The executives of classified listings site Backpage.com have been cleared of criminal charges relating to adult services advertised on the site. CEO Carl Ferrer and Backpage’s founders, Michael Lacey and James Larkin, faced various charges related to pimping and the pimping of minors, with prosecutors accusing the trio of profiting from prostitution and sex trafficking.

Last Friday, though, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Bowman found in favor of the defendant, with Bowman’s ruling (which can be seen here, courtesy of Ars Technica) stating that Backpage’s business is shielded by the Communications Decency Act. This federal law was introduced in 1996, and protects web publishers from assuming responsibility for…

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