State AGs, Craigslist CEO to meet

BOSTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Attorneys general from U.S. three states said they will press for Craigslist officials to eliminate the "Erotic" category as a choice under "Services."

Responding to allegations that Boston-area medical student Philip Markoff used the site to rob and kill women, attorneys general of Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois were to meet Tuesday with Craigslist's lawyers to press for the ban, CBS News reported.

Markoff, the so-called Craigslist killer suspect, faces charges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Boston police allege Markoff killed Julissa Brisman, a 25-year-old masseuse, and robbed a 29-year-old Las Vegas prostitute. Rhode Island authorities accuse Markoff of assaulting an exotic dancer at a hotel. Markoff allegedly met the three women through advertisements on the Craigslist Web site.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said on CBS's "The Early Show" the erotic services listings on Craigslist "enabled" crimes such as the ones Markoff is accused of committing.

Craigslist Chief Executive Officer Jim Buckmaster told CBS News the Web site "anticipates making further progress toward the common goal of eliminating illegal activity from Craigslist while preserving its full utility and benefit for tens of millions of law-abiding Americans ... ."