Content Warning: SA
It’s been a dog’s age since we last talked about craigslist around here.
Back in the day, craigslist was the top dog when it came to online classifieds. If you needed an apartment, a used couch, concert tickets, a roommate, or even a date, craigslist was where people went before social media swallowed most of the internet whole.
Unfortunately, the site also became infamous for the darker side of online anonymity. For years craigslist made millions of dollars off its erotic/adult services section, an area that critics said was crawling with prostitution, trafficking, and exploitation involving both women and children. The site’s personals section also became a hunting ground for predators looking for vulnerable victims. After years of mounting public outrage, lawsuits, bad press, and pressure from lawmakers, craigslist eventually shut those sections down.
These days craigslist is no longer the undisputed king of online classifieds. Facebook Marketplace has pretty much eaten its lunch. Even so, craigslist hasn’t disappeared. People still use it for odd jobs, housing, gigs, and local services. What also never disappeared were the risks that come with meeting strangers online. Just because craigslist has cleaned up some of its more notorious sections does not mean the site suddenly became safe. Predators go wherever vulnerable people are, and sadly, there are still plenty of vulnerable people using online platforms every single day.
That brings us to the case of 33-year-old William Morse of Tekoa, Washington, who was sentenced this week in federal court to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking, soliciting minors, and child rape. U.S. Morse was also ordered to remain on lifetime probation after his release.
According to authorities, the investigation started in September of 2024 when Morse responded to a craigslist ad posted by a 15-year-old girl offering babysitting services. Prosecutors say Morse coerced the girl into having sex with him in exchange for $320 before later raping her at her home in Spokane County.
Investigators digging through Morse’s email accounts allegedly found even more disturbing evidence. Authorities say he was also attempting to solicit another underage girl, this one 16 years old, who had likewise been advertising babysitting services on craigslist.
Morse eventually pleaded guilty as part of a global plea agreement that included a child rape charge in Spokane County Superior Court. Federal agents with an FBI-led child exploitation and human trafficking task force arrested Morse at his Tekoa home in February of last year.
Now before anybody twists this into victim blaming, let’s make something clear. William Morse is the criminal here. He is fully responsible for what he did. The fault lies entirely with the grown man who preyed on underage girls.
At the same time, no 16-year-old girl should be advertising babysitting services on craigslist, let alone on just about any other online platform where strangers can anonymously contact them. The internet is overflowing with creeps, predators, scammers, and people looking to exploit vulnerable kids. It’s not paranoia when it’s reality.
Parents who grew up during the early internet era sometimes still think of online classifieds as digital bulletin boards where people sell bicycles and old microwaves. Predators, however, see those same platforms as giant databases full of potential victims.
A teenager posting their phone number or email address publicly while looking for work may think they are being responsible and entrepreneurial. Meanwhile, somebody with evil intentions sees an easy target who may need money, attention, or validation or simply lacks experience dealing with manipulative adults.
Stories like this are a reminder that the dangers tied to craigslist never magically vanished when the company removed its personals and adult sections. The format may have changed and the site may no longer dominate the internet the way it once did, but the underlying dangers of anonymous online interactions are still very real.
Whether it is craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Discord, Snapchat, or whatever app becomes popular next year, predators will continue adapting to wherever people gather online. Sadly, there are far too many creeps lurking in almost every corner of the internet.
(Source)
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