With the click of a button, nine women became victims of a serial rapist in Hyattsville who was using a popular Web site as his hunting ground.
In a recent deal with law enforcement in 40 states, including Maryland, the online classifieds site Craigslist.org has pledged to crack down on ads for “erotic services” that can lead to crimes against women and children.
Prince George’s police said they believe Mark Antonio Humphries, 33, raped at least nine women between October 2007 and July 2008 before shooting himself in the head while barricaded inside a Hyattsville apartment building.
His victims were all prostitutes selling their services on Craigslist.
As part of the pledge to attorneys general nationwide, Craigslist will require anyone who posts an “erotic services” ad to provide a working phone number and pay a fee with a valid credit card, which will then be donated to charity.
Law enforcement agencies expect the fee and phone requirements to reduce the illegal activity significantly because they will be turned over to police if subpoenaed.
Craigslist also has agreed to sue 14 software and Internet companies that help people who post erotic service ads to circumvent the Web site’s defenses against inappropriate content and illegal activity.
“This agreement represents an important step forward in keeping dangerous and illegal elements from interfering with the benefits and convenience of the Internet,” said Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler in a statement.
“Innovation and collaboration between law enforcement and technology is crucial if we are going to stay ahead of criminals who use the Internet to exploit children or to engage in other illegal activity.”
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also supported the agreement, which could reduce child exploitation and sex trafficking.
“The criminals engaged in the sexual trafficking of children no longer parade them on the streets of America’s cities,” said Ernie Allen, the center’s president and chief executive officer. “Today, they market them via the Internet, enabling customers to shop for a child from the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms.”
Craigslist.org’s additional steps to crack down on erotic services ad content include:
• Attaching “tags” to the erotic services section that assist parental screening software
• Allowing users to “digitally tag” ads for pornography or criminal activity and automatically delete ads reaching a certain number of “flags.”
• Meeting routinely with the attorneys general to discuss additional ways to fight inappropriate content and make the Web site safer.
States that signed the agreement include:
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
