U.S. Attorney’s Office Shuts Down Website Promoting Prostitution and Sex Trafficking, Indicts Owner

“taking over from where Backpage left off”

“As soon as DOJ shut down one despicable site, another popped up to take its place. Like the owners of Backpage, this defendant made millions facilitating the online exploitation of women and children. The Justice Department will not rest until these sites are eliminated and their owners held accountable for their crimes.”

“This case is a harsh reminder of the ruthlessness of human traffickers and lengths to which they go, including victimizing women and children, to make a profit. HSI maintains its unwavering commitment to investigate these heinous crimes, rescue victims, and prosecute the offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The Secret Service remains committed to investigating and pursuing those responsible for cyber-enabled financial crimes. Although the explosive expansion of the cyber domain has forced us to develop innovative ways of conducting these types of investigations, our proven model remains the same,”

“This investigation is an excellent example of a partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working together to successfully prosecute numerous violations of federal statutes. There are real innocent victims due to these crimes. The Secret Service also thanks the Northern District of Texas United States Attorney's Office for their aggressive support.”

“I'm proud of our team who, with our federal partners, relentlessly pursued this investigation for more than a year. Today, we have made a significant impact on one of the world's largest digital marketplaces for prostitution and sex trafficking. We know many lives will be saved through this joint effort,”