Lawyers argue indicted Backpage employees sought to keep prostitution ads off the site

Attorneys say a former executive and two operations managers for the classified site Backpage.com on trial in Phoenix worked vigorously to keep the platform free of ads for prostitution even as strategies on how to do so constantly shifted. Defense lawyers had their chance Tuesday to make opening statements in federal court in Phoenix for Scott Spear, Andrew Padilla and Joye Vaught. They highlighted how all three made great efforts to work with authorities. They, along with Backpage founder Michael Lacey and former chief financial officer John Brunst, have pleaded not guilty to facilitating prostitution. Of the five, Lacey and two others have pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges.