Utah Mom Sells Sex Online At Free Classifieds
Utah Mom Sells Sex Online At Free Classifieds
Fields Moseley
Reporting
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY Love on the internet, it seems you can buy it by the hour these days, of course, it isn’t true love, we’re talking about prostitution.
So, is the computer replacing the “street corner” when it comes to hiring a call girl?
Nope, you can still find them on State Street, despite the efforts of police.
But prostitutes with access to the internet and a little marketing skill are doing business online.
And we’re not talking about porn sites. They are on free ad sites most people use.
CraigsList is an internet phenomenon reaching more communities all the time.
You can buy or sell everything from cars to cats, houses to guitars…with free ads, people are even selling themselves.
We met Eva during her recent visit to Salt Lake City.
“It’s got the most volume. That’s the bottom line right there,” says Eva. She says advertising on CraigsList attracts all kinds.
“It’s a hobby from what I understand,” says Eva. “Some are married, some are single…the whole spectrum is represented there.”
But there are rules; CraigsList doesn’t want ads for anything illegal.
Putting too much information can get an ad flagged or attract cops.
“You can’t say anything about sex. It’s all for time and companionship. That is a given, and anything that happens after that is between consenting adults, that’s the bottom line,” says Eva.
She continues, “What it’s supposed to be is you spend some time with a lovely lady and you want to leave her a gift.”
But some of the ads on our local CraigsList are quite explicit even including half-hourly rates and pictures.
They don’t say the money is for sex but certainly suggest it.
“They want to make it known what they’re going to do, they put prices. They’re explicit about the sex acts they’ll perform. They act with a sense of impunity,” Says Detective Jeff Bedard with the Salt Lake City police.
Police often use stings with hidden cameras in a hotel room to catch escorts willing to offer sex for money.
But they say these days, anyone who thinks cops aren’t trolling chat sites and even CraigsList is living in a fantasy world.
Detective Bedard says vice officers spend a lot more time targeting prostitutes and pimps using websites, arresting 76 prostitutes in the last two years. He says fewer women are coming to the area because of their efforts.
“If a john or customer of prostitution can see it online so can the police. We’re looking for it, we’re going to find it,” says Detective Bedard.
While going after prostitution is time consuming Bedard says it’s more reasonable than targeting the websites themselves.
CraigsList founder, Craig Newmark, says they always work with the police. But, few people using the site ever complain about prostitution ads.
“People within our community are telling us, the problems we have with illegal stuff have to do with scamming and spamming,” says Craig Newmark.
The bottom line is: if the ads weren’t on CraigsList, they’d be somewhere else.
And as long as there is money to be made someone like Eva will be working in the world’s oldest profession with the latest technology.
“I want to pay off my house, and not be buried by credit card debt. This is the fastest and easiest way to do it and still have fun,” says Eva.
Police agree it’s all about the money no matter what that money is for, drugs, or a house.
I asked Eva if you she was worried about being caught by the police she said it is a concern. She says it’s a calculated risk she’s willing to take.
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