EVERETT, WA – There’s a little something for everybody on Craigslist.org. For police in Everett, that “something” includes a convenient way to find local prostitutes who have taken to advertising online.Last week, Everett police used Craigslist.org to initiate contact with alleged prostitutes, after the women reportedly agreed to meet for paid sexual encounters through posting online classified ads.
“We’re finding there are numerous postings daily for this type of activity of Craigslist,” said Everett Police Lt. Dan Templeman, according to KXLY.com, the website for Spokane-based ABC affiliate KXLY, Channel 4.
According to Everett police Sgt. Boyd Bryant, three women and a teenage girl were cited with prostitution on Wednesday, after offering sex for money to uncover officers at a local hotel.
Bryant said the public can expect more prostitution stings originating on the Net in future.
“If someone wants to play with online prostitution, they shouldn’t be surprised if they find an Everett police officer,” Bryant said, adding that prostitution “poses a health risk to the general public.”
According to The Spokane Herald, detectives were tipped about women posting sex for pay ads on Craigslist earlier this year. In May, the police investigation culminated in five women and a teenage girl being cited for prostitution
“We’re trying to raise the level of awareness even amongst the girls we’re arresting tonight and trying to educate them on the dangers of what’s going on out there,” Templeman said, “and strongly discourage them from engaging in this kind of behavior in the future.”
“You just never know who is on the other end of that computer,” added Templeman.
The ads on Craigslist appeared in the “erotic services” category. Craigslist spokesman Jim Buckmaster told the Herald that the category was added at the request of users who didn’t want ads with erotic content mixed in with the rest of the site’s personal ads.
Buckmaster noted that soliciting for illegal activities, including prostitution, is prohibited on Craigslist, which relies on users to report ads that they believe violate the site’s rules.
“It’s also important to note that Craigslist appreciates and cooperates fully with the efforts of law enforcement officers,” Buckmaster added.
