Prostitution has existed since the beginning of time, in all cultures and places. Americans have this Puritan, witch-hunting attitude towards this victimless "crime". And poor Craigslist has to suffer for it.

Frankly, this seems like a really bad idea to me. If you're a cop, Craigslist is your honeypot. Don't shut down the honeypot.

Looks like someone in Cooks County wanted to get their name in the papers.

And for as long as there have been prosecutors, hyperbole about sex crime has advanced careers.

heh, doctor_negative, that's kinda what I thought too!

Holy Gods - they can't do this! I found out about The Honeypot through Craigslist!

I'm not sure I'd say it's victimless - this guy is concerned in particular about underage girls in exploitive situations - but I'm not really down with blaming Craigslist. CL might facilitate it, but if it weren't CL, I suspect it would be somewhere else.

...In other words, go after the criminal organizations, not some website.

And there are lots of problems with refugees and economic immigrants being forced into prostitution, which is something that I assume legalized prostitution would definitely help reduce, at least in terms of adult prostitution.

the real tragedy is loss of ad revenue for alt weeklies.

I have to say that was my immediate thought, mullacc.

I heard this sheriff on NPR tonight... apparently he's frustrated that the only people who regularly flag prostitution ads are competing prostitutes, trying to eliminate the competition.

"I am so flagging you BITCH!"

I can't believe the BBC missed noting this, but this is in Chicago. It comes on the heels of a sting operation that was (at least in Chicago) largely based on Craigslist ads. There have been a series of operations focusing on Craigslist postings, netting at least 200 arrests.

Dart's a relatively good guy, considering this is Chicago and he comes with impeccable connections to Daley (and Obama). For one thing, he shut down an enormous $3 million a year ghost payroller operation involving an entire jail wing that continued to generate salaries even though it was abandoned. He also stopped evicting renters from foreclosed properties until the banks reached a deal to properly notify them in advance. (Deputies were showing up at houses to find renters with no warning the house had gone back to the bank. Some of them were still paying rent to people who no longer owned the property!) Dart has also been mentioned as a potential successor to Patrick Fitzgerald, although the latter apparently is staying on in the Obama administration.