Senator Flake & McCain Introduce Legislation to Hold Backpage Dot Com Accountable & Ensure Justice For Victims of Sex Trafficking

Press Release

U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) today joined 18 of their colleagues to introduce the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act. This legislation ensures justice for victims of sex trafficking and ensures that websites such as Backpage.com, which knowingly facilitate sex trafficking, can be held liable and brought to justice.

The legislation is the result of a two-year Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) inquiry, led by Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), which culminated in a report entitled "Backpage.com's Knowing Facilitation of Online Sex Trafficking," which found that Backpage.com knowingly facilitated criminal sex trafficking of vulnerable women and young girls and then covered up evidence of these crimes in order to increase its own profits. The measure has been endorsed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and other anti-trafficking advocates and law enforcement organizations.

"For years, Backpage.com has knowingly facilitated online sex trafficking and child exploitation, destroying the lives of innocent young women and girls," said Senator McCain. "It is disgraceful that the law as written has protected Backpage from being held liable for enabling these horrific crimes. Our legislation would eliminate these legal protections and ensure companies like Backpage are brought to justice for violating the rights of the most innocent among us."

"Sex trafficking is a deplorable crime and companies like Backpage.com that knowingly facilitate it are reprehensible," said Senator Flake. "Congress needs to act to hold these criminal actors liable for their victimization of innocent women and girls. I thank my colleagues for working together to introduce this important legislation, and I look forward to its swift passage."

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