Backpage.com Trafficking Victims Eligible For Federal Compensation – KXL

Portland, Ore. – A local district attorney’s office takes the unique step to notify human trafficking survivors they may be entitled to federal compensation.

Federal investigators shut down Backpage.com in 2018. For 14 years, the elicit website facilitated commercial sex and human trafficking. JR Ujifusa supervises the human trafficking team at the Multnomah County DA’s office. “In order to advertise, or to sell someone on their website, you would have to pay. It started out as cash, and it moved to Bitcoin,” says Ujifusa, “When the FBI and the federal government shut down Backpage, they seized their assets.”

That money is now available to survivors through the U.S. Department of Justice Backpage Remission Program. “I’m glad that their money is going back into the hands of those that they did that to, that they harmed,” says survivor-turned-advocate Robin Miller. 

The Multnomah County DA’s office is sending letters and applications to people involved in previous cases. “Through searching our databases, we have identified over 1,200 individuals that we believe may have been exploited, may have been used on Backpage.com, either as minors or adults,” says Ujifusa.  Miller asks, “How many of these envelopes are representative of children who were bought and sold on Backpage?” She adds, “I want to remind everybody why Backpage was shut down: They were selling children. And men were buying children, and women and vulnerable populations off the website for years.”

The DOJ estimates more than $200 million are available for victims across the country. Survivors and their families have until February to apply for the money either online or through the mail.