South Carolina AG Asks Court to Dismiss Craigslist Suit

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South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has asked a federal judge to dismiss a complaint against him brought by Internet classified ads network Craigslist. The company says McMaster's public campaign linking Craigslist to prostitution violates free speech rights.

McMaster says the San Francisco-based company's claims are baseless.

He has been threatening to prosecute the owner and employees of Craigslist for running ads related to prostitution and pornography. In May, he gave Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster 10 days to remove the ads from the company's South Carolina Web sites.

In response, Craigslist eliminated its "erotic services" category, replacing it with a manually screened "adult services" section. McMaster said that wasn't good enough, repeating his threat to prosecute if an ad led to prostitution in South Carolina.

For now, both sides have agreed that McMaster would not pursue criminal charges while Craigslist's federal lawsuit is being considered by the court. The company also seeks a court order against McMaster to prevent him from issuing further threats.

The Attorney General, planning a run for governor of South Carolina next year, began his campaign against Craigslist after the arrest of a former medical student in Boston for the murder of a masseuse he met via Craigslist. Defendant Philip Markoff has pleaded not guilty.

More than a dozen people were recently arrested along Interstate 77 in North Carolina after law enforcement officials found sex ads on Craigslist in the state. In June, a North Carolina man was charged with raping a South Carolina woman he met through the site.