The chief executive of the classified ad website Backpage.com was arrested Thursday on pimping charges, part of a broad crackdown led by state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, who criticized the website for profiting from the sex trafficking of adults and children. Ferrer, 55, is also accused of multiple counts of pimping and pimping minors, according to court papers. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has repeatedly faulted the site for encouraging an online environment for child sex trafficking and failing to implement preventative steps to stamp out abuse. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has reported about 2,900 cases of suspected child sex trafficking via Backpage to law enforcement agencies in California since 2012, officials said.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 07, 2016 02:55 UTC