MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) -
In an effort to fight the sex trafficking of children, the Minneapolis City Council's Intergovernmental Relations Committee unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling for Village Voice Media to stop publishing the adult section of its Backpage.com classified ads.
Village Voice Media owns the locally-produced Citypages alt-weekly, which uses Backpage.com on its own website.
Minneapolis police report that all 20 child sex-trafficking cases investigated so far in 2012 involved juvenile victims being marketed and "sold" via Backpage.com.
"They are a cooperative partner when we are involved in investigations. Certainly, we are able to access information through the proper legal channels," Capt. Amelia Huffman, of the Minneapolis Police Department. "But the fact that they continue to exist simply provides an easy and readily-available marketplace for people who are willing to engage in trafficking."
Three men have been charged in connection with the May 2012 case in which 37-year-old Mickey Cupkie was charged with four counts of engaging in prostitution with a minor.
Cupkie is an analyst with the US Army Corps. of Engineers in St. Paul. Police seized property from his office and believe he was soliciting the girls while at work.
The girls were runaways, according to Minneapolis Police Sgt. Grant Snyder, who handles sex trafficking cases. He says pimps picked the girls up in north Minneapolis, took them to a hotel, and then placed an ad on Backpage.com. Snyder says the girls were essentially held hostage.
The city council committee will also consider a measure to prioritize its approval of legislation to end the sexual exploitation of children by building a system that responds effectively to their needs, including sufficient resources and training for police and service providers.
The Greater Twin Cities United Way works to stop sex trafficking, but a representative told FOX 9 News that the City Council's decision won't solve the problem even though it is a positive development.
"I think this helps, but I do believe it helps mask a larger issue within our society," Dave Ellis told FOX 9 News. "We have to start asking the question of, 'Why are young people ending up in harm's way?' And then, the question becomes, 'What do we do to resolve that?' If we wait until an incident has happened, we will never, ever solve the true problem."
Ellis suggests working to reduce violence at home to stop children from running away from home and working the streets.
Village Voice Media did not return calls for comment, but they do have a web page devoted to sex trafficking that calls for the passage of a bill in the U.S. Senate to provide funding for housing and counseling to children that are victims of the sex trade.
