Craigslist pulls all adult services ads: state official

WASHINGTON – Online classifieds website Craigslist has shut down its "adult services" sections worldwide, nearly four months after removing the listings in the United States, a US state attorney general said.

Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal said legal representatives for Craigslist had confirmed to his office that erotic and adult services sections had been removed from the company's websites around the world.

"This worldwide shutdown of erotic services sections on Craigslist is a victory in the fight against sexual exploitation of women and children and human trafficking connected to prostitution," Blumenthal said in a statement.

"This move is another important step in the ongoing fight to more effectively screen and stop pernicious prostitution ads," he said.

Blumenthal, a Democrat who won election to the US Senate in November, added that he is "determined to continue seeking new ways to protect women and children from online predators."

Craigslist removed adult services ads in the United States on September 3 following months of pressure from state law enforcement officials and advocacy groups which had charged that they facilitated prostitution.

Craigslist said it was being made a scapegoat and stressed its efforts to pre-screen all submissions and work with state law enforcement and advocacy groups.

There was no response from Craigslist to a request for comment from AFP.