12 More Men Face Felony Charges for Posting to Website Review Forum
 

12 More Men Face Felony Charges for Posting to Website Review Forum

At least twelve more men face felony charges in Washington for posting reviews and forum comments about escorts to the now-defunct web forum known as The Review Board (TRB).

The dozen defendants, most of whom who were arraigned in King County District Court, face one felony count each of "promoting prostitution" in the second degree—a charge historically used to target people who profit off of the prostitution of others but more recently favored by King County prosecutors to go after people who write positive online reviews and comments about area prostitution.

Prior to this new wave of felony charges, the King County Sheriff's Office has already prosecuted more than a dozen men for what amounts to little more than online speech related to prostitution. Many of those men accepted felony conviction plea deals after the county threatened to add additional felony charges and a sexual-motivation enhancement, more prison time and sex-offender status if convicted, for anyone who attempted to fight back but give those who plead guilty lenient sentencing.

In the latest TRB-related arrests, twelve more defendants, each one facing felony charges, are accused of reviewing Seattle-area escorts on TRB, messaging other members about local sex workers, and emailing with sex workers themselves about appointments.

One of them is also accused of helping a Japanese woman who had been supporting herself as a sex worker in Guam for a few years, then Hawaii, to set up advertisements on TRB and find an apartment when she moved to Seattle, after he had struck up a casual but ongoing relationship with her in Guam years earlier.

TRB posts describe semi-graphic sexual activity, although not necessarily sex, some reviewed providers of "full body sensual massages" who don't do "full service" appointments. Emails exchanged between sex workers and defendants hinted at prostitution.

This is, of course, part of the evil genius of how King County is going after people who pay for sex with felony charges. With the "promoting prostitution" charge, law enforcement needn't show that defendants actually engaged in pay-to-play sexual activity themselves.

All they must show is that the men "advanced" the prostitution careers of others by saying positive things about the sex workers online in reviews and forum comments.


*With these TRB arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, LE used the existing statutes available to them prior to the new FOSTA-SESTA federal law

Read the the original article more carefully.
These guys posting messages actually talked to LE in an interview setting.
They completely incriminated themselves and set themselves up.
This went down sometime in 2016 I believe.

King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charging documents Superior Court of Washington


https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...COMPLAINT.html

U.S. Department of State

Fighting Sex Trafficking by Curbing Demand for Commercial Sex Acts

https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/tip/rl...013/211633.htm

these additional 12 defendants were arrested much later on and also prosecuted with felony charges of "promoting prostitution." they were not involved or in attendance at the meeting during the original LE bust. all 12 are also accused of writing reviews of escorts on TRB, messaging other members about local sex workers, and emailing with sex workers themselves about appointments.

Inside the fight to take down online prostitution review boards

video of the LE sting on TRB

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/vide...oards-48319686

Demand Abolition was working with him:
King County Prosecuting Attorney Valiant Richey

"We have charged the people who were putting the content on the website with a felony charge of promoting prostitution."

“Men go on, and they post reviews, and they share information."
“It goes beyond just a review and then on to a recommendation: ‘You have to go see this person, she's amazing. Go see her before she leaves.’”

"The exploitation that is driven through sex buying, is caused by the buyer. And so the buyer needs to be held accountable.”

"The main focus for us is on dismantling these networks of buyers who are creating this vociferous demand for exploited women."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-figh...ry?id=48308991

Demand Abolition operates
Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE)

King County Prosecuting Attorney Valiant Richey is on the CEASE team
Richey travels around the country getting other District Attorneys to use
his felony prosecutions in Washington as legal precedent for their cases

https://www.ceasenetwork.org/seattle/team/

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/pro...ew/richey.aspx

CEASE also operates in San Diego targeting massage stores there

https://www.ceasenetwork.org/san-diego/

Swanee Hunt started and financed Demand Abolition

https://www.demandabolition.org/news...x-trafficking/

https://www.demandabolition.org

Demand Abolition, CEASE, and NCOSE - National Center on Sexual Exploitation (Morality in Media) were behind the writing of FOSTA-SESTA bills

https://endsexualexploitation.org

So just don't ever admit your online handle to anyone in real life and you should be safe

Safer yet, get off the grid entirely. Stop leaving footprints. I'd say this round goes to LE.

Thanks for the detailed heads up, Lib. This should be a wake-the-fuck-up call for everyone.

They added the charges
 

These are the players, traffickers and key club members who all got busted with the undercover LE. They got together and revealed themselves to each other and LE.

The posting charges were added to the original charges once these guys revealed their handles.
Worst thing you can do is talk without a good attorney present.
You are not required to help them prosecute you.