Accused Craigslist Sex Peddlers Busted

(CBS/AP)  Seven people were indicted Wednesday for allegedly running a prostitution ring on Craigslist, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced.

Room Service Entertainment, headquartered in Queens, N.Y. and advertised in the "Erotic Services" section of the popular online classified site, was an illicit prostitution operation that used codes to arrange transactions, Cuomo's office said.

The arrest highlights the continued presence of prostitution ads on Craigslist, according to Cuomo.

"Until Craigslist gets serious about putting real protections in place, it will continue to be an environment where criminal operations thrive with impunity," Cuomo said in a press release. "Even after so-called reform of the Website last fall, this prostitution ring easily gamed the system ... Today's arrests underscore the inherent risks posed by Craigslist and, most importantly, the need for protections that are full-fledged, not half-baked."

In addition to employing prostitutes, the company also hired "bookers" who would post ads to Craigslist and take phone calls from prospective customers to set up a meeting, officials said. On the phone, bookers and clients did not use the term sex and instead referred to "GFE," or girlfriend experiences, as well as "skiing" and "rock climbing," which referred to drugs and partying, according to authorities.

Among the indicted are the owners of the alleged ring - Scott Rosenberg, 45, and Josef Davenport, 31. Five alleged bookers were also named - Patricia Krupa, 32, Joanna Mercado, 24, Sylvia Soto, 29, Lina Vazquez, 24 and Barbara Morris, 48.

The charges include enterprise corruption, conspiracy and money laundering.

Meanwhile, Craigslist's chief executive is suing South Carolina's attorney general, claiming the prosecutor's threat to file prostitution charges against the San Francisco company is unreasonable.

CEO Jim Buckmaster said on his blog he wants a restraining order to keep Attorney General Henry McMaster from pursuing criminal charges.

McMaster said last week he would prosecute Craigslist executives for aiding and abetting prostitution if an ad on the site leads to a prostitution case in South Carolina. McMaster has said his office is investigating, but no charges have been brought.

In a statement, McMaster says the lawsuit shows Craigslist is taking his investigation seriously and called it a victory. The lawsuit was filed late Tuesday night in a federal court in South Carolina

[Dgunner]

YEATERDAY A ARTICLE POSTED BY cbs ON CARRYING LOADED GUNS IN NATIONAL PARK WAS POSTED FOR ONE DAY. THIS ARTICLE OF CRIME AND PROSTITUTION HAS RUN NEARLY A WEEK . THIS SPEAKS LOUDLY ABOUT THE MENTALITY OF CBS AND THIER EDITORS. IF IT ISNT MURDER WAR OR PUBLIC MASSACRE THEY RUN IT FOR POLITICAL FAVOR I ASSUME SINCE IT IS NOT HERE TODAY. WAY TO SHOW YOUR COLORS cbs..

[cbsnews_viewer]

Craigslist is just an simple posting board. I don't think they make any profit at all. (I could be wrong) I really do not think they can police it all that well until someone mails to complain, or if they do then it might cost money. Paying for it just isn't my style anyway, and I think it is a very WEAK way to even meet regular people, but I suppose others have different opinons. BUT WAIT A DANG MINUTE ISN"T THIS THE SAME NEW YORK WHERE THE GOVERNOR PAID BIG $$ for SEX while crusading against it and passing laws against the little man...AND CAUSE he was RICH , he DID NO JAIL TIME FOR IT...Eliott Spetzer, I think his name was. Well, anyway I am not for it...even if there is 2 types of justice, one for rich and one for the common man. Isn't Queens the mafia area, anyway?

[legacyabq]

what business is it of the government if two consenting adults make a private transaction. Outrageous interference by zealous christian moralizing self righteous idiots

lleave adults alone who are harming no other people

[novamba]

How do we penalize prostitution in a country where a woman's right to choose is protected by the supreme court? Isn't the act of prostituting oneself a choice on how to use one's body? Don't get me wrong, I don't endorse prostitution nor do I practice it, but the law seems to rule on the side of choice...Just a thought.

[stickdog3]

Hey lisawestvalley - holla at me girlfriend.

[ayatoldya]

What is the difference between a priest offering his services for a donation and a woman offering her services for a donation?

Answer: The woman isn't buggering your little boy behind the alter.

[lisawestvalley]

I've been in the sex industry for 30 years. Never had a pimp, never been approached by one to be represented. If I did drugs, it was of my own doing.

Stop the silly fantasy that all hookers have pimps. Bet if they did an honest poll, they'd find out half are regular women making ends meet. Maybe one third are into the drug or sleaze scene.

Yup, I could be an old lady now, but I'm still a market item for older men, who hate the naivety of younger women, but appreciate the reliability and experience of a mature vixen.

[tramplers]

I can walk up to a total stranger and ask them to have s*e*x and it'sd perfectly legal. If I make one small change and offer her money for sex, it's illegal. What's the difference? The same 2 people and the same act only now it's for money?

How about women that sleep with men just so they can get free gifts, they are just called girlfriends or wives. I am not saying that every woman sleeps with men for this reason but I'm sure alot do. They use s*e*x to get the things they want even in a relationship.

It's time to take a page from Nevada and leagalize it. Regulate it, provide a safe enviroment for it for both parties, and tax it. If two consenting adults want to do it for money, stay out of their business.

[presjfk]

"...There are THOUSANDS of web sites that cater ONLY TO PROSTITUTION ADVERTISING. Notice there is no crackdown on them? There is no MEDIA CIRCUS about those sites. There are no political PUBLICITY HOUNDS running around trying to shut them down...."---Posted by DefendLiberty

Like everything, the lawsuits and go where the money is...and craigslist is perceived as having lots of money. There is a price to pay for success in this country. That price are lawsuits. Of course lots of small companies get sued but not as often because there isn't the money to chase - and these lawsuits usually destroy the little guy who is forever silenced or at least swept away by the expense of it all.

[culturechang]

ayatoldya, your exactly right.

It's "a woman's body" with respect to abortion, but that same body suddenly becomes government property when it comes to prostitution or even pornography.....and its usually the same poeple (radical feminist) promoting this double standard.