Thursday, November 22, 2012

Backpage operation busted

From Forest Hills Patch:

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced a big bust on Tuesday, saying an in-depth investigation had resulted in the breakup of a prostitution ring that stretched as far as the Philippines.

Christopher Fairbarn, a 24-year-old Forest Hills man, was one of 19 people arrested in the operation, which also caught residents from Flushing, Bayside, Pennsylvania and Southeast Asia.

According to Schneiderman, the Attorney General's office worked with the NYPD during a 16-month investigation to monitor the advertising agency Somad Enterprises, which created both online and print advertisements in publications like Backpage.com and the Village Voice to prostitute women.

All told, the agency took in more than $3 million for its role in facilitating meet-ups between often unwilling female victims and the men paying for their services, Schneiderman said.

Those arrested include employees of the advertising agency who accepted money to place the ads, pimps, drivers and more. During the course of making arrests, NYPD officers also took two human-trafficking victims into custody, both of whom are now in a safehouse.

12 comments:

Mike Skunkler said...

What's going on here?

It's freedom of speech!

Anonymous said...

It's about time. But I guess it's "better late than never".

I'm happy to see the advertising people get theirs too. It sends a message.

Anonymous said...

Two people having sex and one is exchanging money to the other.

Where is the harm in that or better yet, where is the "victim" in this "crime"?

Anonymous said...

I'm not at all surprised about Flushing being involved.
"Massagee, massagee, massagee!
Did they question Nussbaum and Schenkler at the Q Trib for the whore ads they run?

And where the hell is Ann Jawin on this abuse of women?
Maybe she's one of the "escorts"...LOL!

Queens Crapper said...

Two people having sex and one is exchanging money to the other. Where is the harm in that or better yet, where is the "victim" in this "crime"?

Did you miss the parts of the article that mentioned "unwilling female victims" or "NYPD officers also took two human-trafficking victims into custody, both of whom are now in a safehouse."

Anonymous said...

Go after the local newspapers who are also promoting prostitution in their classified ads section!

Anonymous said...

Queens Crap, you have hit a new low, the nadir of negativity. Ann Jawin an escort? Quick, where's a bucket? I've got to vomit.

Anonymous said...

If the women were brought here illegally, they will call them human trafficking victims, even if they came of their own volition.

The fact that this bust was an 18 month investigation into 5 brothels and there were only 2 "trafficking" victims brought into custody indicates that most of these women were probably not trafficked.

If human trafficking were really the concern, legalizing and regulating the industry would go a long way to prevent that.

Queens Crapper said...

They found 2 while arresting suspects. There likely are many more that haven't been discovered yet.

If you read the original press release, there was money laundering and sale of illegal drugs as well.

georgetheatheist said...

Money laundering and the sale of illegal drugs. That's the point. Prostitution goes hand-in-hand with other sorts of illegal activity.

Did you just read that, Mister Michael Schenkler, publisher of the Queens Tribune and publisher of prostitution ads? Can you put 2and 2 together?

Anonymous said...

If the women were brought here illegally, they will call them human trafficking victims, even if they came of their own volition.

Usually the traffickers want underage girls - did they have a choice? Some women are also promised jobs as nannies, and when they get here are forced into prostitution - did they have a choice?

Anonymous said...

Underage virgins are at a premium.

Those fat old Oriental businessmen will drop loads of cash at their feet to enter the premises.

Many believe that f-----g a girl with an intact hymen
helps them regain their youth, vigor and live longer.

How ignorant and superstitious these Asiatics can be.

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