigslist should remove its adult services section because the website cannot adequately block potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking, attorneys general in 17 states demanded Tuesday in a joint letter. 
"Only Craigslist has the power to stop these ads before they are even published," Kansas attorney general Steve Six said in a statement. "Sadly, they are completely unwilling to do so." 
The joint letter acknowledged Craigslist faces the prospect of losing revenue if it were to remove the adult services section. 
"No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist," the letter said. 
Craigslist supports states' efforts to stop illegal exploitation, spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best said in a statement that did not indicate whether the website plans to get rid of its adult services section. 
"We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking," she said. 
Some encounters set up through Craigslist have ended in violence and even death, authorities have said. 
Last week, authorities said a former medical student accused of killing a masseuse he met through Craigslist committed suicide in the Boston jail where he was awaiting trial. 
Philip Markoff, 24, was found unresponsive in his cell Aug. 15. A former Boston University student, Markoff had pleaded not guilty in the fatal shooting of Julissa Brisman of New York City and in the armed robbery of a Las Vegas woman. Both crimes happened at Boston hotels within four days in April 2009. Rhode Island prosecutors also accused him of attacking a stripper that week. 
Markoff had met the women through advertisements for erotic services posted on Craigslist. 
The website has put safeguards in place as it has evolved over the years. 
In November 2008, after pressure from 40 state attorneys general, Craigslist required posters to provide a working phone number and pay a fee for placing an ad in the erotic services section. 
In May 2009, the website renamed erotic services to adult services and said it would adopt a manual screening process, where postings would be reviewed before publishing. 
But state officials believe Craigslist is still not doing enough to stop illegal ads from appearing.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal subpoenaed Craigslist in May, asking the website to provide proof it was holding up its promise to help stop ads for prostitution.
Craigslist should provide its evidence in a few weeks, said a spokeswoman for the Connecticut attorney general's office. 
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley released a separate letter Tuesday that was sent to Craigslist officials and also called for the removal of adult services. 
"You should continue to build on your success in connecting users to each other and providing a forum for the exchange of legal goods and services," she said. 
The 17 states whose attorneys general signed the letter are Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Mentors Needed, Church/Strip Club Feud & More!

MENTORS NEEDED:  Beauty From Ashes Ministries is in need of a mature, stable, committed women that are willing to fulfill the great commission by being a mentor to younger women.  We have group of new believers currently desiring to transition out of their destructive lifestyles who have requested bible studies.  We've also been asked to present our domestic minor sex trafficking  & "It's not glamourous' awareness & prevention series to at risk teenage girls currently living in foster care group homes, in addition to being contacted by the local court system inquiring if we will work with sex trafficking minors.  If you or someone you know feel called, are willing to get out of your comfort zone, and make a sacrificial commitment to invest in a young girl or woman's life, please contact me as soon as possible.  Application, references, and BFA training, required. 

"Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited)."  Titus 3:35 AMP


UNDERSTANDING MAY BEGIN BETWEEN STRIP CLUB & CHURCH:  "Church member Amanda Johnson is a hair stylist and gave free haircuts to children in the community Saturday for the church's annual back-to-school event. She extends the same service to the dancers and any of their children. She tells them all they can call her anytime day or night and not just for a snip and a dye job.  'God put me in my place today, and he's given me a mission. He's made it very clear what my mission is and now to go. My mission is these ladies' " . . . READ MORE


STRIPPERS FORGIVEN BY CHURCH GOERS:  "A feud between a strip club and a church in Ohio took an interesting twist last weekend . . . We saw the most incredible sight you've ever seen . . . The church people had reached out to the girls and everybody was crying. It was so amazing . . .The pastor hugged a dancer and asked for forgiveness. Dancers embraced church goers. The wide divide seemed to have been bridged . . ." READ MORE 


WEEKLY GLOBAL PRAYER:  Every Friday 8-9am EST.  Join us and others around the world praying for the victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and the organizations reaching, rescuing & restoring them.  For a prayer guide, CLICK HERE


BFA PRAYER REQUESTS:  Please agree with us in prayer for the women and children impacted by the sex industry.  May they acquire a revelation of who God is and who they are in Him and experience love, forgiveness, mercy, grace and hope through the body of Christ, the Church.  Thank God for being their Savior, Lord, Healer and the Author and Perfecter of their faith.  Please keep the staff, board, volunteers, partners of BFA covered in prayer.  May our lives reflect the nature of Christ as we are His hands and feet to a lost and hurting world. 



PRAYER REQUESTS:  We care for you and have a team that prays over your every need.  Please send them to prayer@beautyfromashes.org

DONATIONS:  We need your help to continue providing awareness, advocacy and reach, rescue and restoration services to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation.  Please consider giving a tax deductible gift today.  For  $35 or more we will send you our  Child of God CD.  For secure online donations, CLICK HERE or mail your check, cash or money order to Beauty From Ashes, 5100 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste, 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907.

For the LATEST NEWS REGARDING DOMESTIC SEX TRAFFICKING, visit our home page:  http://www.beautyfromashes.org

BFA OUTREACH TRAINING & HUMAN TRAFFICKING EDUCATION: For more information, CLICK HERE 

BFA E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UP:  CLICK HERE

Thank you for your support & God bless!  

In Him & His service,

Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team




























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