Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World's Largest Sex Trafficker
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- Create Date：2021-12-20 19:21:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Maggy Krell
- ISBN：1479803049
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Summary
Insider details from the takedown of Backpage， the world's largest sex trafficker， by the prosecutor who led the charge
For almost a decade， Backpage。com was the world's largest sex trafficking operation。 Seven days a week， twenty-four hours a day， in 800 cities throughout the world， Backpage ran thousands of listings advertising the sale of vulnerable young people for sex。 Reaping a cut off every transaction， the owners of the website raked in millions of dollars。 But many of the people in the advertisements were children， as young as 12， and forced into the commercial sex trade through fear， violence and coercion。
In Taking Down Backpage， veteran California prosecutor Maggy Krell tells the story of how she and her team prevailed against this sex trafficking monolith。 Beginning with her early career as a young DA， she shares the evolution of the anti-human trafficking movement。 Through a fascinating combination of memoir and legal insight， Krell reveals how she and her team started with the prosecution of street pimps and ultimately ended with the takedown of the largest purveyor of human trafficking in the world。 She shares powerful stories of interviews with victims， sting operations， court cases， and the personal struggles that were necessary to bring Backpage executives to justice。 Finally， Krell examines the state of sex trafficking after Backpage and the crucial work that still remains。
Taking Down Backpage is a gripping story of tragedy， overcoming adversity， and the pursuit of justice that gives insight into the fight against sex trafficking in the digital age。
For almost a decade， Backpage。com was the world's largest sex trafficking operation。 Seven days a week， twenty-four hours a day， in 800 cities throughout the world， Backpage ran thousands of listings advertising the sale of vulnerable young people for sex。 Reaping a cut off every transaction， the owners of the website raked in millions of dollars。 But many of the people in the advertisements were children， as young as 12， and forced into the commercial sex trade through fear， violence and coercion。
In Taking Down Backpage， veteran California prosecutor Maggy Krell tells the story of how she and her team prevailed against this sex trafficking monolith。 Beginning with her early career as a young DA， she shares the evolution of the anti-human trafficking movement。 Through a fascinating combination of memoir and legal insight， Krell reveals how she and her team started with the prosecution of street pimps and ultimately ended with the takedown of the largest purveyor of human trafficking in the world。 She shares powerful stories of interviews with victims， sting operations， court cases， and the personal struggles that were necessary to bring Backpage executives to justice。 Finally， Krell examines the state of sex trafficking after Backpage and the crucial work that still remains。
Taking Down Backpage is a gripping story of tragedy， overcoming adversity， and the pursuit of justice that gives insight into the fight against sex trafficking in the digital age。
Reviews
Ashley Morris
，
I was really interested in the subject of this book as I remember when Backpage was very popular and when it got shut down。 I skimmed through a lot of the book because most of this focused on the laws that the co-founders broke and why they couldn't prosecute them on prostitution charges。 I would have liked to see more from the defendants like clips from police interviews or court transcripts。 The book kind of ends abruptly with the author moving on to Planned Parenthood and hasn't mentioned tha I was really interested in the subject of this book as I remember when Backpage was very popular and when it got shut down。 I skimmed through a lot of the book because most of this focused on the laws that the co-founders broke and why they couldn't prosecute them on prostitution charges。 I would have liked to see more from the defendants like clips from police interviews or court transcripts。 The book kind of ends abruptly with the author moving on to Planned Parenthood and hasn't mentioned that the co-founders ended up being acquitted through a mistrial so justice still hasn't been served for all the victims。 。。。more
Greg Kopstein
，
A book with a fascinating - and horrifying - topic and the legal expertise to make it compelling。 While it was highly detailed and passionately written， it dragged on and only got to its main points at the end。I’m a fast reader， interested in the content， and with a background in law。 This 190 pager was not fast and did not capture my attention。 It’s best use will be as a legal case study on internet and sex-trafficking law and how best to take down online traffickers。
Rebecca
，
CW: human trafficking/sex trafficking， sexual assault （commercial sex involving minors ie rape）， court trials Thank you to NetGalley and New York University Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ This nonfiction book tells the story of dismantling the sex trafficking website Backpage and the people behind it。 Though a heavy fight， the story is extremely interesting to follow。 The author is the lead prosecutor， and her determination to get rid of Back CW: human trafficking/sex trafficking， sexual assault （commercial sex involving minors ie rape）， court trials Thank you to NetGalley and New York University Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ This nonfiction book tells the story of dismantling the sex trafficking website Backpage and the people behind it。 Though a heavy fight， the story is extremely interesting to follow。 The author is the lead prosecutor， and her determination to get rid of Backpage is clear through her every word。 I'm glad I picked this one up！ 。。。more
Jennilynn Miller
，
Very informative， in depth behind the scenes look into the investigation that ultimately took down Backpage and set into motion changing the way this country looks at sex trafficking。 This book does get dull， but it's not a fictional story。 It's also not a "true crime" story。 This is the equivalent of a film documentary only in print。 If this is your sort of thing you'll enjoy this book， if it's not well then you probably won't。 Personally I really enjoyed learning more about this， I had no idea Very informative， in depth behind the scenes look into the investigation that ultimately took down Backpage and set into motion changing the way this country looks at sex trafficking。 This book does get dull， but it's not a fictional story。 It's also not a "true crime" story。 This is the equivalent of a film documentary only in print。 If this is your sort of thing you'll enjoy this book， if it's not well then you probably won't。 Personally I really enjoyed learning more about this， I had no idea the level that Backpage was contributing to the sex trafficking industry。 While we still have a lot of work to do， and a huge trafficking problem in this country reading about how Maggy was brave enough to take on one of the biggest players in the industry was very uplifting。 I received an early copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Becki
，
A straight-forward and non-varnished look at the long legal battle to prosecute the men at the helm of Backpage， a website used for sex-trafficking and child exploitation。 Lead prosecutor Maggy Krell shares here her tireless fight for justice for Backpage's victims and ends with her recommendations for the continued battle to protect the vulnerable and support the exploited。 （Spoiler alert- education， health care and a social safety net are all crucial。）I really enjoyed this book， and cheered wi A straight-forward and non-varnished look at the long legal battle to prosecute the men at the helm of Backpage， a website used for sex-trafficking and child exploitation。 Lead prosecutor Maggy Krell shares here her tireless fight for justice for Backpage's victims and ends with her recommendations for the continued battle to protect the vulnerable and support the exploited。 （Spoiler alert- education， health care and a social safety net are all crucial。）I really enjoyed this book， and cheered with Krell when she and her team finally achieved their goals。 I selfishly wish there had been a bit more detail and a "rounding out" of the story， but this is a solid project。 I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion， which I'm always happy to provide。 My thanks to the author， publisher， and #NetGalley。 #TakingDownBackpage 。。。more
Brenda
，
This book was written by a woman who was the lead prosecutor responsible for taking down the website "Backpage"， which under a thin veneer of respectability， was really just acting as a pimp for international sex trafficking。 This book is about the author's experience and challenges in bringing Backpage down。 The work that was done， and the impact that it had， is undeniably important to our society as a whole， and I'm extremely appreciative of what she went through to make it happen。 The politic This book was written by a woman who was the lead prosecutor responsible for taking down the website "Backpage"， which under a thin veneer of respectability， was really just acting as a pimp for international sex trafficking。 This book is about the author's experience and challenges in bringing Backpage down。 The work that was done， and the impact that it had， is undeniably important to our society as a whole， and I'm extremely appreciative of what she went through to make it happen。 The political and legal hoops that she had to jump through were sadly much more challenging than one would hope for in a situation like this。I feel like the author did a good job of explaining why it was so difficult， and in some cases even explained why the difficulty itself was a good thing because of the protections those difficulties provide to more innocent enterprises。 Some of the book got really bogged down into legalese， and would likely have been enjoyed by someone with a better legal background， but it was a little much for me。 I also wished that a bit more humanity could have been brought into the book - the victims and their families。 The one person who became very human in this book was her former mentor Dave， and I wish she could have provided that same "feel" for some of the other personalities that graced the pages of the book。I also felt like in some cases the politics of the situation were just skimmed over。 She'd been battling for months/years to get funding， personnel， and support to go after Backpage， but was hitting delay after delay until suddenly for no apparent reason she got the greenlight right when Kamala Harris was running for Congress？ We all know that this kind of stuff happens but it is part of the tragedy of our system that good causes can be swept under the rug until they're politically expedient to bring them to life。 How many women suffered for longer because of this lack of attention？Overall， it was a good book - I got a much better understanding of how the law works in California， how the feds help （or not）， and where interstate collaboration can be hugely beneficial。 I'm very glad I took the time to read this book。 It just makes me wonder "who is the new Backpage" because the industry has not died， did we just move them farther underground？ What is the next big move in our battle against sex trafficking？Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review based on my reading。 #NetGalley， #TakingDownBackpage 。。。more
April Taylor
，
This book was good， and it showcased a lot of things that were really wrong with our legal system。 For instance， it’s appalling that the law used to allow people to traffic others online because of the First Amendment。 That is not free speech。 It’s a crime， and the Backpage owners were allowed to get away with it for years。 There were some issues with repetition。 However， it was a good read。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC。 This review contains my honest， unbiased o This book was good， and it showcased a lot of things that were really wrong with our legal system。 For instance， it’s appalling that the law used to allow people to traffic others online because of the First Amendment。 That is not free speech。 It’s a crime， and the Backpage owners were allowed to get away with it for years。 There were some issues with repetition。 However， it was a good read。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC。 This review contains my honest， unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Bethany Ricci
，
There is a lot I could say about this book。 First， for transparency， I must confess that I have worked both Stateside and internationally since 2011 with those rescued out of the sex industry so I have first hand experience with similar stories to the women Krell defended。 With that being said Krell did a really wonderful job of explaining the need for the changes in the law and sharing the women's highlight reel without further trauma。 I say that because in some of the reviews I have read some There is a lot I could say about this book。 First， for transparency， I must confess that I have worked both Stateside and internationally since 2011 with those rescued out of the sex industry so I have first hand experience with similar stories to the women Krell defended。 With that being said Krell did a really wonderful job of explaining the need for the changes in the law and sharing the women's highlight reel without further trauma。 I say that because in some of the reviews I have read some were disappointed that Krell didn't include more details regarding the women。 To request more details is to request further exploitation。 Instead of their bodies being exploited their stories become exploited for the sake of "good" or "awareness。" Our awareness on this issue can't be at the sake of others stories。 These women could be easily traced since they stood on trial so fake names are just not enough。 I commend Krell for sharing just enough and setting boundaries that didn't directly impact the punch of the book。 This book is about the behind the scenes of taking down back page， it's not a story about the survivors themselves （as the title clearly states）。The only thing I didn't fully appreciate was the obvious political bias that was present， but Krell is completely allowed to share those views， I just prefer to keep it straight as it isn't just a republican or democrat issue but rather an issue as a whole society。 Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Valerity （Val）
，
I really liked this one， it’s an amazing story of a prosecutor who is a major advocate for victims of the sex trafficking trade。 She decides to go after Backpage because of the ads they ran that became so commonplace for sexual encounters that contributed to the trafficking。 She also knew that they were making a ton of money from it， and their normal ads were just window dressing， not real。 It took a couple of years to identify the main people that owned and ran the Backpage site。 She built one I really liked this one， it’s an amazing story of a prosecutor who is a major advocate for victims of the sex trafficking trade。 She decides to go after Backpage because of the ads they ran that became so commonplace for sexual encounters that contributed to the trafficking。 She also knew that they were making a ton of money from it， and their normal ads were just window dressing， not real。 It took a couple of years to identify the main people that owned and ran the Backpage site。 She built one heck of a case against them， and I found it very inspiring。 Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley， author Maggy Krell， and the publisher。 。。。more
chantel nouseforaname
，
“Using the word “prostitute” or， worse， “child prostitute” defines people by their circumstances and wrongfully blames a victim for his or her own exploitation。 A child who is being commercially sexually exploited is a rape victim。 There’s no such thing as a child prostitute。” Facts。 Maggy Krell is a real one。 This was a fantastic look at the persistence of a lawyer and her team at taking down an empire of bullshit that does so much damage in the community at large。 “There is an inherent and com “Using the word “prostitute” or， worse， “child prostitute” defines people by their circumstances and wrongfully blames a victim for his or her own exploitation。 A child who is being commercially sexually exploited is a rape victim。 There’s no such thing as a child prostitute。” Facts。 Maggy Krell is a real one。 This was a fantastic look at the persistence of a lawyer and her team at taking down an empire of bullshit that does so much damage in the community at large。 “There is an inherent and complex tension among privacy interests， open-web interests， and the role of technology companies in moderating content and providing information to law enforcement。 We need to protect a free exchange of ideas on the internet and the privacy of users， but this cannot be done in a vacuum without regard to our collective vulnerabilities or the unique vulnerabilities of children。” As Apple is currently undergoing （yet stalling） in the implementation of features that would scan people's devices for child sex abuse images， they are experiencing more blowback than most would think possible after finally creating interventions that could potentially intercept the sexual exploitation of children everywhere。 This book is a cohesive look at a woman's fight to hold these companies accountable for their crimes。 It does lean more on Maggy Krell's personal narrative and experience prosecuting Backpage， but no doubt it was exhausting， necessary almost unmountable work。 This was infinitely readable。 I think Maggy Krell did a fantastic job of illustrating the importance of this work。 She effectively highlights how the use of Backpage disproportionately affects immigrant newcomers， and North American Black women and girls。 Krell highlights how the Justice system has largely criminalized these women and girls when they should be targeting the perpetrators， and those making millions of dollars through sexual exploitation and human trafficking。 ”When prevention fails and kids are caught up in the criminal justice system with cases of their own， we need to look at them through a public-health lens: they are children who have been subjected to severe forms of sexual abuse and trauma。 While， depending on the circumstances， they may need to be held accountable for voluntary criminal behavior， they also need medical and mental-health treatment for the trauma they have endured。 Addressing criminal behavior without addressing the trauma that caused it is short-sighted， ineffective， and unfair。 Commercially sexually exploited children should not be prosecuted as adults or sentenced to lengthy prison terms。”“This has been disproportionately true for Black girls and women whose oppression in the sex trade dates back to slavery。 Current data reflect that Black girls are far more likely to be arrested for prostitution and are disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice population。”“On the other side of the equation， we also need to address what is driving demand。 Why do some men think it is okay to pay teenagers for sex acts？ Is it entitlement—the idea that you can get whatever you want with money？ Is it rape culture—a prevailing social attitude that has normalized or trivialized sexual abuse？ Is it a lack of understanding or appreciation for the pain they are inflicting？”“At the heart of all our work should be the survivors whom I have had the privilege to work with both in prosecuting Backpage and telling this story。 They are incredible young women。 It has been the honor of my life to stand with them as they speak up for justice。” Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this work prior to its release in January 2022。 I think it’s an incredibly necessary read， especially for those who have children growing up exposed to the Wild West of the Internet。 Taking down Backpage doesn't eliminate the problem of human trafficking or the sexual exploitation of minors but it's a start。 Learn what you can do today to support agencies fighting human trafficking in your state or province。 。。。more
Carrie
，
I only recently learned about Backpage while listening to a podcast in which a sex worker bemoaned that it was no longer a platform she could use。 While her story was hers to tell， I believed her story to be the exception and not the majority opinion。 I was curious to hear more about what Backpage was， how it came to be shut down and all the good work that is being done to eradicate， or at least slow down， human trafficking in the US。 I wanted to hear from survivors who were rescued from the h I only recently learned about Backpage while listening to a podcast in which a sex worker bemoaned that it was no longer a platform she could use。 While her story was hers to tell， I believed her story to be the exception and not the majority opinion。 I was curious to hear more about what Backpage was， how it came to be shut down and all the good work that is being done to eradicate， or at least slow down， human trafficking in the US。 I wanted to hear from survivors who were rescued from the horrors of this industry and read of those courageous crusaders who are working to make society safer for the most vulnerable。 This book seemed like a great place to start。 I appreciated the author’s note at the beginning of this book。 It was clear and engaging and brought an understanding of what this book would be about。 I appreciated learning about her early work as a prosecutor and the many cases and many years that led to her advocacy for victims and her dedicated prosecution of this industry。 This book is definitely more about the legal process that led to the takedown， but I still found it rather fascinating， easy to read， and well put together。 My thanks to NetGalley and NYU Press for this advance copy of Taking Down Backpage。 。。。more
Annie McDonnell
，
Utterly unstoppable and compelling！ I couldn’t stop reading！ This book is essential for everyone to read。 We need our children to know what they need to be careful of。 I am so surprised that I really knew nothing。
Noor Lawson
，
This is an incredible read， a true life account of the brave actions of lawyer Maggy Krell and her inexhaustible fight to protect women and girls from the sex trafficking industry。 Not only is Taking Down Backpage very informative of the legalities surrounding this insidious issue， but Krell writes in a digestible way that really allows the reader follow along very easily， adding heart and humor to what is such a heavy topic of discussion。 This endemic is happening on our doorsteps in America an This is an incredible read， a true life account of the brave actions of lawyer Maggy Krell and her inexhaustible fight to protect women and girls from the sex trafficking industry。 Not only is Taking Down Backpage very informative of the legalities surrounding this insidious issue， but Krell writes in a digestible way that really allows the reader follow along very easily， adding heart and humor to what is such a heavy topic of discussion。 This endemic is happening on our doorsteps in America and more must be down to prevent this abuse。 Highly recommend reading and sharing this book！ 。。。more
Kait Griffin
，
I was excited to get my hands on this book as the subject of sex trafficking is of interest to me。 However， I didn’t like it。 It felt very short， superficial， and not especially well written。 It honestly seemed better suited as an article。 I would have enjoyed it more had the author included more of the victims’ stories。
Katherina Toews
，
As someone who has been involved in the anti-trafficking world for a while now， this book is a breath of fresh air。 The writing style is informative while not being overpowering。 I felt like I was having a conversation with the author instead of being lectured。 This book is so important as it not only covers the process of taking down Backpage， but also points out areas that we need to fix in order to keep organizations and people from exploiting others。 This book is a great introduction to the As someone who has been involved in the anti-trafficking world for a while now， this book is a breath of fresh air。 The writing style is informative while not being overpowering。 I felt like I was having a conversation with the author instead of being lectured。 This book is so important as it not only covers the process of taking down Backpage， but also points out areas that we need to fix in order to keep organizations and people from exploiting others。 This book is a great introduction to the world of abolition and will leave readers righteously enraged and ready to step up and make a difference。 。。。more
Marianne
，
Backpage was an online advertiser created from accepting， and creating ad’s selling people for sex online， mostly without their consent。Maggy Krell is a legal prosecutor， trailblazer and out to destroy the seemingly impregnable world of the USA’s commercial sex trade， and subsequent human trafficking which is procured by the Backpage website。We meet Maggy as a 25 year old legal crusader， all consumed with the complicated， and many pronged task of exposing。Firstly: the plight of the victims who a Backpage was an online advertiser created from accepting， and creating ad’s selling people for sex online， mostly without their consent。Maggy Krell is a legal prosecutor， trailblazer and out to destroy the seemingly impregnable world of the USA’s commercial sex trade， and subsequent human trafficking which is procured by the Backpage website。We meet Maggy as a 25 year old legal crusader， all consumed with the complicated， and many pronged task of exposing。Firstly: the plight of the victims who are badged as criminals。 Secondly: the investigation， exposure and prosecution of the men behind Backpage， and the way they made massive profits from their organisation。 Maggy makes it plain that her book is not about consensual sex work， it is about rape， and how Backpage increased the suffering of sexual trafficking victims exponentially。She is motivated by meeting trafficking survivors， who have escaped and shared their stories。Without them， she would have no case， and no anti-human trafficking movement。The disturbing element is that many of the victims are underage， and powerless to defend themselves against violence， coercion， and organised crime。Young victims are arrested and charged with prostitution， and thrown into the penal system， which does nothing to support or free them from this cycle of exploitation。The book was engaging， but at times repetitive。Although I understand that she is crazy busy with building this twisting， turning ongoing caseI did wonder who her home support people were; they get next to nix mention。This book is a great insight to the role of internet companies in our social structure， and the importance of corporate responsibility to humanity。I liked that in the final chapters of the book， Maggy highlights the need for educating and supporting America’s youth， to help make them less vulnerable to this kind of exploitation。Maggy quotes Frederick Douglas from an Atlanta based non-profit program:“It is easier to build strong children， than to repair broken men”Thanks to NetGalley and NYU Press for an advance copy of this book， in exchange for an honest review。 #NetGalley #TakingDownBackpage 。。。more
Lauren
，
Thank you to NetGalley and New York University Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review！I was initially drawn to this book because of the subject matter。 I love to hear non fiction from lawyers， especially Prosecutors。With that being said， this book did not satisfy me。 The facts were jumbled; it’s more of a diary than a story based on facts。I wanted to love it！ I just didn’t， unfortunately。
Pooja
，
Backpage was an international advertising website that was overwhelmingly used by sex traffickers to perpetuate the abuse of women and children。 In this book。 prosecutor Maggie Krell relates her experiences in getting Backpage taken down and tightening Internet laws to prevent human trafficking。This is an important topic， and I appreciated how clearly Krell lays out the legal proceedings。 She takes us from the beginning to the end of the case， making everything easy to understand and eliminating Backpage was an international advertising website that was overwhelmingly used by sex traffickers to perpetuate the abuse of women and children。 In this book。 prosecutor Maggie Krell relates her experiences in getting Backpage taken down and tightening Internet laws to prevent human trafficking。This is an important topic， and I appreciated how clearly Krell lays out the legal proceedings。 She takes us from the beginning to the end of the case， making everything easy to understand and eliminating jargon。 However， there is a certain human element missing from the story - perhaps because Krell was writing as objectively as she could， and with a tight focus。 We didn't get to know the characters very well。With a longer book， she might have gone more into needed depth。 Still， I enjoyed this book， and greatly appreciate the efforts of the team that took down Backpage。Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Sarah Morris
，
"A child who is being commercially sexually exploited is a rape victim。 There's no such thing as a child prostitiute。" It's so easy to fall into the mindset that trafficking "doesn't happen here"， and reading a book like this is really eye-opening。 I love that Maggy explained the case in ways that were understandable to those unfamiliar with the law。 She also gave credit to every person involved in shutting down Backpage， giving the reader a scope of how large this case really was。 In closing， s "A child who is being commercially sexually exploited is a rape victim。 There's no such thing as a child prostitiute。" It's so easy to fall into the mindset that trafficking "doesn't happen here"， and reading a book like this is really eye-opening。 I love that Maggy explained the case in ways that were understandable to those unfamiliar with the law。 She also gave credit to every person involved in shutting down Backpage， giving the reader a scope of how large this case really was。 In closing， she helped me understand how things need to be changed moving forward， because this issue is far from solved。 It was a really interesting read， and I learned a lot from it。 。。。more
Sookie
，
I remember the push back this case received after Backpage was taken down and also numerous interviews of the victims， some named and many unnamed。 Thanks to people like Krell who worked diligently for years to make victims got their justice。 For those who have followed this case in the past， this book is a good place to recollect and see the legal battle from start to finish。 Thank you NYU Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Patrick Pilz
，
I just reviewed Taking Down Backpage by Maggy Krell。 #TakingDownBackpage #NetGalleyhttps://www。netgalley。com/book/222635。。。Despite the fact that the story is pretty complex but the book rather short， the pace feels like a great double episode of Law and Order - Special Victims Unit。 Shocking twists and turns， not just rooted in reality but as real as they come。 The writing by a lawyer can compete with the Baldaccis and Grishams of the world。Though you cannot dismiss the idea that this is a rebut I just reviewed Taking Down Backpage by Maggy Krell。 #TakingDownBackpage #NetGalleyhttps://www。netgalley。com/book/222635。。。Despite the fact that the story is pretty complex but the book rather short， the pace feels like a great double episode of Law and Order - Special Victims Unit。 Shocking twists and turns， not just rooted in reality but as real as they come。 The writing by a lawyer can compete with the Baldaccis and Grishams of the world。Though you cannot dismiss the idea that this is a rebuttal of Maggies career accomplishments and perhaps a supplement to her resume for her future。 。。。more
Doreen Blair
，
TAKING DOWN BACKPAGE - Maggie KrellI received this Kindle Edition to read for review purposes。 Ms。 Krell has documented and thought out a very detailed book regarding the BACKPAGE website。 While Backpage looked like a respectable website， Ms。 Krell had been watching and paying deep attention to some cases she was seeing regarding trafficked women and even children。 After much investigation she came to a startling conclusion that was more devious than she had once imagined。This book will leave yo TAKING DOWN BACKPAGE - Maggie KrellI received this Kindle Edition to read for review purposes。 Ms。 Krell has documented and thought out a very detailed book regarding the BACKPAGE website。 While Backpage looked like a respectable website， Ms。 Krell had been watching and paying deep attention to some cases she was seeing regarding trafficked women and even children。 After much investigation she came to a startling conclusion that was more devious than she had once imagined。This book will leave you challenged to pay attention to what you see around you as it relates to children， teens and even young adults who if studied you will realize things are not as they seem。"SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING" is the best word I can give you。#Goodreads #Net Galley #Taking Down BackpageThis will not be available until January 2022 。。。more
Lisa
，
As a fan of true crime， I was intrigued by this story of the prosecution and take-down of the online site Backpage。 While I was aware of some aspects of sex-trafficking， I did not know this particular story and was fascinated by the author， Maggy Krell's， account。 A California-based prosecutor， she became aware of how young prostitutes were treated as criminals， rather than as unwilling victims， and that only a concerted effort investigating， prosecuting and shutting down the orchestrators and o As a fan of true crime， I was intrigued by this story of the prosecution and take-down of the online site Backpage。 While I was aware of some aspects of sex-trafficking， I did not know this particular story and was fascinated by the author， Maggy Krell's， account。 A California-based prosecutor， she became aware of how young prostitutes were treated as criminals， rather than as unwilling victims， and that only a concerted effort investigating， prosecuting and shutting down the orchestrators and other enablers， such as motel owners willing to turn a blind eye and reap the profits at the expense of children， will make a dent in this societal scourge。 This also became a mission of educating those in the law enforcement and judicial system， to help shift perceptions。 （She also clearly makes a distinction between sex-workers in the profession by choice， as opposed to the underage victims who are trafficked by others more powerful。）Krell offers an honest account of the time-consuming， painstaking efforts to piece together a case， while remaining under the radar enough to avoid tipping off the owners of Backpage。 She introduces us （although superficially） to those who partner with her， working in tandem in other jurisdictions。 She describes the tense， suspenseful moments when arrests are finally to be made， the crushing disappointments when the procedural bureaucracy of the judicial system stymies some of her efforts， and the creative problem-solving to finally bring about some measure of justice and the shutdown of Backpage。My one criticism is that we see the story mostly through the author's viewpoint。 While this is to be expected--she is， after all， the lead prosecutor that began this journey， the title of the book is "Taking Down Backpage" and the FBI also became very much involved in the final outcome。 I would have liked to have understood more of their role。Still， I appreciate the work that Krell and other dedicated true public servants do to protect vulnerable children， and knowing more about this story。 。。。more
Lauren Carruthers
，
A compelling story， and a surprisingly quick read for such deep material。 Found this engaging for the most part and enjoyed the breakdowns of the more arcane legalities （yeah， I'm a nerd） as they were put forward clearly in layman's terms and are crucial to the understanding of what Krell et al were up against with the US legal system。There were parts that struck me as slightly sensationalist， I felt there were some areas that were written as though it was aimed at the （inevitable） cinematic aud A compelling story， and a surprisingly quick read for such deep material。 Found this engaging for the most part and enjoyed the breakdowns of the more arcane legalities （yeah， I'm a nerd） as they were put forward clearly in layman's terms and are crucial to the understanding of what Krell et al were up against with the US legal system。There were parts that struck me as slightly sensationalist， I felt there were some areas that were written as though it was aimed at the （inevitable） cinematic audience。 。。。more
Jeanne Nichols
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This was a true crime type book; however， it was from the point of view of the prosecutors。 The website Backpage had become notorious for being a place where one could buy the favors of young women and girls through the website。 This is the story of how the prosecutors dug to find evidence and to find witnesses who were not intimidated。 It also explained how the laws were interpreted in this new area of the law （sex trafficking）。I was fascinated by the detail necessary to prosecute and even to i This was a true crime type book; however， it was from the point of view of the prosecutors。 The website Backpage had become notorious for being a place where one could buy the favors of young women and girls through the website。 This is the story of how the prosecutors dug to find evidence and to find witnesses who were not intimidated。 It also explained how the laws were interpreted in this new area of the law （sex trafficking）。I was fascinated by the detail necessary to prosecute and even to indict these traffickers。 。。。more
Kristen Morris
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“Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker” is masterfully written by Maggie Krell。 Often legal jargon loses readers， and/or directed towards a specific audience limiting the ability to inform/educate a wider population。 Krell delivers an essential read involving heinous crimes; led undisputedly by executive leaders of the organization - Backpage。 Krell captures a well thought out， comprehensible narrative; any reader will be instantly enthralled in。 “Taking Down Backpage “Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker” is masterfully written by Maggie Krell。 Often legal jargon loses readers， and/or directed towards a specific audience limiting the ability to inform/educate a wider population。 Krell delivers an essential read involving heinous crimes; led undisputedly by executive leaders of the organization - Backpage。 Krell captures a well thought out， comprehensible narrative; any reader will be instantly enthralled in。 “Taking Down Backpage” is necessary read I highly recommend， even if you are not familiar with the （fairly recent） history of the organization。 Directly from the Author’s Notes， “Taking down Back page should not be conflated with voluntary sex work。 This book is not about consensual sex work。 It is about rape。” “This is not a case against Backpage， a website; it is a case against three individual defendants who used multiple platforms to commercially sexually exploit vulnerable women and children。” 。。。more
Jocelyn
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A really interesting subject， but poorly written and boring
Kate
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This is a compelling - though sometimes heartbreaking - first-hand account of Maggy Krell's experience prosecuting Backpage。 Krell engagingly weaves together the story of how she came to be a champion for this cause with the legal strategy behind the case， uplifting stories of sex trafficking survivors and even some glimpses into her personal life as a wife， mother and friend。 I was moved by Krell's determination and persistence to bring justice to survivors， even in the face of powerful opposit This is a compelling - though sometimes heartbreaking - first-hand account of Maggy Krell's experience prosecuting Backpage。 Krell engagingly weaves together the story of how she came to be a champion for this cause with the legal strategy behind the case， uplifting stories of sex trafficking survivors and even some glimpses into her personal life as a wife， mother and friend。 I was moved by Krell's determination and persistence to bring justice to survivors， even in the face of powerful opposition。 I would wholeheartedly recommend this book。 。。。more
Kelly Long
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。This book is fascinating and frightening because the laws don't always mean what we think they say， so many loopholes exist， and interpretation of the laws is not always black and white。I really admire Maggy Krell and her determination to get Backpage brought down and those criminals held accountable。 When the obvious crimes of pimping and trafficking charges don't hold up in court （which to me was Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。This book is fascinating and frightening because the laws don't always mean what we think they say， so many loopholes exist， and interpretation of the laws is not always black and white。I really admire Maggy Krell and her determination to get Backpage brought down and those criminals held accountable。 When the obvious crimes of pimping and trafficking charges don't hold up in court （which to me was surprising， sickening， and appalling）， she finds other ways to make them be held accountable rather than just giving up。 Persistence and hard work pays off。 She put her heart and soul into this case。 。。。more
Tracy Brown
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