That is my question too.  I stated earlier that they did not force us to buy memberships nor did they force us to give discounts to members.  How is that profitting from prostitution?  We saw it as good advertising only.  It was also a safe enviorment to be in and to know the other's that are in that community.  My guess is a bunch of these charges are not going to stick, however after an expensive 2 yr investigation, some heads are going to roll on this one.

we pay to join the boards, advertise there etc.  we make money off our ads (ie get clients)
They make money off us because we are using our 'ill gotten gains' to pay for memberships and ads,
Which in turn, funds payroll.
am i close?
Nicole

I posted the same message below but I think it also applies to this question.

I always thought the infamous list would be the cause of some trouble.  I even posted as such on there prior to getting banned.  TBD lists, in rank order, the top escorts around the country.  It has long been held that TBD received free sessions, among other things, in exchange for getting on this list.  One of the charges filed alleges he provided advertising and protection for sex.  By putting up the list of these providers isn't the site vouching and promoting these ladies? Doesn't this result in TBD benefiting financially?  These points relate to some of the other charges which were filed.  It will be interesting to see what happens.

Here are my thoughts on this matter... and only my thoughts.

I feel that TBD was in it further than we all know.  I feel that TBD was actually operating his own agency, under the guise of another name.  Also, his web site was soliciting funds for the advertisement of prostitution - which can be derived as "proceeds of prostitution" by the police and the court systems.  It will be up to his attorney to dispute these charges, and present enough information to present the case that it was not the case.

For all intense purposes, TBD was a pimp.  He did approach ladies that he liked and requested "favors" from them.  Some of them complied, some didn't.  Then deriving funds from the advertisement of prositutes via his banner ads, and his provider memberships which gave you a profile.  You can say, that it was just a web site... True.  But it was a web site with one clear mission statement: "to promote the safe use of prositutes".  Given that mission statement, any funds derived from that would fit in the above category.

What about providers that have web sites?  Don't sweat about it.  If you are an independant, then you are very low on the radar screen, as long as you are not in a state that has strict laws against such stuff, such as Virginia (where prositution is a felony).  

I think the bottom line here is, not to over-react.  This has happened before in the past, twice.  Not to TBD, but to web sites that pre-dated TBD.  Both operators were busted for RICO, and the same stuff that TBD was hit with.  It was not a surprise, all of us that have been around saw this coming a mile away.

Things will clear up.  TBD will go away, most probably.  Something else will replace it.  Things will be fine until a few years where the next bust will happen... and it all revolves in this cycle over and over.

I think the only thing we can all do, is to vote smart and to support the legalization and decriminalization of prositution.  Too few of us vote, and support propoents of this.  And too many of the right-wingers do vote, and support their folks!

Oh yeah, to someone that wondered how TBD could see so many people and run TBD Website at the same time?  TBD did not run the site, he had others do it for him.  AND, it pretty much runs itself! (With the help of the moderators on each of the boards).