> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight a harrowing tale. one teenag">
> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight a harrowing tale. one teenag" property="og:description">
> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight a harrowing tale. one teenag">
>> this is a special edition of "nightline." daughters for sale. >> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight a harrowing tale. one teenage daughter on the darkest of journeys. disappearing into the internet sex trade. our "nightline" investigation from the controversial classified site backpage.com accused of making sex trafficking possible. here's gloria riviera with our special edition of daughters for be a doctor. >> reporter: they are the sweet dreams of a 7th grade girl. >> something i would like to do in my life is go to africa. >> reporter: but what lay ahead was a nightmare her parents never saw coming. >> they took everything from my little girl. >> i live in an american town. how can my kid be sold on the internet. >> reporter: a few short years after this video was taken, this 15-year-old would be sold for sex through the website, backpage.com. >> how many encounters do you think you had during that time? >> over 150. >> over 150? >> yeah. >> reporter: would that have been possible without back paige.com? >> no way. >> reporter: this led her to join a major lawsuit against back page with other girls like her. today natalie is 21 years old and a mother herself. why your decision to speak out? >> i don't just do it >> reporter: similar to craigslist, it's a basic ad site but with sections like escorts and body rubs. technically legal services that law enforcement is called thinly vailed code for prostitution. >> the majority of children sold for sex was trafficked using back page. >> reporter: now it's under investigation by the u.s. senate. this is one of the last photos taken of natalie before she made the choice that would change her life forever. she ran away from home. >> i just wanted to get my parents' attention. i was scatterbrained at 15. >> reporter: when her parents found the letter she left behind, they called the police. >> i was in shock. why? where? you know? how? >> reporter: she took a bus 30 miles to downtown seattle where she met an older girl at shelter who introduced her to life on the streets. >> a pimp picked us up. that's when i got raped for the first time. after it happened, he threw a towel at me and some carpet cleaner and told me to clean up the carpet because there was blood. >> jimm >> reporter: you were a virgin? >> yeah. >> reporter: this sent her down path to led her to this man. she says he was kind to her, offered her a place to stay. >> i confided in him a little bit about how stressed out i was. >> reporter: soon the dynamic changed. >> he asked me if i had ever worked before. and then he told me that i wouldn't be on the streets. and then that's when back page came into play. >> reporter: what did he say to you about it? >> he said it's safer. he said it's easier not to get caught. >> reporter: and titled well worth it, 150 an hour and it won't take long at all, she says she started earning 4$,000 a weekend for sex and handing all the money over. >> he started getting physically abusive. he would sleep in the living room next to the front door so i couldn't leave. >> reporter: how often did you work? >> every single day. it's simple. asks you if you're 18 or older. a simple yes click was as far as that went. >> it tore our family apart. >> reporter: her father says he would spend his days driving around seattle. >> the dreams of her going to college dr. >> reporter: searching for his missing girl. he learned she might be working the streets. the idea alone pushed him to a breaking point. >> it ran through my point, what i was going to do, and how i was going to handle it when i found her. it wouldn't have been good for the pimp. i know that. >> reporter: found out she wasn't on the streets but being sold online. what was it like for you to realize what was going on with back page? >> when you here your 15-year-old child is posting an ad for sex or for rape, in her case, and that she's getting 25 to 30 calls an hour, and you're thinking, okay, how many of these is she having to answer? i mean, how many times a day is my child being raped? >> reporter: right now u.s. law protects back page from being held legally responsible for what users post on the site. >> reporter: if someone advertises a faulty motorcycle. buyer shouldn't be able to sue back page for most posting the ad. under the law there's no difference between back page posting the ad for that motorcycle or for the underage girl. >> reporter: back page says they put in place a system for screening ads. there's a filter for key words and a user reported flagging system. in 2012 their attorney told us. >> online exploitation exists and the best tools to fight it are ols online, and backpage.com is currently one of the best tools to fight it. >> age, 18. >> reporter: the seattle police department says they find underage girls listed on back page all the time, including natalie who they rescued on a hotel sting 108 days after she went missing. >> he says i know who you are, natalie. instantly, i saw storms of cops outside. >> reporter: one of those cops, this man, detective bill guyer. >> i remember meeting the detective. almost reminded me of my dad. >> reporter: he formed a special bond with natalie. he helped her through the tr for the commercial sex abuse of a minor. >> i tell her and every other girl, i'd like to get them to the point where they can't wait to get on the stand and say that's the person that did it to me. >> reporter: they've agreed to take us inside a back page sting. >> we want to post an ad and do it under escorts. >> reporter: this detective frequently goes undercover. he's asked we not show his full face. >> i am 18 years of age or older. you just say i agree and continue. one click and you're three. >> reporter: we're here to see what happens when you post a back page ad that suggestions an underage girl. this is for an 18-year-old girl with the mention of a younger frenld. ask about my younger friend. the ad is up and in minutes we have an ad advertising an underage girl. we've gotten several phone calls, several texts. >> another call. >> reporter: hey, beautiful, are you angel? right then there's another one. it hasn't been up for a half hour. this is crazy. a full 24 hours later, we're in a seattle hotel with the squad. angel's ad is up and running and is yet to be taken down by back page. >> we're using the fruits from what we planted yesterday. >> reporter: they brought in katie, an undercover cop who will pretend to be angel. >> this is our ad we posted 24 hours ago. it's still getting responses, and katie is writing back to see if they'll meet the underaged girl here for sex. she calls back a man who left a voice mail. she tells him he's 16 and the friend 15 i'm going to come to the window. okay. i'm in the window on the very far end, kind of near the flag poles. me and my friend are standing in the window. we'll wave to you. >> reporter: the scenario is set up. he thinks he's coming up to meet a 15 and 16-year-old girl for sex. >> he's in a royal blue shirt with a fedora on. >> stay here. stay here. it's -- >> stop. >> reporter: he tried to bolt. >> please, please. >> just relax, relax. relax. put your hands behind your back. police. you're under arrest. >> these girls you were coming to see. how old were they? >> they said something. >> what did they say? >> they said they are 16. you know -- >> how old was that girl? >> 14, 15, 13 >> that doesn't bother you at all? >> i just thought they were just needing -- >> what? needing in what? going to play scrabble? >> i just wanted to make more friends. >> reporter: the man pled not to attempted commercial sex abuse of a minor. back page stings are becoming common place across the country. they said they always cooperate with law enforcement investigations. for natalie and other girls suing the site, it's not about catching clients but holding the man behind it accountable. >> he's just as accountable as the man who sold her, in my mind. >> reporter: when we come back, see what he does when he track him down overseas. of proof. proof of less joint pain and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and ear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. what's your body of proof? create your own seafood trios you can try something new with every bite. pick 3 of 9 all-new creations for $15.99. like baked lobster alfredo chimichurri shrimp and crab cakes bursting with crab meat. just hurry in before it ends. the wrong reasons. you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec®. muddle no more®. nowwhich means it's the perfect time to create the perfect home. jt now through may 30th, take an extra hundred dollars off every thousand dollars you spend. plus, enjoy 36-month, no-interest financing. tys, your home can be perfect. even when life isn't. sfx:nocking. we're early! the memorial day sale. from classic to contemporary. havertys. car >> reporter: amsterdam, the land of red light districts and legalized prostitution. possibly a good place to find the founder of backpage.com. we realized that backpage.com was sold to an unnamed dutch holding company. did carl ferrer own any companies there? he seems to be running a few other escort sites from here, including one called cracker, available nearly everywhere but the united states. a lot of people are looking for this guy, including the u.s. senate. >> i'd like to call the ceo of back page, carl ferrer. >> reporter: in march after he failed to show up to testify in a hearing about online sex charge him with contempt of congress. >> we hoped he would be her. it was a unanimous vote. >> we want to know how much money they're making and what their policies and procedures are for screening ads. >> reporter: back page refused to disclose this information. but the senate's investigators say they obtained company e-mails where moderators are told not to take down a post unless they're very sure the person is underage. another, e-mails that suggest back page was telling moderators to edit ads. >> things had been edited out including the fact that a girl was underage. >> i'm betting when we get all the financials, they're not making much money selling motorcycles but making a lot of money selling children. >> reporter: back page's corporate group is projected to have a profit of $173 million. they will not say what percentage of this comes from the back page is fighting the charge climbing the senate's request is a violation of the first amendment because it seeks every bit of information relating to every editorial decision made during the past six years. we've been trying to find the ceo, and we've also tested out what happens when you post an add using language that suggests an underage girl is involved. we're going to e-mail back page to report the ad to see if they take it down. now we wanted to find out what would happen if he e-mail back page directly flagging the ad as underage. i'm sending their e-mail, abuse at backpage.com a note. i'm saying i went on a date with a girl in this ad. i'm saying she told me she's 15. we'll see if they take down the ad. it took eight hours for this. if you have information regarding the exploitation of a minor, please contact the national center for missing and exploited children. they said even though they think it does not clearly advertise a girl that is under 18. they took it down. they banned the account. they did report the ad to the national center. >> would you be surprised to know it stayed up for 24 hours? >> i wouldn't. >> reporter: this has the general counsel. she says 73% of the reports from suspected underage trafficking involve a back page post. >> they maintain monitoring programs and they're policing their site. it told "nightline" back page is online to fight human trafficking. >> i think that's a false statement. i don't think you can be in the business of providing basically an online bizarre for escort ads that including the purchase and sale of children for sex and say you're online to help problem. >> reporter: with a long list of questions, our search for the back page ceo brings us right here. carl ferrer has turned down several of our interview requests. we came to this hotel because we found out there's a conference that carl is scheduled to attend. it turns out he's an active member of the kclassified ad industry. >> it's a chance to share ideas. >> reporter: he attends a networking conference every year. it doesn't take long before we spot him. carl ferrer? >> yes. >> reporter: we've been looking for you. i'm with abc news. we want to ask you a few questions. law enforcement tells us that underage girls are trafficked on backpage.com, your company. >> no comment. >> reporter: we saw a real life example last week. >> please, i'm sorry. >> reporter: we spoke to a father who has a 15-year-old girl. she was >> i am sorry. >> reporter: you're a father. what would you want to say to him? he wants to know why this is going on. we just need a few minutes of your time. initially when he saw us he said hello, how are you? as soon as we brought up law enforcement and the underage trafficking of young girls, he said he didn't want to talk to us. carl ferrer might not have answered our questions, but soon a dc judge may compel him to answer the u.s. senates. >> he's in amsterdam because he wants to avoid the bright light of attention we are placing on his company. i don't think amsterdam is far enough for him to go where are others like natalie and their family are hoping her lawsuit which claims back page knowingly edited content which enables prostitution succeeds. back page is fighting the allegations in court. >> whoever owns the company knows he's selling kids today. he j pimp that sold her in my mind. >> reporter: in a statement to a abc news backstage said while the experience of children is -- the solution does not lie in making online service providers responsible for millions of posts by third party users. little comfort to those who lives are so deeply affected. like natalie and her family and the detective. >> he calls me on my birthday every year. >> reporter: every year? >> he's the god father of my little girl. >> he's my hero. to me, he sayed my little girl and brought her home to me. >> reporter: today the two men who share a special bond are about to be reunited. it's been three years since they last saw each other. >> how you doing? >> good to see you. >> yeah. >> been a while. >> yeah. >> this is great. >> reporter: this is not a fight they chose, but it's one they say they are determined to win. for other little girls and their dreams. >> there's nothing really that i'm not looking forward to. >> this special edition of "nightline" will be right back. there's no one road out there. no one surface... no one speed... no one way of driving on each and every road. but there is one car that can conquer them all. the mercedes-benz c-class. five driving modes let you customize the steering, shift points, and suspension to fit the mood you're in... and the road you're on. the 2016 c-class. lease the c300 for $359 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. so guys with ed can... take viagra when they need it. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas® for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra single packs. ♪ they go ooh ooh. ♪ hey! ♪ they go oh-ooh-ooooh. ♪ sitting, watching, waiting, wishing. ♪ ♪ i tell you one thing, you never knew it. ♪ ♪ at the back of the bus ♪ there is so much to give, so dream big. ♪ ♪ yeah. ♪ and when they screaming get out, get out. ♪ ♪ll i wanna hear is t down, get down. ♪ ♪ yeah. ♪ and when they screaming get out, get out. ♪ ♪ll i wanna hear is t down, get down. ♪ ♪ get down, get down. for more information go to missingkids.com. our thanks to gloria and "nightline" producers. it was nelson men dell la who said safety and security don't just have. we oe our children, the most vulnerable all three kids asleep. huh? you thought i couldn't get ally to take a nap. aw, good job, honey. by the way, tomorrow we have to buy a pony. would you look at this great big stain here? that carpet guy swore up and down that he could get it out. look, i don't want to hear about stains, all right? the kids are asleep, the house is quiet. now it's quality time. just me and you. it'sdinner party,lian every outback, every day and we always serve our best i'm adrian richardson... in australia they call me 'the meat guy...' but now, i've got big steak news here at outback... now, every sirloin here is center cut the most tender sirloin of all! >>to celebrate our new sirloin, this month, get a size bigger on us! this big, australian dinner party... never ends... but the free bigger size's only till june 21st, so go online & claim yours! is it bloomin' great here... or what!?