23 December 2016

Back Page Criminal Charges Dismissed

California brought criminal pimping charges against the owners of the online website "Back Page" because many of the advertisements on the site are advertisements for the sexual services of victims of human trafficking. 

The charges were brought and the CEO was arrested on October 6, 2016. Two co-defendants who were also executive in the company were also arrested.  All three men were then released on bail after spending four days in jail over the prosecution's objections. Their lawyer then filed a motion asking that the charges be dismissed that was fully briefed.

A preliminary ruling dismissing the charges was made on November 16, 2016. And a week ago the charges were dismissed in a final ruling, because federal law related to user provided content on websites provided the defendants with immunity from liability, just as the California prosecutor bringing the case had stated it did in public back in 2013.

I did not see any of this, other than the initial arrests, reported in the news.

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