FBI urges Backpage, CityXGuide trafficking survivors to apply for compensation
The J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building, right, and the US Department of Justice building in Washington, DC. (Credit: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - Federal authorities are urging people who were sex trafficked through the classified advertising sites Backpage and CityXGuide to apply for compensation through a special Department of Justice program.
Trafficking survivors can apply for compensation
What they're saying:
The FBI, DOJ, and partner agencies said they want to ensure all sex trafficking victims who suffered losses through the online platforms are aware of this opportunity for compensation.
"The goal is to return as much of the $200 million as possible to victims of trafficking," Desirae Tolhurst, the FBI Phoenix field office special agent who led the Backpage investigation, said in a statement. She said the most critical piece to providing financial relief is documentation – medical records, receipts, emails, and even records of their online advertisements.
Who may qualify for compensation?
Dig deeper:
Individuals may qualify for compensation if their trafficking was facilitated through ads posted on Backpage.com between January 1, 2004, and April 6, 2018, and on its successor site, CityXGuide, between April 8, 2018, to June 19, 2020.
Victims can file petitions themselves, or petitions may be filed by representatives or by the estates of victims who have died.
To learn more or submit a petition, visit BackpageRemission.com.
When is the deadline?
What you can do:
The deadline is coming up and has been extended to March 31, 2026.
Backage Compensation Program launched for trafficking victims
The backstory:
In July, Federal officials announced the launch of the Backpage Compensation Program to help trafficking victims recoup financial losses they encountered at the hands of Backpage and CityXGuide between 2004 and 2020.
DOJ forfeited approximately $200 million in assets, which are available to compensate trafficking survivors for eligible financial losses, such as costs related to medical care, counseling, or lost income.
EARLIER: DOJ sets up compensation fund for Backpage sex trafficking victims
Backpage.com was once a major online marketplace for classified ads. From 2004 until 2018, criminals used the site to facilitate commercial sex and sex trafficking, including trafficking of minors. The federal government seized Backpage.com in April 2018 and later brought criminal charges and filed civil forfeiture complaints.
The site's owners and administrators have since been found guilty of multiple offenses, including conspiring to facilitate unlawful commercial sex and money laundering. Several were sentenced to federal prison.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by the FBI. This story was reported from Los Angeles.