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June 22, 2010

Q+A: Selling Girls on Craigslist

Rebecca Project founder Malika Saada Saar explains how Craigslist became the medium for human trafficking.

Davita Maharaj

On Saturday night I attended a dinner party in Laguna. A guest seated next to me pulled out a snazzy looking camera, and raved about how he got it for a steal on Craigslist.

In the car, I asked my sister if she’s used Craigslist. “Of course! It’s the best. It’s where all the college students look for housing and jobs.” The online classifieds service is one of the most popular websites in the US today.

It’s also used for selling women and underage girls.

Last year, Craigslist changed their “erotic services” name to “adult services.” They also promised to manually monitor the section for any instances of child prostitution or human trafficking. And they started charging $5 to $10 per sexual service post.

The result? The privately-owned company’s revenues for prostitution have gone up. This past April, the FBI arrested 14 Mafia members for selling girls ages 15 to 19 on Craigslist in New York and New Jersesy. 


Human rights activists continue to call Craigslist the “biggest online hub for selling women against their will,” according to The New York Times. But Craigslist’s two largest shareholders, company founder Craig Newmark and chief executive James Buckmaster, appear unperturbed by the complaints of human rights officials and authorities.

One human rights activist watching Craigslist is Malika Saada Saar, who founded the Rebecca Project for Human Rights while attending Georgetown Law. As director of the Rebecca Project, Saada Saar joined forces with other organizations to fight human trafficking in the United States, including trafficking on Craigslist. The Rebecca Project produced the YouTube video on the left with the FAIR Fund youth advocate, and Crittenton Foundation.

Saada Saar recently spoke with me about the problem and her efforts to fight it.

An estimated 100,000 minors in the U.S. are trafficked into prostitution. Why is Craigslist a major hub for trafficking?

[Craigslist] is this iconic, convenient way that we are able to purchase items. And because of the adult services section that Craigslist allows to be part of that process, individuals can purchase a girl for sex in the same manner that they are able to purchase a piece of furniture. Craigslist makes in very convenient. 

When you look at who tends to purchase girls for sex, the research shows us that these persons are usually white men who are married and in their 30s and 40s. So it’s more convenient and discreet for them to simply go onto Craigslist and purchase a child for sex, than to go out onto the street and do that, or to go to a more taboo site like Backpage or myRedBook.

How many illegal Craigslist posts have been documented?

At any point in any city, you can go onto the adult services section and see children who are being trafficked. This is not only an issue within the U.S. borders; it’s also an issue within Criagslist Vietnam, Thailand, and India.

How many illegal posts are estimated?

We went onto the site last week because it’s often used as a way of trying to see if Criagslist is in fact manually removing those advertisements for sex that are obviously for children. Those days that we went there, we were able to track at least one girl each day that was up for being sold.

The other part is that there’s been some really good research that’s coming out of the Shapiro Group, a research group hired by the Women’s Funding Network. What their research shows, in the state of Georgia, was that Craigslist was used three times more than Backpage and myRedBook, and that 47 percent of individuals, once they were told that this was a girl under the age of 18, whom they were purchasing, continued with the purchase of the child. Something that’s interesting to note is that Craigslist issued a cease and desist order regarding the research, but the Women’s Funding Network released it anyway.

Upon clicking on “adult services,” Craigslist’s visitors must agree to “report suspected exploitation of minors or human trafficking.” Why are girls still falling through the cracks?

Many of the individuals who are going to that section are trying to find girls under the age. They’re not trying to report those girls; they’re trying to purchase those girls. And also, there isn’t that type of comprehensive monitoring of the girls -- and the boys as well -- who are being put up for sale. If there were that type of exhaustive monitoring, then we wouldn’t see these numbers, not just for child prostitution but prostitution in general.

What is the Rebecca Project’s response to the Craigslist controversy?

We purchased a half page in the San Francisco Chronicle, which is Craig Newmark and and Jim Buckmaster’s hometown paper, [with] an open letter to Craig Newmark, that was written by two young girls who were trafficked for sex through Craigslist, asking him to shut [the adult services section] down.

And we did a YouTube piece as well. You can go directly to Facebook as well, to write something to Craig Newmark, or go directly to his own blog.

Is there anything that concerned Christian women can do to help?

Be very aware that all of our girls are really at risk of this issue of sexual violence. There is a statistic that 1 in 3 girls, by the time she reaches 18, will have suffered some form of sexual violence. So I think it’s important for us to honor the sacredness of our daughters, and recognize that too often our girls are sexually victimized. Whether it is a trafficker, or someone who purchases our girls, or the next door neighbor who goes onto Craigslist, we have to be able to hold accountable those persons who subject our girls to sexual violence. We should be able to honor our girls’ sacredness, to talk to them, and to recognize that they deserve only to be honored in their bodies, not hurt, not criminalized.

Davita Maharaj is pursuing a master's degree in international human rights law at Oxford University. You can find more about her on her website or follow her on Twitter. Last year, Katelyn Beaty spoke with child advocate Kaffie McCullough about Craigslist.


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Posted by Sarah Pulliam Bailey on June 22, 2010 9:39 AM

Comments

This is a sad and wrong situation.

Posted By: Andrew | June 22, 2010 4:40 PM

I join those who are trying to rescue innocents out of bondage. For now, the most effective way to help may be to spam the posts on C-list, and to perform the monitoring ourselves.
In the long run a more counter-intuitive strategy could prove successful.
Suppose prostitution were legalized.
When johns can find what they are looking for legally, they will shy away from illegal suppliers. Legal suppliers will be more likely to be voluntary, and not forced, workers. They will consequentially be less likely to be minors, or captives.
If the market can be taken out from under the illegal traffickers, then we can hope for liberation for the oppressed.
The sentiments and moral opposition to allowing legal prostitution are complicit in supporting the illegal trafficking of sex slaves in the same way that moralists and tee-totallers were complicit with rum runners and bootleggers during alcohol's Prohibition.
ndsnow@gmail.com

Posted By: Nathanael Snow | June 23, 2010 7:00 AM

@ Nathanael

If murder were legal...maybe people'd commit it more humanely. Maybe we should make it legal for people to murder by shooting...then they wouldn't bludgeon people to death in an inhumane way. Yes, I vote to make murder legal.

In any case, legal prostitution would no more prevent child prostitution than legal porn has prevented child porn.

Posted By: Ann | June 23, 2010 8:15 AM

Davita, thanks so much for this great interview with the Rebecca Project. I've been working on anti-trafficking issues for nearly ten years, with the USG and international organizations. In response to the Craiglist human trafficking epidemic, I launched the Facebook group, "Stop Craigslist Human Trafficking - Choose EbayClassifieds."

In my view, the equation is pretty simple:

Craigslist's "adult services" section is a haven for human traffickers.

www.EBayClassifieds.com is a comparable, city-by-city online classifieds service that prohibits the "adult services" postings that allow human traffickers to operate freely on Craigslist.

Craigslist has not responded to ethically based arguments to make its marketplace hostile to human traffickers – even under pressure from the US Congress.

So it's time for consumers who value safe, exploitation-free online communities to make an economic argument -- by voting with their participation/pocketbooks AGAINST Craigslist & FOR EBay Classifieds.

Stop human trafficking = choose www.EBayClassifieds.com.

Tell you family, friends, co-workers, and faith communities to do the same.

Thanks so much!!

Posted By: Laura | June 23, 2010 8:54 AM

Ann,
My only response:
Murder is violence of one person against another, as is rape and slavery. Prostitution can be a voluntary exchange. It need not involve violence.
The analogy to alcohol is more appropriate than the comparison with murder.
Adult porn and child porn are completely different things. Again, one is voluntary, the other is, by definition, exploitation.
The discriminating factor is the presence of violence or force, real or implied.
Good day.

Posted By: Nathanael Snow | June 23, 2010 9:01 AM

Excellent interview. It is absolutely horrible what is happening on Craigslist. A way to stop this type of illegal activity needs to be established and enforced. Surely.. that entire section could be removed altogether? But then I suppose that Craig wouldn't make as much money as he does now... and that is a priority, right? Never-mind all the young ladies whose lives are being destroyed and futures being damaged.

Posted By: Tia | June 23, 2010 10:28 AM

@ Nathanael - "Suppose prostitution were legalized.
When johns can find what they are looking for legally, they will shy away from illegal suppliers."

Well these "johns" are looking for children. So I don't see how legalizing prostitution between adults will satisfy pedophiles. The kind of activity they desire will never be legalized.

I think it's absolutely shameful that craigslist will not shut this section of their website down, or at least monitor it. Is the profit on activity harmful to children that important to them?

Posted By: n | June 23, 2010 11:07 AM

Today, Governor Jan Brewer of the State of Arizona signed into law HB 2238. According to a report in the Seattle Examiner, this bill means that "'Johns' can no longer use the excuse that they "didn't know how old she was". It's now a felomy. Depending on the offense, they face from 6 to 15 years in prison for solicitating sex with a minor."
This bill was signed on the new campus of Streetlight, a safe house for girls under the age of 18 who are entrapped in the sex slave trad. Safelight works with the Phoenix police department, and supported by a number of churches in the Phoenix area.
Our local church in Tempe has the great privilege of partnering with Streetlight.

Posted By: John Wood | June 23, 2010 6:19 PM

The Dayton Human Trafficking Accords
WHEREAS,
WE THE PEOPLE can end human trafficking and slavery, but only if we solemnly commit ourselves to that common purpose.
We must confront the global scourge of trafficking and slavery beginning in our own local communities.
We as individuals and all institutions of society have a moral responsibility to end trafficking and free slaves from their captivity.
NOW THEREFORE,
WE undertake a solemn commitment, beginning now, to end the scourge of trafficking and slavery
And to take immediate action in our communities to
Stir society’s conscience to action against trafficking and slavery
Rescue and restore victims of trafficking and slavery
Identify and punish traffickers and slavers
Promote legislation and public policies to eradicate trafficking and slavery
Address the social, cultural and economic causes of trafficking and slavery
So that
We will end human trafficking in our LIFEtime.

Posted By: DAYTON HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACCORDS | June 23, 2010 10:54 PM

Not only does Craig's List sell girls it also sells drugs illegally and give criminals a great place to find victims. But if you mention to anyone not to use Craig's list because it has very bad stuff on it everyone gets angry. I was at a church meeting and someone mentioned selling their son's car on Craig's list. I told them to be VERY careful and they may want to use a different method. Everyone in the room jumped on me and told how great Craig's list is, why because it's FREE.

It often seem to me that the moral value of something is no longer consider when it gets in the way of getting something cheap.

That's what Craig's list is CHEAP.

Posted By: Ned Wicker | June 24, 2010 1:37 PM

Nathaniel, regarding your characterization of adult prostitution as "voluntary":

I've heard little girls aspire to be doctors, lawyers, mommies, POTUS when they grow up. I've never heard a child say, "when I grow up I want to be a hooker."

Have you?

Posted By: Sheila | June 25, 2010 9:02 AM

Nathaniel, there are many instances when adults are forced into prostitution. It is not always voluntary. Please make sure you know what you're talking about before posting.

(I'm having trouble posting, so I may or may not end up with a double post of this)

Posted By: cybereagle777 | June 25, 2010 10:29 AM

Prostitution is an evil thing. The apostle Paul said we should never do it, never become one in flesh with a prostitute.

Posted By: John | June 26, 2010 12:00 AM

I know that this post is going to be controversial, so I ask that you carefully think through what I'm saying before you respond quickly. I've been involved in the fight against human trafficking for 6 years now. I've reached a point where I now am giving my entire life to it by starting and running a non profit to help victims of human trafficking. I say all this to further add that I've given this whole issue a great deal of thought. The problem is not Craigs list. The problem has to do with demand, or the men (and women) who are out there buying sex. The problem has to do with the lack of resources for law enforcement to go after those who are breaking the law on Craigslist. Shutting down Craigslist will not stop trafficking. It will only send it further underground. Almost all of the busts in our area against trafficking have come from Craigslist. I've heard FBI agents talk about how they love Craigslist because it's so easy to find the traffickers. Instead of spending our limited time and resources petitioning Craigslist...let's talk to our local city council's and ask them to increase funding for vice officers to arrest traffickers off of Craigslist. Let's clean up Craigslist by putting away the real bad guys...the traffickers.

Posted By: Jeff Barrows | June 30, 2010 3:17 PM

And yet we smile and applaud when our children tell us they want to grow up and become politicians! One type of person gets money by satisfying the desires of another person. The other gets paid to take money from some people and give it to others at the threat of imprisonment. Which type of person is better?
Note bene:
Several prostitues are spoken well of in scripture. Every politician, however, was shown to have significant faults.

Posted By: Nathanael Snow | June 30, 2010 10:26 PM

@Nathanael: The prostitutes "spoken well of in scripture" were not spoken well of BECAUSE they were prostitutes -- only because in spite of the degradation of their lives, they were willing to be used by God.

On the other hand, there are a number of politicians spoken well of in the Bible, in spite of their "significant faults" (see the kings in the books of 1 & 2 Kings, for instance).

In short: challenging as it may be, one can lead people and still follow Christ. On the other hand, sleeping with people for money CAN NEVER BE in accordance with God's will.

Posted By: Kae | July 10, 2010 4:17 AM

@Jeff, that is a good point. The root problem is the demand. Does anyone really think that suppressing these ads on Craigslist will stop the problem?
That being said, we all have the right to refrain from supporting businesses that promote the sex industry. For example, I used to go into my local video rental stores, and explain to the manager that I wasn't going to give them my business while they were offering the X-rated selections. They proudly informed me that the kept those selections in a different room, and didn't let kids rent them. I explained that their purchase of the videos was funding the industry.

But the root problem is the people who are looking for these 'services'.

Posted By: Ann | July 12, 2010 8:37 AM

It's not just the demand, it's the supply. Poor girls need money to support their families. They are selling the only thing they have left to sell on Craigslist. So it's not a used car or Barbecue grill. It's something they have of value and it is a renewable and sustainable resource. You attach this trafficking term to make it sound as if they are forced into it by someone else. 99.9% do it of their own volition for economic purposes. So if you want to blame someone for forcing them into it, blame the President for not generating jobs.

Posted By: Obama is the reason | July 31, 2010 6:02 AM

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