Judge Acquits Backpage Defendants of Most Charges Before 2nd Retrial

Judge Acquits Backpage Defendants of Most Charges Before 2nd Retrial

PHOENIX — A federal judge has acquitted former Backpage.com co-owner Michael Lacey, and two co-defendants, of most of the counts remaining from the protracted case launched against the website operators by the Justice Department in 2018.

U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa announced on Tuesday that she had eliminated 63 of the 84 counts remaining after the November verdict by a jury in the first federal retrial of the case. That retrial followed an earlier attempt that ended in a mistrial.

As XBIZ reported, the retrial jury deadlocked on prostitution-related charges against Lacey, though it found him guilty on one count of international concealment money laundering related to the operation of Backpage. Lacey is scheduled to be sentenced on that single conviction on June 17.

Most of the acquitted charges concern transactional money laundering, Courthouse News reported. Humetewa wrote that the government “failed to trace the company’s financial moves to a criminal source” and also struck some of the prostitution charges.

In January, federal prosecutors filed a formal notice for a second retrial, which would give them an unusual third shot at convicting Lacey and his co-defendants.

“Essentially, the feds want Lacey, a longtime free speech advocate, to die in prison,” Arizona journalist Stephen Lemons, the foremost authority on the case, wrote for Front Page Confidential, a Lacey-aligned online publication. “They’ve already caused the death of Jim Larkin, Lacey’s longtime business partner, fellow newspaperman and co-defendant in the Backpage case.”

Larkin committed suicide in July 2023. He was reportedly exhausted by the financial burden imposed on his family by the federal authorities’ unusually lengthy and persistent campaign against the creators of Backpage.com. 

The case against Backpage — dubbed by politicians from both parties “an online brothel” — was a central issue in the passing of the controversial FOSTA-SESTA legislation.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

FSC Sets Key Dates, Qualifiers for December Board of Directors Election

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced key dates and qualifiers for its upcoming Board of Directors election.

Show More