Authorities face new challenges as sex trafficking moves to new sites, mobile apps

Authorities trying to catch suspects buying sex with women or minors have long depended on Craigslist and Backpage, where an online personal ad could be viewed from anywhere in the world and elicit any number of responses at a given time.

But police and advocates across the state and nation are scrambling to adapt to new challenges after both sites’ personal ads were shuttered earlier this year, displacing sex trafficking onto mobile apps, obscure websites and foreign-owned sites that aren’t beholden to U.S. legal practices.

http://www.startribune.com/authorities-face-new-challenges-as-sex-trafficking-moves-to-new-sites-mobile-apps/491603921/