AGs blast Craigslist’s ‘brothel business’

The Boston Globe reports:

A year after a masseuse was killed, allegedly by a man responding to her Craigslist posting, the company’s efforts to discourage sex advertisements by charging more and collecting credit card information are instead generating added profits, prompting a renewed investigation into its practices.

In Boston alone, Craigslist’s revenue from “adult’’ ad postings is anticipated to increase to $942,500 this year, from $160,000 in 2009, according to a consulting firm that tracks the classified ad website.

This week, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, on behalf of 39 attorneys general nationwide, subpoenaed financial information from Craigslist, calling the site a booming “brothel business.’’

“We believe Craigslist has made a promise to the public, not just the AGs, that it would rid its site of these ads,’’ Blumenthal said. But “it continues to be an apparent online red light district with ads for activity that may be linked to child exploitation and human trafficking,’’ he said.

Capitalism among consenting adults upsets some people.