Colorado AG John Suthers

​After Colorado Attorney General John Suthers singled out Backpage.com for criticism in media interviews following the indictment of four men for allegedly running what authorities called a "human trafficking ring," the VVM-owned classified advertising website issued a response. The statement from VVM attorney Steve Suskin notes that Backpage actively cooperated with the Colorado investigation, in which three 20-year-olds and a 22-year-old were accused of pimping out four underage girls, whose ages authorities refused to release. "Backpage operates a legal business and complies with state and federal laws," Suskin said. "The Attorney General's indictment specifically mentions Facebook three different times, but it doesn't mention Backpage once. We think it unfair that Backpage is singled out in a news conference given our cooperation with law enforcement and successful record of interdicting such terrible crimes." VVM's Westword has Suskin's full statement.