Reuters
WASHINGTON—Federal law enforcement agencies have seized Backpage.com, a controversial classified-ads website known for its numerous sex-related postings.
“Backpage.com and affiliated websites have been seized,” said a large notice plastered on the site. The action was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Internal Revenue Service and included participation from state authorities.
Backpage, already the subject of multiple criminal probes, has become a lightning rod for critics of websites accused of turning a blind eye to sex trafficking. It has galvanized lawmakers to pass a law limiting the immunity of websites for the actions of their users.
Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer was arrested in 2016 in Texas and charged in California with offenses including multiple counts of pimping of minors. Ferrer and other executives at the company have not been convicted of criminal wrongdoing in the case.
An expanded version of this story is available at WSJ.com
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