The sheriff of Cook County, Illinois says Craigslist has some explaining to do. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, sheriff Tom Dart says the online classifieds site is the largest source of prostitution in the United States. For those of you playing at home, prostitution is illegal in most of the United States.

This isn’t the first time Craigslist has come under fire for hosting ads for prostitutes. In November 2008, Craigslist Chief Executive Jeff Buckmaster pledged that the site would take steps to stop people from posting ads for prostitution and other illegal services. According to the Los Angeles Times, Buckmaster made the pledge after Connecticut District Attorney Richard Blumenthal led a campaign to pressure Craigslist into action.

Craigslist has filed several lawsuits against individuals and companies that violated the site’s terms of service (ToS). It has also changed its policy for erotic service ads. There’s now a $5 fee to post such an ad — users once were able to post them for free. The fee might seem small but it requires users to pay via credit card. That gives Craigslist an easy way to track down people who violate the ToS. The site depends heavily upon its community of users to police the ads and flag any that violate the ToS.

It seems that Sheriff Dart feels that Craigslist hasn’t done enough. He’s asked a federal court judge to order Craigslist to remove the erotic services category completely.

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