Religious leaders press Village Voice on sex ads

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2012-04/religious-leaders-press-village-voice-sex-ads

Apr 02, 2012 by Annalisa Musarra
c. 2012 Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS) Religious leaders on Thursday (March 29) delivered more than 230,000 signatures to the office of Village Voice Media, demanding the company shut down the adult advertising section on its website, Backpage.com, where advertisements for sex with underage minors have appeared.

"As a mother and as a member of the clergy, I am outraged by Village Voice Media's continued refusal to shut down Backpage.com's adult section, even after being confronted with evidence that girls and teens have been advertised for sex on the site," said the Rev. Katharine Henderson, president of Auburn Seminary and a leader of the petition.

Leaders from an array of religious groups, including Jews, Sikhs, Baptists, Hindus, and Muslims, have joined together in the fight against sex trafficking.

They are demanding the adult section be removed after multiple cases of minors being sold for sex were traced back to the site, which is owned by Village Voice Media, which produces New York's Village Voice newspaper.

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