A police investigation into an escorting website began in January 2008 in Clermont-Ferrand. The goal: to prove the suspicions of pimping that weighed on the site in question. It concluded on Wednesday, July 1st with the decision to shut down the site. However, despite the court order, our findings show it remains freely accessible, including by minors.
In Nice, the issue has caused a stir through the voice of a politician. Muriel Marland-Militello, Deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes and Deputy Mayor of Nice, is “pleased” about the closure of such a site. According to her, “The internet must not be used to degrade the dignity of individuals!”
An investigation of a year and a half
On June 23, 2009, several French citizens were arrested by the police in Evry (Essonne), including two French leaders. Among them, a 44-year-old man, known for being a “sex addict,” and a 19-year-old webmaster who created numerous personal websites for escorts. All were placed under formal investigation for “aggravated pimping, human trafficking and criminal conspiracy.”
On the same day, four people were arrested and jailed in Bratislava, Slovakia. It was there that the server, and thus the heart of the network, was located. They will be extradited to France to be tried.
In Bratislava, a shell advertising company grouped together 37 escorting sites. The objective: to collect money from the girls and transfer it to a man living in Switzerland. Aged 35 and apparently the head of the network, the alleged leader has not yet been interrogated by the police.
Why was the site illegal?
From the home page, the escort ads site declares itself to be “[…] an information and advertising site [which] has no connection or link with any sites whatsoever or individuals mentioned.” According to them, this platform is merely an “advertising space, we are not an escort agency, nor are we in the escorting or prostitution business. We take no responsibility for the content or actions of third parties (websites or individuals) from whom you may have information such as emails or telephone contacts.”
However, it is on this same page that the opposite of this statement is seen. The site offers a wide selection of escort girls. Visitors see a slideshow of sometimes pornographic and offensive photos. Moreover, according to the law, users should be warned of the pornographic nature before entering the site. Access should be restricted to those over 18 years old.
Like an “online store”
For the site, there are two types of escorts: independents and “agency girls.”
Some are said to be “on tour.” The escorts travel through different countries: Italy, Spain, England, Switzerland, and the United States, and various cities, to meet their clients. Clients have the choice between girls who travel and those who receive. With one click, the “reservation” is made.
Girls wanting to be listed on the escorting site must pay registration fees ranging from 200 to 900 euros per month. A section allows users to rate the escorts based on their appearance and the quality of their services.
A forum is also available and freely accessible for non-members. Clients share their experiences, give advice to other clients, and ask questions without any restraint. Sometimes, the escort girls are insulted or fiercely criticized. Pimps are referred to as “mafiosos,” and clients call each other “punters.”
The mask falls
While the managers seem to admit no fault, the “legal notices” at the bottom of the homepage reveal a darker face: “Welcome to the largest directory of ads for meetings with Escorts girls/boys/trans in France and Europe. You will find Escorts in Paris, Toulouse, Lyon, Marseille, and all the major cities of France where you can have a sexual encounter between consenting adults. You can also read reviews about the Escort girls met by other members, and also chat to see live via webcam the Escort girl of your choice before meeting her. For a quick encounter with an Escort girl after work, [site name] is the site where you can come back several times a day to see the new girls registered near you […]. If you encounter or see an escort ad that does not correspond to reality, do not hesitate to contact us, we will do our best to have only real ads for real encounters.”
This site is in the hands of justice, but cybercrime remains in a constantly evolving space. But is the virtual really worse than the real?
