Today, the Senate voted to hold the online marketplace Backpage.com in contempt as part of Senator Portman and McCaskill’s bipartisan investigation of online sex trafficking.

Here is what experts are saying about Backpage and the work that Senators Portman and McCaskill are doing to end sex trafficking.

“I commend the Senate, particularly Senators Rob Portman and Claire McCaskill, for their leadership on the investigation into Backpage and their dedication to assisting victims of child sex trafficking and their families. I am outraged at the business practices Backpage continues to engage in and that they are not being held accountable for facilitating and profiting from child sex trafficking on their website. Backpage is a shopping mall for people who want to exploit children and they shouldn’t be able to continue profiting on the rape of children without repercussions. These creeps keep hiding behind the veil of the First Amendment while knowingly allowing children to be trafficked for sex on their website. This isn’t about prostitution or sex between consenting adults, this is about children being purchased for rape and sexual abuse. – John Walsh, human and victim rights advocate and creator of America’s Most Wanted

“We have long been alarmed about Backpage’s business practices that fail to prevent children from being sold for sex on its website. The work of your Subcommittee to investigate these practices and to demand answers is to be wide commended… We are grateful for your dedication to the safety of our nation’s children and look forward to continuing to work with you and others who are working tireless to half the terrible tragedy of online child sex trafficking,” – John F. Clark, President, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

“Rights4Girls applauds the Senate's passage of this important resolution that will provide much needed accountability and insight into Backpage.com's business practices-- practices that have led to the trafficking and exploitation of children all across this country. We are especially grateful to Senators Portman and McCaskill for their leadership in advancing this resolution and for their dedication to protecting our nation's most vulnerable children.” – Yasmin Vafa, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Rights4Girls

“On behalf of Polaris, a nonprofit organization working to end human trafficking and restore freedom to victims and survivors, I am writing to express my strong support for S. Res 377, which directs the Senate Legal Counsel to bring a civil action to enforce a subpoena issued by your Subcommittee to the Chief Executive Officer of Backpage. I appreciate your tremendous work on this investigation and your leadership in the fight to ensure victims of child sex trafficking and their families receive justice.” – Brad Myles, CEO, Polaris

“Shared Hope documented 495 cases representing at least 548 child victims who were sold for sex on Backpage.com in nearly every state in the U.S. These are cases we identified through media coverage, which means they represent only a fraction of the total number of cases. Our partners indicate most of the youth they serve in recovery programs were sold on the site. Yet Backpage.com refuses to pay damages to victims from whose exploitation they profited in settlements while these young women still struggle to recover from the trauma they have suffered…Backpage is failing to protect our children from the criminals using its website for sex trafficking, but we trust the Senate will find the truth through this investigation.” – Linda Smith, U.S. Congress 1995-1999 and current President of Shared Hope International

“The Subcommittees efforts to investigate the practices of Backpage.com and demand answers in an effort to prevent the sex trafficking of children on that website and others like it is critical to our work to end sex trafficking. Shared Hope proudly supports the resolution and the Subcommittee’s important work. We are grateful to you for your bravery and diligence.” – Shared Hope International

“Backpage.com turned a profit every time my child was advertised by her trafficker posted ads targeted towards adult men paid to rape her. As our family has been bled dry trying to find resources to address the trauma she suffered while being bought and sold, Backpage earned millions from its illicit “business,” knowingly putting vulnerable children like my daughter at risk. It is my hope that Senators Portman and McCaskill’s investigation through the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will bring to light to the horrors families like mine have incurred. We are grateful for their efforts to seek justice for my daughter.” – Kubiiki Pride, Advocate, Mother of Survivor

You can learn more about Backpage and the historic vote here. The Subcommittee’s bipartisan report is here. A link to the November 19 hearing is here.

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