Craigslist is a public nuisance that facilitates prostitution, Co...

office spent more than $105,000 on Craigslist-related arrests in 2008 and he wants that money back. “Craigslist is the single largest source of prostitution in the nation,” Dart said in a press release. A Craigslist spokeswoman said the company hadn’t seen the lawsuit, but said misuse of the site is “exceptionally rare” compared to legal use and that Craigslist continues to work to eliminate criminal activity. “Craigslist is an extremely unwise choice for those intent on committing crimes, since criminals inevitably leave an electronic trail to themselves that law enforcement officers will follow,” she said. “On a daily basis, we are being of direct assistance to police departments and federal authorities nationwide.” In November, Craigslist announced an agreement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and 40 state attorneys general, in which it tightened up procedures for posting ads in the erotic services section. The company also said it was suing businesses that offered services circumventing Craigslist’s technical defenses. Dart acknowledged the announcement but said the changes had made no practical difference. The lawsuit said there are more than 300 posts daily to the Chicago erotic services section. The overwhelming number of posts to the erotic services section drives traffic to the Web site and allows Craigslist to charge the rates it does for postings for apartments and jobs, the sheriff said, meaning that Craigslist profits from prostitution. The lawsuit said Dart’s office arrested more than 200 people through Craigslist since January 2007. Arrests resulted from actual posts and stings. Dart said Craigslist is a public nuisance because it knowingly facilitates prostitution. Service providers and sites can raise the immunity defense from the Communications Decency Act if they aren’t publishing the content themselves. The sheriff’s office, however, said the immunity doesn’t apply to sites that develop or create content. “Craigslist has clearly created a specific section of their website to facilitate the specific activity of erotic activity in exchange for cash,” a spokesman said in an e-mail. “People looking to simply have sex, without a price, can connect in other areas. The ‘erotic services’ section was specifically developed by Craigslist to provide a forum for a service for a fee. Creating this specific section, we believe, negates the CDA protections.” Elsewhere in the country, MSNBC reported that Omaha police arrested two women who advertised their services on Craigslist, and the Washington Examiner reported that a northern Virginia sting operation launched on Craigslist in December netted five arrests on charges of enticement of a minor.