Los Angeles, California — The U.S. Department of Justice announced today a $215 million settlement in the civil forfeiture case involving Backpage.com, a now-defunct website notorious for facilitating sex trafficking and prostitution ads, including those featuring minors. The settlement will result in the forfeiture of assets tied to the website’s profits, including cash, cryptocurrency, and real estate property in San Francisco.
The forfeited assets will be made available through a remission process to compensate the victims of trafficking and exploitation. This forfeiture represents over 80% of the seized property in the case.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada highlighted the importance of the settlement, noting that it supports efforts to dismantle criminal enterprises profiting from sex trafficking and exploitation. The forfeiture will help compensate victims and serve as a strong warning about the consequences of such crimes.
Backpage.com, which operated for 14 years, was the leading platform for online prostitution ads in the U.S. Its former executives, including Michael Lacey and Scott Spear, were convicted for their roles in money laundering and promoting prostitution. The site was seized by the government in 2018 after facilitating the trafficking of women and children.
