[Back to the takedown index](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns) # Backpage.com seizure April 2018, Trafficking and exploitation Led by [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation) Extended pass entry, last reviewed August 21, 2026 What was taken down? Site infrastructure and domains seized; replaced with a law-enforcement seizure notice. [See what happened](#what-happened) What happened to the people? Officials reported 7 charged. 2 charged and 1 convicted named in the public record. Group accounted for: Likely complete [See people and accountability](#people) Did it stay down? Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. [See what happened afterward](#afterward) ## What happened DOJ/FBI seized Backpage.com, a classified-advertising platform DOJ alleged was used to facilitate prostitution and sex trafficking, and indicted founders and executives. **Date:** April 2018 **Target:** Backpage.com, classified ads platform **Activity:** Trafficking and exploitation **Operational lead:** FBI **Partners** DOJ[[1]](#source-1) - [United States Department of Justice](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-department-of-justice), prosecuting **Jurisdiction:** Not established **Outcome:** Site infrastructure and domains seized; replaced with a law-enforcement seizure notice. **Status:** Completed **Legal mechanism:** Federal indictment; seizure warrant. **Group accounted for:** Likely complete ### Infrastructure 1 domain seized. | Identifier | Recorded as | Status | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | backpage[.]com | 1 domain | Seized, United States | Not established[[1]](#source-1) | Domains and onion addresses are shown defanged. Where the record gives a count but no identifier, the count is shown in place of one. This list carries only what appears in the cited sources. ## People and accountability Named in the public record: 2 charged and 1 convicted. Figures count individuals named in charging documents and official statements, each person once per outcome. People alleged to be involved but not publicly identified are not counted. Reported and named. Officials reported 7 charged. 2 charged and 1 convicted named in the public record. The two figures come from different places and are never added together. Officials publish a headline total, and this index counts only the individuals it can name from the cited record. #### Carl Ferrer CEO of Backpage.com. Current public status: Charged and Pleaded guilty. **Charging authority:** United States Department of Justice **Main charges:** Facilitating prostitution; Money laundering conspiracy **Case number:** Not established in the public record **Arresting authority:** Not established in the public record **Arrest location:** Not established in the public record **Extradition status:** Not established in the public record **Conviction or plea:** Pleaded guilty **Sentence:** Not established in the public record **Segment:** Core operator **Sources:** [[1]](#source-1) **Full record:** [Everything indexed for Carl Ferrer](https://takedownindex.org/people/carl-ferrer) #### Michael Lacey Co-founder of Backpage.com. Current public status: Charged. **Charging authority:** United States Department of Justice **Main charges:** Facilitating prostitution; Money laundering conspiracy **Case number:** Not established in the public record **Arresting authority:** Not established in the public record **Arrest location:** Not established in the public record **Extradition status:** Not established in the public record **Conviction or plea:** Not established in the public record **Sentence:** Not established in the public record **Segment:** Core operator **Sources:** [[1]](#source-1) **Full record:** [Everything indexed for Michael Lacey](https://takedownindex.org/people/michael-lacey) Group accounted for: Likely complete Founders and senior executives were indicted and prosecuted. [See the organizations and roles behind this action](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/backpage-com-seizure/organizations) ## What happened afterward Not established in the public record. No later activity is recorded against this entry. ## Sources Numbered markers throughout this entry link to the source that supports the claim beside them. ### Official sources 1. [Justice Department leads seizure of Backpage.com, indicts founders](https://takedownindex.org/sources/us-doj-fbi-justice-department-leads-seizure-of-backpage-com-indicts-founders) US DOJ / FBI, April 6, 2018, Source grade P1 Establishes the Backpage.com seizure and the indictment of its founders and executives. No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. Coverage note. Added from deep-research aggregation pass. Not independently re-verified source-by-source to the same standard as the original 38-incident core; source\_quality capped at S2/P2 pending a dedicated verification pass. Research context ## How this entry was checked This entry came from a broader aggregation pass and has not been independently verified source by source. Its sources are graded no higher than P2 or S2, and most carry no address yet. Treat the figures as a research lead rather than a settled record. Source review: Extended pass, not yet verified Sources cited: 1 Research cutoff: August 20, 2026 Last reviewed August 21, 2026 See also [About the Internet Takedown Index](https://takedownindex.org/about) Related entries - [VPNFilter botnet disruption](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/vpnfilter-botnet-disruption) - [Operation Trojan Shield](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-trojan-shield) - [3ve ad-fraud botnet disruption](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/3ve-ad-fraud-botnet-disruption) Report updates or corrections Help keep this record accurate. [Submit feedback](https://takedownindex.org/about#corrections-and-updates)