Sex Trafficking Victim Files Suit Against Craigslist And Backpage

HOUSTON, TX — An 18-year old human trafficking victim, who was allegedly sexually exploited through craigslist.com and backpage.com, has filed a lawsuit in Harris County for unspecified damages.

The lawsuit is being brought by local attorney Annie McAdams, who has filed two other lawsuits this year on behalf of other human and sex trafficking victims.

“We are representing a young lady...who was trafficked when she was 16 off of backpage and craigslist,” McAdams said.

The woman in this lawsuit, identified as Jane Doe #3, was allegedly forced into prostitution at the age of 16 and sexually exploited through so-called “clean ads” sanitized through filters in backpage.com, and in sexually exploited ads in craigslist.

The lawsuit comes 10 days after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a guilty plea by the company for human trafficking, and the company’s CEO, Carl Ferrer, pleading guilty to money laundering.

However, in the weeks leading up to that guilty plea, McAdams has filed other lawsuits related to sex trafficking.

In January, McAdams represented an 18-year old sex trafficking victim, identified as Jane Doe #1, who filed a lawsuit against backpage.com and several hotels chains and truckstops alleging they all knew about and profited from sex trafficking at their establishments.

In February, a woman identified as Jane Doe #2, and represented by McAdams filed a similar lawsuit, and claimed businesses knew about and willfully profited from human trafficking.

Houston has long been a hub for human and sex trafficking, as evidenced by the number of arrests made through law enforcement sting operations in the area of FM 1960 and Interstate 45, and the number of civil lawsuits filed against businesses deemed a public nuisance by the Harris County Attorney’s Office.

“This is one of the biggest hotspots [in Houston],” McAdams said. “She [Jane Doe #3] is not the only person we represent...I have many victims that [are trafficked] from that specific area.”

McAdams said there will likely be more human trafficking cases as more victims come forward to seek justice against organizations like backpage and craigslist.

“When I first got involved in this litigation, I knew that these girls were going to be damaged and I knew they were going to be hurt, but I don’t think anything truly could have prepared me for the extent of the harm and damage that these young girls have suffered,” she said.

So who’s responsible for the damages to these women?Right now Harris County and local charities are helping these young women rebuild their lives, and helping with the burden of these medical bills that are the result of human and sex trafficking.

But many for many of these women, the damage could be irreparable.

Many have been beaten so severely they’ve suffered brain damage, and some of have been sexually abused so severely they a require vaginal reconstruction, and there are those who’ve been so traumatized they will never work again.

McAdams said the burden of helping these victims should fall entirely on the companies and individuals who profited from sex trafficking.

“This has to be done right because so much is as stake,” she said.

Image: Shutterstock

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