Hi halfpint50,
Actually, many women, --hundreds of thousands in fact, do offer sex
for free on the Internet, but online prostitution is a huge problem
that the Law Enforcement Community is slowly addressing. That is the
problem I will address for you.
The bad news: Sites like adult.com are legal, because most porn is
legal, but policing the sites for illegal activity is very difficult.
The good news: There are Florida --and Federal Agencies that will look
into the problem for you.
First, I want to arm you with the facts. This is a very large and
widespread problem. Take a look at this article, it is talking mainly
about CA, but Florida has the same problem:
How the Internet is bringing the world?s oldest profession to a
neighborhood near you.
http://www.diablomag.com/archives/june/prostitution.html
..."?I was shocked to see what was regularly posted on the Internet,?
Parodi says. ?I learned to my utter surprise that prostitution is no
longer that ?seedy? element mostly associated with the ?ghetto? or
large cities. It is everywhere...? ....Anyone seeking a prostitute in
his neighborhood can Google a few obvious search terms and mouse-click
his way to upward of 50 different purveyors of sex......These
businesses range from strip-mall storefronts disguised as
massage-therapy studios to independent $300-an-hour prostitutes
advertising ?in call? in their hotel rooms or in their apartments..."
One more article:
Streetwalkers in cyberspace
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3078778/
..."Peter Gulotta, head of the FBI?s Innocent Images task force in
Baltimore, told MSNBC that the bureau is currently pursuing several
cases involving online prostitution rings that extend across state
lines, a prerequisite for federal involvement. Similar cases have been
brought in Dallas, Miami and Boston over the past several years, he
said..."
Indeed, prostitution is illegal in Florida. Here's the statutes:
The 2005 Florida Statutes - CHAPTER 796 - PROSTITUTION
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0796/titl0796.htm&StatuteYear=2005&Title=%2D%3E2005%2D%3EChapter%20796
And --the state of Florida does care, and take action, however that
action may very well be 'long in coming' because the investigations
cross state lines, involve multiple states (and sometimes countries).
Reference:
EXCERPT FROM: http://www.mbi-police.org/year/highlight02.htm
HOME PAGE: http://www.mbi-police.org/
OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS: http://www.mbi-police.org/links/links.html
EMAIL: mbiorlando@aol.com
..."The mission of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) to
remove narcotics, organized crime and illegal vice organizations from
Central Florida continued in 2002 through teamwork by the thirteen
(13) member agencies that contribute to the MBI Task Force. In
addition, during 2002, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
federally deputized the local and state agents assigned to the MBI
Narcotics Section in order to facilitate additional prosecutions in
the federal judicial system..."
[Very Relevant information for you below]
..."Other extensive efforts for MBI vice agents included
investigations of the escort prostitution services that were being
advertised and promoted on the internet by the web site Big.doggie.net
that led to 10 arrests and the closing of 12 escort internet
prostitution services, the investigation of Liberty Adult Video and
Thee Playhouse Topless Go Go that led to the permanent removal of the
adult entertainment licenses for the businesses, and the continuing
series of interviews, depositions, and court testimony and litigation
involving the Rachel?s Men?s Clubs and the arrests and convictions of
both general managers, four top managers, two supervisors, and more
than a dozen other employees of Rachel?s Men?s Clubs. Testimony and
evidence obtained after those arrests of managers and employees
additionally led to the arrest, and pending trial, of a primary owner
of the business..."
It's possible that if it's not an organized Prostitution "Ring", just
women advertising and meeting men to trade sex for money, the local
vice squad would help you, but I would start at one of the links below
to be directed to the right place for your area.
Because the web site you mention is registered in Chicago, involving
at a minimum of two states, I suspect many more, this agency will be
able to assist you in starting:
Internet Crime Complaint Center
http://www.ic3.gov/
..."The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White
Collar Crime Center (NW3C)..."
..."IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and
refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of
cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and
easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected
criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory
agencies at the federal, state, and local level, IC3 provides a
central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related
crimes..."
The above agency appears to focus mainly on fraud but offers
assistance in referrals to the proper agency.
Here's another excellent place to start:
Florida Internet Crime Center
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Fc3/report.html
..."If you have been a victim of a computer crime, there are several
avenues you can follow for investigative assistance [more at the
link].....please feel free to contact the Florida Computer Crime
Center by phone at 850-410-7052, or you may contact us via e-mail at
ComputerCrimeCenter@fdle.state.fl.us. ..."
There may be more information here:
Reporting Internet Crime: The United States of America
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Reporting_Internet_Crime:_The_United_States_of_America
Here's another Florida example:
Internet prostitution ring linked to people in Tampa
http://www.sptimes.com/News/021601/TampaBay/Tampa_Bay_briefs_.shtml
..."TAMPA -- Law enforcement officials have accused eight people of
being involved in an Internet prostitution ring based in Tampa and
North Carolina..."
FBI - Investigative Programs - Cyber Investigations
http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/websnare.htm
Miami FBI Office:
Community Outreach Page: http://miami.fbi.gov/invprog.htm
Miami FBI
16320 Northwest 2nd Avenue
North Miami Beach, FL 33169
(305) 944-9101
E-mail: miami@ic.fbi.gov
Another Florida Resource:
Contact The Problem Solvers Team
http://www.local6.com/money/2514373/detail.html
Florida Office of the Attorney General
http://myfloridalegal.com/
Charges Filed in Prostitution Web-Site Operator Case - Corporation
Ordered to Shut Web-Site Down
http://myfloridalegal.com/__852562220065EE67.nsf/0/B7937B3F047B5A0985256BDD00714F7F?Open&Highlight=0,internet,prostitution
http://myfloridalegal.com/__852562220065EE67.nsf/0/60E7B30D844829D685256BF1006F27E8?Open&Highlight=0,internet,prostitution
..."The Office of Statewide Prosecution, working with the Hillsborough
County Sheriff's Office and other state and federal law enforcement
agencies in the investigation dubbed "Operation Flea Collar,"
announces the filing of fifty-seven counts on July 3, 2002, in
Hillsborough County Circuit Court against fourteen defendants
regarding the worldwide Internet prostitution ring web site based out
of Tampa, Florida, www.Bigdoggie.net. ..."
Some states are trying to introduce specific Internet Prostitution
legislation, reference:
Article III: Sexual Crimes
http://cybercrimes.net/99MSCCC/MSCCC/Article3/3.03.4.html
This is Ohio, but Florida is mentioned.
Law enforcement is training it's own in this area:
A Law Enforcement Conference on Sept 28, 2005 in Jacksonville Beach,
Florida for included this topic:
http://www.scja.net/2005scjaconference.doc
Internet Prostitution: A New Challenge For Law Enforcement.
More articles:
Law lags as underworld goes online
http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/11/29/1101577418507.html
Online prostitution difficult to police
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/9453201.htm
From the other side, this is interesting:
StripperWeb
h t t p: / /ww w. stripperweb .com/forum/showthread.php?t=40479
Poke around in this site, but I thought this page might come in
handy... Note: I purposely broke the link several times so it won't
be clickable, no sense in advertising them here...
Although adult.com may seem like a problem, when you enter "Florida
Escorts" into Google, there are 180,000 results. Also, some thinly
veiled "dating" sites, and massage parlour web sites turn a blind eye
to this illegal activity.
I hope I have empowered you --at least to start hunting down a
resource that will assist you.
If I can be of further assistance in regards to online prostitution,
please don't hesitate to ask via the "request for clarification"
button.
~~Cynthia
Search terms used at Google:
"Internet OR Online Prostitution" Florida
"Internet Crime" Florida solicitation OR prostitution -child -fraud |
