'Adult' Ads Make Craigslist More Dangerous

(NEWSER) - Craigslist is due an apology from South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, the site’s CEO writes on his company blog, after threatening “unwarranted and unconstitutional charges against us that are clearly barred by federal law.” What’s more, Jim Buckmaster charges, Craigslist isn’t the only outlet running the “adult services” ads McMaster targeted—asking if he’ll go after the CEOs of AT&T, Microsoft, and the South Carolina newspapers he’ll need in his next campaign. More»

But it took parents a surprisingly long time to catch on

(NEWSER) - Friends and co-workers warned schoolteacher Melissa Petro that it might not be such a great idea to write about her past as a prostitute, but she did it anyway. Most recently, Melissa Petro wrote about her thoughts on the shutdown of Craigslist's "erotic services" section, which she used for four months, for the Huffington Post . Cue the New York Post's predictably juicy-sounding "exclusive" ("SEXXX ED"), in which outraged parents express their belief that, as one says, "People like that should not be allowed to be anywhere near children." More»

(NEWSER) - Sure, the ads in Craigslist’s new “Adult Services” section are tamer than those that appeared in the old “Erotic Services” category, shuttered after the firestorm surrounding the “Craigslist killer” case. But read between the lines and the meaning is still the same, Chris Matyszczyk writes for CNET. “This is little more than a dance, a dysfunctional Argentine tango between those who advertise sexual services on Craigslist and those who have sought to pursue the site.” More»

AG hails it as a win for his state

(NEWSER) - Craigslist has filed federal suit against South Carolina’s attorney general to stop him from charging company executives with breaking state prostitution and obscenity laws. AG Henry McMaster called the site’s move a victory, saying “it shows that Craigslist is taking the matter seriously for the first time,” the State reports. “Overnight they have removed the erotic services section.” More»

Calls from victim's cell phone show awareness of cops' methods

(NEWSER) - After the suspected Long Island serial killer took Melissa Barthelemy's life, he likely took her cell phone and used it to torment her teenage sister—and he did so in a way that leads cops to think that he's no stranger to their investigative methods, reports the New York Times. "He is a guy who is aware of how we utilize technology,” one investigator says. “Frankly, people are thinking maybe he could be a cop.” More»