The U.S Justice Department announced a 93-count indictment against several people tied to major trafficking platform Backpage.com.

Backpage.com was a website that carried sex ads. As of Wednesday, a message from the FBI states that the websites have been seized. Authorities accuse the site of facilitating underage sex trafficking.

The website was taken down last week because the two founders and CEO were indicted on prostitution and money laundering charges.

Sex worker advocate, Valerie Scott says that the women use those sites in order to connect with and screen their clients. Without them, all independent indoor sex workers are at risk.

Some sex workers who don’t have enough money for paid online advertisements say the only other ways of working are out on the street or working with unsavory people. Pimps and in many cases that results in violence.

Earlier this year Tyrel Mclean and Dante Thaxter, both 18, were arrested in Hamilton and charged for allegedly pimping a woman and shooting her in the buttocks when she tried to escape.

According to Scott, “Already we are getting reports of women who are receiving unsolicited emails and phone calls from people saying ‘I’ll manage you’ ”

While the personal ads on Cragislist, a similar site to Backpage, are still up in Canada, the U.S account took them offline last month.

Scott says the shutdown of these sites could impact police investigations. ” The police used to be able to go through the ads on backpage and set up stings if they thought someone was being trafficked but now they can’t even do that.”

Hamilton Police say it won’t hinder their work and that investigative techniques in this area have always been adaptable and flexible to developing situations.

Hamilton Police also add that there are still multiple sources that can be used to advertise sexual services and that often sex trade workers will create links to their Facebook page or other social media sites.