The latest King County Police crackdown on escort websites.

Despite the best efforts of the police PR flacks and their media friends (particularly at KIRO-TV and the P-I) to make it sound like a noble crusade against a horrible-horrible criminal gang, even the quickest between-the-lines read shows it’s just about the most victimless “crime” you could think of. It all takes place in private quarters, far from the offendable eyes of conservative civilians. It provides a vital service, safely and discreetly. The practitioners are paid well for their work, and are well appreciated by their clientele.

The “escort review” websites, such as the one mentioned in one of the P-I stories (and which is now down, apparently because its server host didn’t want to be associated with the publicity), make the profession even more professional. Clients can be warned about ripoff providers. Providers can be warned about abusive clients. Providers tastefully advertise their specialties.

A community, a subculture, has developed around a ritual of brief encounters. What had been a shadow world, prone to threats of disease and physical assault, became (at least on this “high end” level) an honest, respectful, even loving endeavor.

Could anybody, other than prudes and right-wingers, disapprove of that?

P.S.: The cops claim they’ve got a “little black book” listing hundreds of clients of the escort agency under investigation, and claim they’re gonna make unspecified “calls” on these guys. I don’t know if any of those guys or their service providers are reading this, but if they are, remember: Innocent until proven guilty, Miranda rights, don’t let The Man scare you into submission, etc.