Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — Attorney General Dustin McDaniel joined counterparts from 15 other states today in demanding online forum Craigslist remove the Adult Services portion of its website because of its inability to stop the use of the site to promote prostitution.

In a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark, the attorneys general say Craigslist cannot, or will not, adequately screen and police submissions to its Adult Services section, so it must stop accepting them altogether and shut down the Adult Services section.

“The states have tried to work with Craigslist, but the site continues to be used for illegal activity,” McDaniel said in a release. “In our view, the company should take immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads.”

Craigslist’s “manual review” of Adult Services ads did not yield a discernable reduction in solicitations, according to the letter sent by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and joined by McDaniel and 15 other attorneys general.

Even following its 2008 public pledge to attorneys general and the public that it would better police its own site, Craigslist remains a hot spot for blatant prostitution ads, the letter said.

It acknowledges Craigslist stands to lose considerable revenue generated by the ads, but said “no amount of money can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution, and the suffering of the woman and children who will continue to be victimized in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist.”

San Francisco-based Craigslist did not immediately return a call seeking comment this afternoon.