California Professor In Trouble For Running Side 'Travel Pimp' Gig

A Cal State professor had to take down his website on Monday after a tremendous public outcry. The site, entitled Big Baby Kenny, was supposedly a primer for English-speaking males looking for sex tourism advice in Thailand. (One Inside Higher Ed post repeated a rather nauseating excerpt that suggested a pick up line for hookers: "Start with a compliment. Perhaps something along the lines of 'You have the cutest little titties.'" At left is a picture captured from the now-defunct site.)

At first, Professor Ng was allowed to keep his site up under the university's policy of, you know, not infringing on the man's free speech. He was operating the page on his own time, so he was in the clear, right? Not so, as it turns out.

Patrick Trueman, a former U.S. justice department official, notes that there are several federal statutes that could come into play. Within U.S. Code 18 are two sections – 2422 (a) and 2422 (b) – that specifically prohibit anyone from “enticing or coercing a person” to travel internationally in pursuit of prostitutes. Moreover, one section specifically prohibits the use of the Internet to lure people. [Inside Higher Ed]

He has now removed the site.