Federal and local authorities were scouring Craigslist personal ads and a computer Thursday to identify a man they say was involved in a rape arranged by the victim's husband.
The husband, who police say watched as the assault took place Sunday, sought out Craigslist ads offering sexual services that included scare tactics, said Kannapolis police Lt. Ken Jackson.
Police say it's possible the assailant believed the assault, at knifepoint, was just a game with a willing participant. But they believe the wife's statement that she was attacked. They are searching for the assailant and have arrested the victim's husband.
Asked about the rape, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper told The Charlotte Observer he would continue to pressure Craigslist to remove postings that solicit prostitution and other illegal services.
Cooper joined 39 other state attorneys general in signing a November agreement that would require Craigslist to screen postings for erotic services, and force those posting ads to provide a working phone number and a valid credit card number.
"(Craigslist) needs to take those kinds of things off a site that attracts a general audience and that kids have access to," Cooper said Thursday.
Police have said Craigslist is helping with the investigation.
Craigslist spokeswoman Susan MacTavish Best said in an e-mail Wednesday: "We share the public's horror that such a crime was committed, and our heart goes out to the victim."
San Francisco-based Craigslist has been under scrutiny after reports nationally of violent crime following contacts made through Craigslist, which features free online classified ads grouped by city and state. Craigslist recently pledged to eliminate its "erotic services" category and vet submissions to a new "adult services" section before posting them.
Charlotte's Craigslist site had about 140 ads from men seeking "casual encounters" with women posted Wednesday, with 80 more posted by Thursday afternoon.
Some advertised and sought various types of sex acts and partners. At least one ad posted in the last month offers to take part in a sexual encounter involving "intimidation and fear."
The posting says: "So, here's what I'm looking for ... Pretty much a sex slave ... However, I'm not out to injure anyone and all limits would be respected."
The Observer doesn't identify the victims of sexual assaults, and hasn't named the husband charged in the Kannapolis assault to protect his wife's identity.
Though he's not accused of assaulting his wife, police have charged him with first-degree rape for his alleged role in setting up the crime.
The husband was convicted of indecent exposure last year in Chesterfield County, Va., court records show. No details were available.
Police say the victim called 911 about 2:30 a.m. Sunday and reported she had been sexually assaulted by an unknown male intruder. The rape took place in the couple's bedroom while her husband watched, police said.
Investigators said Thursday they had a lead on the assailant and the husband's cooperation. The U.S. Secret Service is analyzing the hard drive from the couple's computer.
The couple's two children were in the home during the assault, police said, but were unaware of what was going on.
The woman was treated and released from Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast. Kannapolis Lt. Jackson said the woman wasn't cut or beaten. Investigators became suspicious of her husband when his statement contradicted his wife's and because there were no signs of forced entry at the house.
Craigslist came under fire recently after authorities tied a Boston murder to the site.
Philip Markoff was accused in the April killing a New York City woman who offered massages on Craigslist. Police also accused the 22-year-old of robbing another woman who advertised erotic services.
What makes Craigslist susceptible to crime is the perceived anonymity of the site, said Trench Reynolds. He runs CraigsCrimeList, a site dedicated to tracking crime believed to be spawned by Craigslist. All that is necessary to post and reply to ads is an e-mail address.
He said the most common crime connected to Craigslist is fraud or scams, with robbery second.
Rapes have been connected to Craigslist solicitations, he said, including the case of a man charged Tuesday in Austin, Texas, with the sexual assault of a woman who offered massage services on Craigslist and met the man in a hotel.
When a crime is linked to Craigslist, the company provides law enforcement with IP and e-mail addresses.
Last month, South Carolina's attorney general threatened to prosecute Craigslist if the site was found to be involved in any prostitution conviction in the state.
Craigslist Chief Executive Officer Jim Buckmaster also sued the S.C. attorney general saying his threats violated Craigslist employees' constitutional rights, and that Craigslist was being singled out when other media also carry explicit advertisements.
