Craigslist "Sex For Pay"

A month ago, we first told you that prostitutes are now getting more of their business online, cyber-connecting in Tennessee's largest cities..Now, 43 states, including Tennessee and Georgia, have banded together to require online "hook-up" services, to charge people who advertise sex-for-sale. The goal is to reduce illegal sex trade ads, but we found some of the people who locally post the ads, defiantly telling authorities.. "catch us if you can."

Chattanooga police have been cracking down on prostitutes. "We don't want any area of town to be victimized by women walking the streets and having 'johns' to come and patronize their services," says Sergeant Jerri Weary. And since the world's oldest profession has gone hi-tech, with dozens of ads for sexual favors for sale on online services like Craigslist, law enforcement is cracking down there, too. Operators of Craigslist have now signed agreements with 43 state attorneys general, to reduce the number of illegal sex trade ads. The agreement includes Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina..

"Federally, it's easier for them to do," Sergeant Weary says, "because there's more money and more availability of actual agents who can put in the man hours in order to investigate these types of crimes. Sergeant Weary says Chattanooga police do not have the time and resources to enforce the agreement locally. The agreement requires Craigslist to get credit card numbers and phone numbers from people who post ads for sexual favors for pay, with the money paid to Craigslist going to charity. One woman from Atlanta who posted a sex-for-sale ad on Chattanooga's Craiglist and wanted to be identified as Melody, says, the agreement is unfair. "I think it's ridiculous and I think law enforcement needs to go after the real criminals," she says. "Well, everyone has their opinion of how police officers should go about enforcing the law," Sergeant Weary says, "and we don't infringe on anyone's opinion... but prostition is a violation of the law, no matter what."

I asked another poster if she knew she was about to be charged for advertising sex-for-sale on Chattanooga's Craigslist. "Were you aware of the agreement," I asked.

"What are you talking about, man?" was the half-spoken, half-mumbled reply.

I asked if she was aware of what the state of Tennessee plans to do to cut down on illegal prostitution ads like hers.

"What are you, the police or something?" she mumbled. "No, I am a reporter," I answered.

That answer apparently struck a nerve. "Well listen here," she yelled, "I don't do no (expletive) interviews!"

The rest of her response contain many more expletives, all unprintable here.

In our area, Alabama is not on the list of states with an agreement with Craigslist.

Joy Patterson in that state's Attorney General's Office says, Alabama did not know about the agreement, until the day OF the deadline to sign on.