Legal awareness
Skip The Games And The Law
Enough criminal-defense law firms have written blog posts titled "arrested for using Skip The Games" that the topic deserves an honest walkthrough. This page is not legal advice, we are not lawyers, and nothing here should replace talking to one if you actually need to. But the basics of what is enforced, what is not, and why the site is structured the way it is are worth knowing before you use any adult classifieds site.
This is not legal advice
We are the moderation team of an adult classifieds platform. We are not attorneys. State and federal law vary and change. If you have been arrested, charged, or contacted by law enforcement in connection with a classifieds site, close this tab and call a criminal defense attorney in your state before doing anything else. If you need a starting point, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has a directory at NACDL.org.
The Backpage seizure and what changed in 2018
Backpage.com was seized by the FBI in April 2018. Fourteen days after the seizure, the president signed FOSTA-SESTA into law. Combined, those two events reset the legal landscape for adult classifieds in the US: any operator that facilitates or allows content that promotes prostitution can be held liable under federal law, and the operator is expected to actively moderate for it, not passively host it.
That is why every legitimate US-based classifieds platform today, ours included, has a moderation team, ID verification, and content policies that explicitly prohibit ads soliciting sex acts in exchange for money. It is not moral posturing, it is what the law requires.
What is actually prosecuted
The overwhelming majority of criminal cases connected to classifieds sites involve one of three fact patterns:
- A user explicitly negotiates a sex act in exchange for money in a written message, then meets to complete the transaction. The written message is the evidence.
- A minor is involved. Any case involving anyone under 18 is treated categorically and severely under federal law, regardless of what the ad said or what either party believed.
- Someone is trafficking or coercing another person to appear in ads. This is prosecuted heavily and is why our verification process specifically looks for signs of coercion.
Simply browsing a classifieds site is not, on its own, a crime. Simply signing up is not, on its own, a crime. What creates legal exposure is the explicit exchange of money for a specific sex act, and the written record of that exchange.
How sting operations actually work
We are asked about this every week. The pattern published by criminal defense firms (Hartwig Law, Columbus Criminal Attorney, Pittsburgh Criminal Attorney, and many others) is consistent:
- An undercover officer either posts an ad on a classifieds site or responds to a client-posted ad.
- Through DMs, texts, or in-platform messaging, the officer nudges the conversation toward an explicit exchange: "how much for X" or "will you do X for Y dollars".
- If the target confirms an explicit exchange, arrangements are made to meet.
- The messages, arrangements, and the meeting are the evidence. The meeting itself is where the arrest happens.
The through-line: the crime is in the explicit negotiation, not in the site visit. Every criminal defense firm that has written about this says the same thing: keep messages non-explicit and vague on specifics.
Why our terms of service look the way they do
Our terms of service prohibit ads that solicit sex acts in exchange for money. Our moderation team removes ads that explicitly do so. We are legally required to. This is also why we do not accept ads from providers we cannot verify by government ID, and why we run reverse image searches on submitted photos: a platform that turns a blind eye to trafficking, coercion, or minors is a platform that gets seized.
What we can host: ads for companionship, time, GFE-style social experiences, massage, and adult entertainment services described in the vaguer language the industry has used since Craigslist personals launched in the 1990s. What we cannot host: ads that pin down a specific sex act to a specific dollar amount. That is not us being coy, that is US federal law.
What to do if you are contacted by law enforcement
Stop talking. Call a criminal defense attorney in your state before answering questions, agreeing to a search, or explaining anything. Everyone has the right to counsel. Do not delete anything, do not post about it on social media, do not text friends about it. Talk to a lawyer first.
This is not a Skip The Games specific rule, this is basic Fifth Amendment guidance that applies to any interaction with law enforcement in the United States.
Providers and legal exposure
Providers face a different set of legal risks depending on state, and the legal literature specific to providers is out there but not always easy to find. SWOP-USA (Sex Workers Outreach Project) and the Desiree Alliance both publish legal-awareness resources aimed at providers. If you are a provider considering listing on Skip The Games or anywhere else, we recommend reading their material before you post your first ad.