Montana has joined 20 other states in filing an amicus brief in support of three young human trafficking victims who filed suit against Backpage dot com.

On Friday, Attorney General Tim Fox said he has worked for the past four years to assist victims of human trafficking and to bring the perpetrators to justice," Fox said. "Just recently we joined this brief that is currently on appeal out of the First Circuit Court to the U.S. Supreme Court, and we're asking the court to hear the case on its merits."

"The First Circuit court held that a federal law called the Communications Decency Act precludes a civil lawsuit by the victims of human trafficking against Back Page dot com,  a website that is known for hosting advertisements for prostitution, including advertisements involving minors who are victims of sex trafficking," Fox said.

Fox said victims should have some recourse against the website.

"We believe that these individuals who have been harmed by this heinous crime should have recourse in the civil courts for damages against Back Page dot com," he said. "We're hopeful that the case will be heard and that ultimately Back Page dot com will be brought at least to civil justice for aiding and abetting these human traffickers."

In 2014, Montana joined other states and territories in asking members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act (SAVE) Act (S. 2536) to provide more oversight of websites like Backpage.com.

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