Taking Down Backpage: Fighting the World’s Largest Sex Trafficker
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- Create Date：2022-01-14 19:21:10
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- Author：Maggy Krell
- ISBN：B088FT8946
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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
Mara
，
Taking Down Backpage is a fascinating inside look of the work of Maggy Krell， a young California District Attorney， who aimed to stop sex trafficking in her area。 It is a brief， but powerful memoir accounting the work she did to take down Backpage。com。 I appreciated that they went after to those profiting from trafficking and not prosecuting the victims。 I found it especially compelling to read about creative ways in which legal and law enforcement was able to gather information to charge compan Taking Down Backpage is a fascinating inside look of the work of Maggy Krell， a young California District Attorney， who aimed to stop sex trafficking in her area。 It is a brief， but powerful memoir accounting the work she did to take down Backpage。com。 I appreciated that they went after to those profiting from trafficking and not prosecuting the victims。 I found it especially compelling to read about creative ways in which legal and law enforcement was able to gather information to charge companies for profiting from illegal activities。 It’s maddening to learn how our current laws relating to the internet are inadequate and haven’t kept up with the myriad ways the internet and websites are used for criminal and unethical behavior。 Krell also illustrates the role of vast privilege and wealth in regards to the justice system and evading prosecution。 Taking Down Backpage is a compelling look behind the scenes of law enforcement and the legal system。 Thank you NYU Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Polly Krize
，
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。A giant online sex trafficking website， thousands of young women and men were used ceaselessly for profit。 California prosecutor， Maggy Krell， shares her insight into the pursuit of justice and the hundreds of men and women on her team to remove this platform for good。
Jeni
，
Taking Down Package was an interested true crime story focused on Maggy Krell's process in building a case against the owners/operators of Backpage for encouraging and effectively participating in human trafficking。 It was a short read and focused on more on the legal aspects of the case than on sharing personal stories related to the victims on trafficking。 It definitely demonstrated Krell's determination and perseverance in this case。 An interesting read if you are interested in the "behind th Taking Down Package was an interested true crime story focused on Maggy Krell's process in building a case against the owners/operators of Backpage for encouraging and effectively participating in human trafficking。 It was a short read and focused on more on the legal aspects of the case than on sharing personal stories related to the victims on trafficking。 It definitely demonstrated Krell's determination and perseverance in this case。 An interesting read if you are interested in the "behind the scenes" process of taking down large organizations with many lawyers on retainer。 。。。more
Diane Hernandez
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Taking Down Backpage is the story of how the author， a California criminal prosecutor， charged three billionaires with sex trafficking because of all the girls advertised for rent in their online advertising website。First， let’s be clear。 This is a memoir of a prosecutor’s most famous case。 It is not a larger look at sex trafficking。 There are scant stories about girls caught up within it。 It only briefly touches upon how Backpage was created。Taking Down Backpage is ultimately a backstage look a Taking Down Backpage is the story of how the author， a California criminal prosecutor， charged three billionaires with sex trafficking because of all the girls advertised for rent in their online advertising website。First， let’s be clear。 This is a memoir of a prosecutor’s most famous case。 It is not a larger look at sex trafficking。 There are scant stories about girls caught up within it。 It only briefly touches upon how Backpage was created。Taking Down Backpage is ultimately a backstage look at the pleasures and pitfalls of being a state prosecutor。 Therefore， it would be an excellent choice for those interested in the law。 It would also be useful for authors of legal thrillers。Note that the prose is very workman-like in a “just the facts”-type of way。 Still， the story itself is very compelling。 4 stars！Thanks to NYU Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Anne Marie
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I think many can agree that sex trafficking does not get the attention it should。 Partly because of those whose names could and should come out。 We just had the trial of Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell and yet they didn't allow it to air。 Of course， that has left a very sour taste in our mouths to say the least。 The author did an excellent job sticking to this case and being a thorn in Backpage's side。 Because she refused to give up， she was able to help so many when this site was eventually I think many can agree that sex trafficking does not get the attention it should。 Partly because of those whose names could and should come out。 We just had the trial of Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell and yet they didn't allow it to air。 Of course， that has left a very sour taste in our mouths to say the least。 The author did an excellent job sticking to this case and being a thorn in Backpage's side。 Because she refused to give up， she was able to help so many when this site was eventually shut down。 What I am most disappointed with is when she does mention Epstein， she also brought up Trump being his great friend。 However， I do feel that Bill Clinton was an even better one。 But she conveniently leaves that out。 I feel if you are going to mention the elephant in the room you should certainly do it in a fair manner。 She did go on to say that due to a bill that President Trump passed she was able to bring down Backpage。 Overall， I thought it was a professionally written book。 One that is horrible in content but so especially important at the same time。 。。。more
Lorene
，
I am one of the naive women who never heard of “Backpage”。 The topic is sex trafficking， which of course is a very serious matter of exploitation of any person; man， woman or child。 It was not an easy book to read but I give Ms Krell kudos for taking on this difficult topic。 I would recommend every adult read this， if only to enlighten themselves to what is happening to so many people。 Thank you to NetGalley， Maggy Krell and NYU Press for allowing me to read this ARC。 This review is my honest op I am one of the naive women who never heard of “Backpage”。 The topic is sex trafficking， which of course is a very serious matter of exploitation of any person; man， woman or child。 It was not an easy book to read but I give Ms Krell kudos for taking on this difficult topic。 I would recommend every adult read this， if only to enlighten themselves to what is happening to so many people。 Thank you to NetGalley， Maggy Krell and NYU Press for allowing me to read this ARC。 This review is my honest opinion。 。。。more
The Horror Report -Angela
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I have long found fascination and abundant interest in not only law enforcement and forensic science but also the practice of law。 As the daughter of a police officer I was fortunate enough to see a number of facets in our law enforcement and judicial system in action。 I also got in trouble as a teen so I saw both sides of the law （and no， my father being a cop didn’t get me out of anything， I was treated the same as anyone else in that court）。 But， because Dad was a cop and I was around law enf I have long found fascination and abundant interest in not only law enforcement and forensic science but also the practice of law。 As the daughter of a police officer I was fortunate enough to see a number of facets in our law enforcement and judicial system in action。 I also got in trouble as a teen so I saw both sides of the law （and no， my father being a cop didn’t get me out of anything， I was treated the same as anyone else in that court）。 But， because Dad was a cop and I was around law enforcement all the time， and because one of his former partners on the force （the only female partner he had while a police officer） went on to become an Assistant District Attorney for our county， and later a judge where she still presides today， I was well exposed to the reality of the world we live in。 And I was fascinated。 Although I would later discover that careers in these fields would be too overwhelming for someone with my particular personality and health issues， the fascination remained strong。 And thus began my consistent interest in true crime。 So， when the opportunity to read this book came my way， I jumped at the chance。 This is a true story written by the prosecutor herself。 Nothing can top a first-hand accounting of a case or situation other than being there and involved yourself。 In this book， Prosecutor Maggy Krell tells the story of her long and arduous battle within the bounds of the law and the walls of the courtroom。 But， she’s not telling about just any random old case that might be interesting or entertaining。 This case is about taking down literally the largest sex trafficking ring in the world， Backpage。com。 Backpage was a website that， on the surface， looked like any other website that collects and runs personal ads。 It was supposedly like the newspaper’s version of the personals section， publishing ads for things like handyman work， furniture sales， various services and items for sale including actual personal ads where people were looking to meet new people to date。 It quickly became obvious that this website was mostly in the business of publishing the personal ads。 But not all these ads were just regular personals， they were ads for sexual services。 Girls and women of varying ages， some as young as twelve years old， with pictures of them in scantily clad clothing （if you can call it that） and suggestive poses advertising dates and services， quoting prices and providing contact information to schedule a purchase。 A purchase， mind you。 As if these human beings were material possessions。 This is the very essence of sex trafficking。 One must realize the difference between sex trafficking and sex work as a chosen profession。 The ones that choose this work are exercising free will。 But a large portion of the ads on this site were selling services of those who were not given the choice。 These are girls and women that have been kidnapped from their homes and hometowns， smuggled into the country， found as runaways， etc。 and then forced into selling their bodies to pay their captors for whatever these morons think these girls owe them for。 They are often kept like prisoners in warehouses， basements and homes。 They are forced to have sex with people they don’t know and don’t like for money that they don’t get to keep for up to twelve or more hours each day， constantly having “dates” scheduled the whole time。 The people that pay money to violate these women are allowed to do anything they wish with them， so long as they have negotiated what both parties would perceive as a proper and agreeable price with the handler or pimp。 And that’s the life these ladies are forced to lead。 Forced to start doing the sex work， forced to live in the abusive and dangerous hell and forced to do whatever it takes to survive。Now， you would think if the owners of this website were helping traffick young girls and women for sex and getting money in return， it would be relatively easy to arrest them and shut them down。 However， this is not the case。 Within the pages of this book you’ll read about how the owners of Backpage， which I have personally dubbed the BP3 for easy reference when reading this book， operated with impunity under the protection of a general publishing indemnification act called the Communications Decency Act。 The BP3， which consisted of James Larkin， Mike Lacey and Carl Ferrer， which basically states that they as publishers are not responsible for the content that is posted on their site nor are they responsible for the activities that stem from said content。 So， they can basically let anything get posted on their site （sites， explained in the book） and anything can happen from that and they are just publishers。 If I understand the Act correctly it basically means that if you see something on let’s say a social media website and it offends you， under the protection of this Act the owners of that social site cannot be sued or held liable for anything that is posted on the site nor any illegal or offensive activities resulting from any of those posts。Prosecutor Maggy Krell tells the experience she had in fighting this particular piece of legislation that was being exploited in order to commit horrendous crimes against women and avoid any liability or accountability。 She expertly breaks down and through all the legalese that frustrates so many people and explains the events that occurred so clearly that there is no room for confusion。 Something I’m sure she did while presenting her case in the courtroom as well。Krell skillfully tells of overcoming the painstaking obstacles， hurdles， mindsets and ignorance involved when bringing together a case of this magnitude。 The pushback from so many sides would have been enough to wear on any prosecutor， any lawyer really， and yet she continues in her fight for justice for these exploited and abused survivors and to get the laws changed so the trafficking of human beings into sexual slavery wouldn’t be so easy and convenient for the bad guys。 Ms。 Krell also truly realizes the significance of sex crimes against women and the enormous impact such things as being trafficked can have。 Prosecutor Maggy Krell is a rare type of person。 She is truly a soldier of justice， speaking for the victims and survivors， helping to tell their stories to the world and tirelessly working for the protection of all crime victims， regardless of their current apparent circumstances or what led them to that situation to begin with。 It is clear that she is a compassionate woman with a firm belief in getting justice for those who have been violated in some of the most vile ways imaginable。 And what this one woman accomplished by leading the charge against Backpage。com and their owners and publishers is nothing short of heroic and historic。 Anyone who is looking for a little glimpse of reality not only into the world of a prosecutor’s life and work， but also to what the victims and survivors of sex trafficking actually go through。 This book is also quite the eye-opener in what lengths some people will go to in order to avoid the law， avoid prison and avoid going broke by continuing to commit these heinous offenses over and over and over again。This is definitely a true crime book for the true crime lover。 Any person who is passionate about stopping sex crimes and abuse towards women and children will find this book quite informative as well as motivating to get involved in the fight to stop human trafficking。 RATINGS5/5 Stars 。。。more
Ray
，
I always felt like Backpage was in essence pimping young girls but never knew how involved they actually were until picking up this book。 Krell really does a great job breaking down the criminal justice court process for people like myself who probably rely a little too much on watching court dramas， although it’s quite apparent she and her colleagues were doing things that will probably result in a movie。 She worked closely with cops and victims and she is being pitted against high dollar defen I always felt like Backpage was in essence pimping young girls but never knew how involved they actually were until picking up this book。 Krell really does a great job breaking down the criminal justice court process for people like myself who probably rely a little too much on watching court dramas， although it’s quite apparent she and her colleagues were doing things that will probably result in a movie。 She worked closely with cops and victims and she is being pitted against high dollar defense attorneys。 I won’t give it away but， truth appears to win over money。 Most importantly， Krell’s compassion for sex trafficking victims is evident as she paints the story of young girls who have had the odds stacked against them their whole lives。 She should be applauded for this book， as it’s more than a very written account of her journey to take down Backpage， it reminds the reader that there are many young girls who need protection from predators。 。。。more
Heidi
，
This book was informational and I love that this author did what she did。 It shows that one person can change big corporations and change lives。
Carol
，
A rather unusual book with which to finish up the year （for me anyway）。 Although it has a fairly low page count it took me quite a while to read it。 This book tells the story of the dedicated and determined prosecutor who vowed to bring down the CEO of Backpage， a classified advertising website suspected of being used as a sex trafficking platform， especially the trafficking of minors。 The story was well written in easy-to-understand language but I found much of it a little too dry and factual。 A rather unusual book with which to finish up the year （for me anyway）。 Although it has a fairly low page count it took me quite a while to read it。 This book tells the story of the dedicated and determined prosecutor who vowed to bring down the CEO of Backpage， a classified advertising website suspected of being used as a sex trafficking platform， especially the trafficking of minors。 The story was well written in easy-to-understand language but I found much of it a little too dry and factual。 Kudos to Maggy Krell and her team for their relentless pursuit of Backpage's key personnel。 The sheer volume of paperwork was exhausting to consider。 It's so sad to think that Backpage has probably been replaced by one or more sites devoted to the same practice。 It's also sad to think about the damage that has been done to so many females as a result of being sold through ads on Backpage。Thank you to NYU Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book。 All opinions expressed are my own。Publication Date: January 11， 2022 。。。more
Brittany Shields
，
"I learned that justice doesn’t keep score。 There is really no such thing as a win or a loss。 Each day， you go in， you do your very best work， you seek justice， and you pray to God that you can leave a lasting impact and make your community a little safer。”Maggy Krell did make our communities a little safer… at least for the most part。 More on that later。 I had never heard of Backpage before but when I saw the title of this book I was really curious and wanted to read more。 These days I feel lik "I learned that justice doesn’t keep score。 There is really no such thing as a win or a loss。 Each day， you go in， you do your very best work， you seek justice， and you pray to God that you can leave a lasting impact and make your community a little safer。”Maggy Krell did make our communities a little safer… at least for the most part。 More on that later。 I had never heard of Backpage before but when I saw the title of this book I was really curious and wanted to read more。 These days I feel like I hear more about people wanting to legalize prostitution and ‘sex work’ or the ever-expanding ‘sexual freedom’ rights people apparently don’t have enough of than I hear about anyone fighting human trafficking。 This book was an encouragement that there are people who are fighting the second largest criminal business in the world— human trafficking— and are having success！“This is a case about a new generation of slave traders who have created an online marketplace to exploit the most vulnerable people in our society， all while pocketing millions and millions of dollars each month。”What is Backpage？“In 2013， the aider and abettor and the commercial sex industry’s biggest beneficiary was a website: Backpage。com。 Virtually every sex-trafficking case we prosecuted included an online ad posted on Backpage。com。 The brothels from Operation Wilted Flower used it to advertise。 The street traffickers… often sold victims to more than ten men a night using Backpage。 Gangs used it to move victims around in a horrifying network of exploitation and violence。 There was no doubt that Backpage exponentially expanded this growing criminal industry。” Operating in over 800 cities globally， Backpage was a website made to look like Craigslist， selling/listing things in a variety of categories: furniture， cars， etc。 But “90-100% of their revenue was from the ‘escort’ section。”It became a years-long battle that Krell undertook to try to shutdown this website facilitating the selling of trafficked women and children every night and profiting from this illegal exploitation。 The Legal BattleMaggy Krell kept a post-it note on her desk with her three goals on this case:1。 Get a felony conviction。 2。 Shut down the website。 3。 Fix the CDA。 The CDA is the Communications Decency Act （CDA） which protects internet service providers from liability for the words or actions of their users。 This is the shield Backpage was hiding behind with the charges brought against them。 They claimed to be merely a platform that is not responsible for what people do on their page。 They cooperated with law enforcement on many occasions to take down ads for sexually exploited children。 But it became clear to Krell that they were doing the bare minimum to appease law enforcement so they wouldn’t get shutdown。 Krell had the legal burden to show that the owners of Backpage knowingly accepted money for these crimes and also created this content on their site。 She attempted to charge the owners with pimping but those charges didn’t stick。 Ultimately the charges that enabled her to bring the case to trial was money laundering and conspiracy。 The amount of work it took her and her team and the teams she collaborated with to accumulate enough of the right kind of evidence and obtain it legally took years。 Her ambition is incredible！ Most people would have given up but her passion drove her to do what it took to accomplish her goals。 The book details all of the legal hoops she jumped through and her evidence gathering missions， but in short [SPOILER ALERT]: 1。 The primary owner of Backpage cooperated with law enforcement to shorten his sentence and provided more evidence and information against his colleagues。 Krell got convictions for all three primary financial beneficiaries。 2。 The website is shutdown。 3。 During his presidency， Trump signed a bill that changed the CDA to prevent it from being used as a shield from criminal enforcement， specifically of the crime of human trafficking。 It also allowed “victims to privately sue an internet service provider that aided in their victimization。”“National research study showed that following the shutdown of Backpage， sex trafficking declined by more than 25%。 The study found， based on analytical data， that demand had also been reduced。”I’m not sure how they obtained this information and whether it was global or just national， but regardless， this case made a significant impact against the sex trafficking industry。 Krell also made significant changes in the way law enforcement handles these cases by emphasizing that the women and children involved should not be prosecuted as criminals— they are rape victims and victims of trauma。 “I had no interest in prosecuting the women themselves or arresting them to coerce cooperation， even though that was what other departments were doing。 These women were victims。 But they would never say so。 And definitely not in court。 Traumatized， ashamed， terrified of their pimps and traffickers， they were rightly fearful that talking to law enforcement could cause harm to a relative back home or their own injury or death。”Instead of going after prostitutes， going after the big players like Backpage is how we will see a decline of this horrific practice。 Decriminalizing Sex Work？I’m not sure how anyone who reads this book would come away thinking- “Yes， we definitely need to decriminalize sex work。 It’s a harmless industry full of consensual acts where people are just trying to make a living。” It’s clear that human trafficking is a problem。 Child sex trafficking is rampant。 And what’s sad is that we can’t even get a clear picture of it because of under-reporting and that: “Victims do not always self-identify as victims because of the way they have been manipulated and because they have internalized so much trauma。”“Statistically， the path to sex work often includes being raped or molested at a young age， being sexually exploited by a trafficker as a teenager， lacking a stable family environment， running away from an abusive home or group home， growing up in the system， and never experiencing consistent， unconditional love。”Seeing how this industry is so corrupt already， I fail to see how decriminalizing prostitution and sex work will make this environment better。 It could only get worse。 If it is no longer a crime， how could law enforcement ever make headway on determining when people are being trafficked and when transactions are consensual？ How could they ever get into the places to the people who need them if they need probable cause and the act is no longer criminal？ “While a commercial sex transaction may seem consensual on the surface， the lopsided power dynamic， the history of trauma and abuse， and the lack of options often make the consent illusory。”Decriminalizing it will increase the demand substantially because people won’t have to risk being charged with a crime。 Increased demand will be filled one way or another。 And we already see how that is accomplished。 It is absurd， not to mention extremely insulting to survivors of human trafficking， to think decriminalizing prostitution and sex work would be a positive for our society and our communities in any way。 “There need to be fewer on-ramps and more off-ramps when it comes to the commercial sex trade。”Planned ParenthoodLet’s circle back to my comment that Krell has ‘mostly’ made our communities safer。 She did phenomenal work in bringing down Backpage and her sensitivity to the victims and advocating for them and helping them get the help they need mentally， physically， and to get a fresh start moving forward is amazing！ So imagine my confusion when I find out that she got a new job as the Chief Legal Counsel at Planned Parenthood。 Her idea of ‘victim’ is narrow because apparently she does not view the voiceless lives in the womb as needing advocates or worthy of life and protection。 She explains her career change:“I really felt a calling toward Planned Parenthood。 I read a study showing that 80 percent of trafficking victims seek medical care at some point while they are being trafficked— and not just through the emergency room: 70 percent visit a community clinic like Planned Parenthood…。。。Traffickers often withheld condoms and birth control pills to control and manipulate their victims。 Planned Parenthood was a safe space where women could confidentially access reproductive health care， as well as emotional support… and yet， under President Trump， Planned Parenthood and its patients were under attack。”On the surface， this seems noble。 However， there are numerous ways to support these survivors and help them than to offer abortions。 Of course becoming pregnant from such a terrible thing is traumatic， there is no doubt of that。 But we don’t heal the pain and the injustice by taking the life of another， no matter the circumstances of the conception or how unwanted the baby is。 We offer support in all the other ways。 And Planned Parenthood is not the only place doing this。 Our local community has a place called Agape Pregnancy Center that does all the things Krell desires for survivors— except abortion。 I’m sure there are many other organizations doing the same。 The ‘attacks’ she claims Trump was making were about abortion。 The government offered to continue funding Planned Parenthood if they stopped doing abortions。 They refused。 Because pretty much all of their revenue is from abortions。 Apparently they didn’t care enough about women’s health to get funding unless they were able to continue killing babies in the womb。 It is also confounding to me that as Chief Legal Counsel to Planned Parenthood， and being privy to the information that came out about the selling of body parts and the partial birth abortions and the other horrific practices done on a day-to-day basis at these centers， she would continue to defend Planned Parenthood and promote them。 It seems so incongruent with her sense of justice and victimhood in the rest of this book。 She says， “We need to continue fighting for a cultural shift to dismantle the stubborn legacy of misogyny and be a society that truly values women and girls。”I’m not sure how I feel about her saying this。 First- I’m not sure the correct blame is placed on misogyny。 The current case of Ghislaine Maxwell is proof that women traffick and abuse as well。 I believe the blame is simply on sin and the increasing belief people have that they should be able to have whatever sexual freedoms they desire。 And of course， people will meet about any demand if they see money in it。 The claim of misogyny is too narrow and misses the larger and more important point。Second- it’s hard to believe her stance on the 'valuing women and girls’ when I see the contradiction in her defending abortions。 She comments how young black girls are disproportionately affected by human-trafficking in greater numbers。 Yet she fails to see that the abortion industry is the same。 More African-American babies are aborted than any other in the US。 She wants to value women and girls yet abortions are done on vastly more girl babies than boy babies。 This also in turn creates a ‘shortage’ of women in countries like China and India which creates a market for human trafficking for men to have wives。 If she truly wants to create a world that values women and girls， she must rethink the moral dissonance she lives。 A Couple CritiquesMy review for this book is largely on content， but there is one remark to writing style to address that I’m gonna slide in here quick。 The writing is not anecdotal and is heavy on legal proceedings。 There is some dullness in this way。 Yet Krell is a prosecutor telling it from her perspective as a prosecutor， and so these writing choices make sense。 As another reviewer put it， to provide a more ‘human’ connection some reviewers had hoped for would be to exploit these survivors again。 It’s their stories to tell and Krell was sensitive to not provide more information on their lives than was necessary to explain the case。 Also， I wish she would have addressed more of the pornography side of this industry。 Porn is largely accepted in culture today as if it is a harmless thing but it is intimately connected to sex-trafficking and we are naive to think we could ever separate them。 ConclusionMaggy Krell has made a major accomplishment as described in this book， but I can’t ignore the double-standard she lives now as Chief Legal Counsel of Planned Parenthood。 My prayer is that she would recognize the victims killed at the hands of Planned Parenthood and take down the culprits just as she did with Backpage。 She is more than capable。All that to say， this does not affect my high rating of the book。 I still recommend this book be read！We need to be made more aware of this criminal industry so we do not view sexual exploitation as normal or accepted。 **Received an ARC via NetGalley**Book Review Blog: www。shelfreflection。comFollow me on Facebook: www。facebook。com/shelfreflectionFollow me on Pinterest: www。pinterest。com/shelfreflectionblog 。。。more
Adventurousbookmaven
，
I highly recommend this book！ Maggy Krell does a great job walking us through the process of taking down the largest internet sex trafficking website。 This book was very informative without being too heavy on the legal jargon， it is very easy to read。 I commend Maggy for her tenacity and patience and I am sure she is aware of the countless lives she has helped with her drive to protect the most vulnerable。 This is such an important topic especially in the recent events of the Epstein case-No one I highly recommend this book！ Maggy Krell does a great job walking us through the process of taking down the largest internet sex trafficking website。 This book was very informative without being too heavy on the legal jargon， it is very easy to read。 I commend Maggy for her tenacity and patience and I am sure she is aware of the countless lives she has helped with her drive to protect the most vulnerable。 This is such an important topic especially in the recent events of the Epstein case-No one is above the law regardless of money or power。 。。。more
Matt
，
First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Maggy Krell， and NYU Press for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。While there are many deplorable criminal acts that take place on a daily basis， few are surely as horrid as sex trafficking。 It would seem to be something that could be easily caught by the authorities， but those behind it are not only sly， but also know how to hide things in plain sight。 With the emergence of the First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Maggy Krell， and NYU Press for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。While there are many deplorable criminal acts that take place on a daily basis， few are surely as horrid as sex trafficking。 It would seem to be something that could be easily caught by the authorities， but those behind it are not only sly， but also know how to hide things in plain sight。 With the emergence of the World Wide Web， people have turned to websites to move and sell people for their own profit， one of which was backpage。com After learning about this and doing her best to comprehend what was taking place， Maggy Krell went on a mission to close down the site and have those who run it brought to justice。 This is her story and some of the battles she faced along the way。Maggy Krell was a young lawyer who sought to make a difference in her own way。 She saw some of the horrible crimes of child exploitation and sexual abuse crossing her desk and wanted to make a difference。 She came upon Backpage。com， a website with a variety of things for sale， but also large ‘escort’ and ‘adult services’ pages， one that was rumoured to be a front for sexual slavery， where people could post and sell young women for a price and the authorities would be none the wiser。 Working in California to get the ball rolling， Krell started her hunt to ensure that those at the top knew exactly what was going on。As she worked more， it became apparent that the site was used almost entirely to sell young women into sexual slavery， with the other parts of the site there as a shell or front。 Krell began pushing for more and seeking evidence that she could use to show that those who ran the site were knowingly participating in human trafficking and profiting off of it。 It was slow， tedious， and sometimes horribly graphic work， but Krell stuck to her guns and made things stick。The latter portion of the book explores bringing those in positions of real power to justice and having the courts decide their fates。 While defence attorneys sought to put an arm’s length distance from the events or First Amendment defences forward， Krell and her team did all that they could to ensure the dots connected。 This would be a major coup if the judge could see the clear-cut argument and rule in their favour。 But， those running Backpage would not go down without a fight。While Maggy Krell was successful in her endeavour， this is only the beginning。 Just because a platform for illegal activity is closed down does not mean things stop。 Women， men， children， and many others are being exploited on a daily basis and there is little that can be done， provided it is all committed on the sly。 Exploitation and human sex trafficking （in fact， trafficking of any kind） is horrible and leads to many victims。 It is the dedication of Maggy Krell and many like her that promise to do their best to remove key bricks in the wall， in hopes that each loosened brick will mean the wall will one day come crashing down。 While I do not read books of this nature with any regularity， I do find myself drawn to learning things about which I know little。 Disturbing though it may be， I come away with a major sense of education and preparedness when I scan the news headlines on a regular basis。 Krell writes in such a way that I can take things away from the narrative without feeling as though it is all above my head。 She educates throughout， providing details and explanations to make sure things are well understood and their impact is not lost。 I needed a book like this to open my eyes to the truths that occur around me。 Well-documented chapters provide the reader with a pathway of understanding， as well as some photos to personalize the experience。 As I mentioned before， this is a horrible topic， but I feel better knowing a little more about it and how it fits into the larger picture of criminal activity。 Kudos， Madam Krell， for your hard work and dedication to ensuring the reader understands what’s going on behind the scenes。Love/hate the review？ An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings。wordpress。com/A Book for All Seasons， a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www。goodreads。com/group/show/。。。 。。。more
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
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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
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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
Annie
，
This is not the kind of book I normally read （non-fiction）， but in an effort to broaden my reading horizons， I thought I would give myself something completely different to put on my TBR pile。 I actually put off reading it for a while because it's quite a heavy topic， but I ultimately dove in and finished it off reasonably quickly。I wasn't sure what to expect， particularly as I had never heard of Backpage before this， but it was less intense than I anticipated。 It read like a novel， easy to foll This is not the kind of book I normally read （non-fiction）， but in an effort to broaden my reading horizons， I thought I would give myself something completely different to put on my TBR pile。 I actually put off reading it for a while because it's quite a heavy topic， but I ultimately dove in and finished it off reasonably quickly。I wasn't sure what to expect， particularly as I had never heard of Backpage before this， but it was less intense than I anticipated。 It read like a novel， easy to follow （but with a lot of legalese） and broad strokes of information about sex trafficking， how the system works， or doesn't in this case， and how Ms Krell got involved in the process of tackling Backpage。 It's a horrific place， this Dark Web， and how people remain focused on bringing this kind of stuff into the light is both gratifying and beyond my comprehension。 I am very glad they do， however， although it can't be easy and has to fundamentally and irreparably change you at some emotional level。 Perhaps it's better that so many of us are blissfully unaware of the actual depths some people plumb with zero conscience or care of those they're abusing。Despite that， it felt a bit simply done， more 'facts and figures' than getting fully immersed in the information with the detail that usually rounds out a novel （characters， who they are， how they're connected， place， time， etc。） It felt a bit short， maybe？ Like it would present better as a personal essay or an article rather than a full book。 I'm not quite sure。 But that's not to say it wasn't well done or that I didn't like reading it and learning something about a world I had no knowledge of。Thank you to NetGalley， the author and publisher for the ARC to read and review。 All opinions are strictly my own。 。。。more
Jennilynn Miller
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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