Federal Backpage Indictment Shows SESTA Unnecessary, Contains Zero Sex Trafficking Charges
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180409/18423839598/federal-backpage-indictment-shows-sesta-unnecessary-contains-zero-sex-trafficking-charges.shtml
Last Friday, the DOJ somehow managed to seize Backpage's websites, despite SESTA/FOSTA still lying on the president's desk waiting for a signature. The anti-Section 230 law, d/b/a an anti-sex trafficking statute, was declared a necessity by supporters -- the only thing able to pierce service provider immunity and somehow bring sex traffickers to justice by... [checks notes] arresting or fining tech company executives.
The indictment [PDF] behind the DOJ site seizures has finally been made public. It contains a wealth of details about Backpage's adult ads business and a plethora of charges (93) levelled at seven Backpage principals, including founders Michael Lacey and James Larkin.