Because upscale men don't shop CraigsList

Everett Police Turn To Craigslist for Crackdown

EVERETT, Wash. - Wednesday night Everett Police arrested several more escorts advertising prostitution on the on-line marketplace craigslist.com.

Earlier this year, responding to citizen complaints, police discovered that the site most often used as portal for anyone to sell anything on-line has become a popular selling vehicle for the world's oldest profession.

Now it has become part of the Everett vice detective's everyday tools for finding and arresting escorts who advertise prostitution. The ads are on Craigslist by the thousands. Listed under "erotic services," listed by city, listed by county -- you can find anything, anyone, and any sexual service you might want.

So officers merely answer the explicit ads the ladies have placed on-line, set up a meeting, and arrest them once an offer of sex-for-money is made.

The first arrest during Wednesday's operation came just after 4 p.m. "We're trying to raise the level of awareness even amongst the girls we're arresting tonight," said Lt. Dan Templeman. "And trying to educate them on the dangers of what's going on out there and strongly encourage them from engaging in this kind of behavior in the future."

A danger highlighted by their fourth arrest of the night: a 16-year-old girl. "We conduct prostitution stings on the street, and on the internet," said Templeman. "Wherever it exists and we find out about it we're going to target it."

And in an attempt to curtail the on-line problem, let the hookers and pimps of Snohomish County know that Craigslist makes the shopping easy for police officers too.

"You just never know who is on the other end of that computer," said Templeman.

Escort "jargon" tipped off vice cops to targeting their ads on Craigslist

Two escorts were arrested in seperate incidences yesterday. In each case an undercover officer arrived at the advertiser's apartment and each woman agreed to perform a sex act for $200, according to the sheriff's department.

The two escorts advertised on the online classified site Craigslist in its erotic services section and offered sex in exchange for "donations" or "roses" - which vice cops knew were code words for money.

They also noted that the ads featured photos of unknown and unidentified women.

Jim Buckmaster of Craigslist said the site prohibits illegal activity and intends its erotic services page for "legal escort services and sensual massage providers."

TACOMA: 33 people caught in crackdown on prostitution, soliciting

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
October 28th, 2006

Law officers arrested 33 people Wednesday during a prostitution sting in South End Tacoma and Parkland.

Undercover officers from the Tacoma Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department teamed up for the operation. Female officers posed as prostitutes and male officers posed as customers during the sting south of the 7200 block of Pacific Avenue South, Tacoma police reported.

Of the 33 arrests, 24 people were arrested on suspicion of loitering for the purposes of prostitution or soliciting prostitution, six on suspicion of violating the adult entertainment ordinance, two on suspicion of urinating in public and one on suspicion of drug possession, police reported.

Thirteen men were referred to “John School,” a diversion program in which offenders in Tacoma, Lakewood and Pierce County attend a daylong class and pay a fine. If the offender is not arrested on a prostitution-related offense for a year, the original charge is removed from his record.

Stacey Mulick, The News Tribune

The Irrelevant Side of Technology

Brian Immel The Daily Evergreen

Published: 09/12/2006

If you weren't already afraid of technology, you might start right about now.

Entrepreneurship strikes again as prostitutes discover the exposure power of online classified ads. No one ever listens to me. The Associated Press reported Saturday that 12 prostitutes were arrested in Pennsylvania for running prostitution ads on the popular online classifieds Web site Craigslist.com. Advertisements promised GFEs, or "girlfriend experiences," and requested online payment in "ro$e$." Ahh, how romantic. Craigslist spokeswoman Sue MacTavish Best said the site cooperates with law enforcement, and Cragslist has removed the ads. But there is always Facebook and MySpace, which are still free services at the moment. Why, by this time tomorrow, you could be in negotiations for a second-hand recliner and a GFE in the works.