This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts. Updated at a. Lisa Madigan and a Craigslist spokeswoman. After weeks of pressure from state and local law enforcement officials , Craigslist is announcing today that it will remove its controversial erotic services section permanently. Currently most ads on the site are posted without review. As of today, the erotic services section will no longer accept new ads and will be removed completely in seven days.
Craigslist had agreed to donate proceeds from the erotic services listings to charity but says that rule will not necessarily apply to the new ads. Craigslist Chief Executive officer Jim Buckmaster said in an interview that the site had come to the decision after carefully weighing input from law enforcement, users, legitimate online businesses and free speech advocates. Illinois Atty. Though both Madigan and Buckmaster agreed that the deal had been struck on a cooperative note, the San Francisco company argues that the case against it had been exaggerated.
Craigslist makes the point in a blog post it plans to publish today and which was provided to The Times. Law enforcement officials have often complained about the ease with which prostitutes and their clients can arrange encounters on Craigslist.
But officials have stepped up their criticism since the slaying of masseuse Julissa Brisman , whose body was found April 14 in a Boston hotel. Police say the killer found her through a Craigslist ad.
Boston University medical student Philip Markoff , 23, is accused of bludgeoning Brisman with a gun and then shooting her. Rhode Island authorities filed additional charges last week, saying he robbed a stripper at a Warwick, R.
