RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new online trend is offering free rooms in exchange for cooking, cleaning and “naked fun.”
This could potentially be dangerous and illegal, but also hard to prosecute.
Ads such as “houseboy wanted” that read “will provide free rent in my home in exchange for some cleaning and naked fun,” or “I am seeking a house cutie … You must be at least eye candy … Housekeeping in sexy outfits send photo and number,” are popping up on Craigslist.
These type of roommate with benefit ads are a new trend popping up right here in Central Virginia and across the country.
“I can honestly say I was unaware that these sort of advertisements were out there and that other people were trying to entice people for all sorts of reason,” Henrico County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Feinmel told 8News reporter Darrielle Snipes after she showed him one of the ads.
While they aren’t illegal, Feinmel says anytime you offer something of value in exchange for sex it is prostitution, which is illegal. Many of the ads looking for companionship or a fun roommate aren’t explicit, but they are highly suggestive and can be enticing to people who are down on their luck and don’t have a lot of money for a place to stay.
Feinmel says this is how people may fall into a life they didn’t sign up for.
“These ads are geared at finding people that need help, somewhere to live or need an apartment. And certainly it is opening the door for people to walk into a situation they really don’t realize what is going on,” he said. “Get them in the door and drugs become involved, physical force is involved and psychological manipulation becomes involved and people find themselves in a situation that is totally out of control and find another person is controlling them.”
Craigslist prohibits solicitation of illegal prostitution. Users can flag an ad if they see something inappropriate.
Feinmel, who is a part of the Human Trafficking Division and goes after pimps and other ring leaders, says the only way they can prosecute potentially illegal activity in ads is if it is reported.
“So the best advice is if someone makes a phone call or responds to an add then say something,” he said. “In a situation where things don’t seem right, let’s alert police and get an investigation started.”
