Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) announced today he is cosponsoring legislation that would hold websites like Backpage.com accountable for facilitating sex trafficking. H.R. 4225, the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act, would make it a criminal offense to knowingly distribute advertising that offers a commercial sex act. Currently, Backpage.com and other websites profit from advertising under their adult entertainment section, which includes offerings of sex services.

“With criminals increasingly using the internet to traffic their victims, we need to provide law enforcement and prosecutors the tools to fight back,” said Paulsen. “Websites like Backpage.com should not be able to plead ignorance while raking in advertising profits from sexual services of young girls. Passing this legislation would be another important step to protect vulnerable children from sex slavery.” 

In 23 different states, over 50 criminal trafficking charges linked to Backpage.com have been filed. Last year, an advertisement on Backpage.com resulted in the sexual exploitation of a Maple Grove, Minnesota teen. Despite these facts, Backpage.com is estimated to earn $26 million in revenue from prostitution-related ads while facing no repercussions for their role in the trafficking of minors. Last week, Congressman Paulsen signed onto a letter urging action by the Department of Justice against Backpage.com’s facilitation of sex trafficking.  

Congressman Paulsen has long been an advocate for combating sex trafficking and has testified in front of a Ways and Means Subcommittee about what can be done to address the issue. He is authoring two bills, H.R. 2744, the Child Sex Trafficking Data and Response Act, and H.R. 3610, the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act. H.R. 2744 addresses the high prevalence of sex trafficking of youth in foster care and the lack of reliable data, while H.R. 3610 expands safe harbor laws and ensures that minors who are trafficked are treated as victims instead of criminals.   

For more information on Rep. Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov.

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