Victims trafficked through Backpage or CityXGuide may be eligible for compensation from a $200 million DOJ fund
The program covers financial losses such as medical care, counseling, and lost income
Survivors must apply by March 31, 2026
Federal authorities are urging people who were sex trafficked through the classified advertising sites Backpage and CityXGuide to apply for compensation through a special Department of Justice program before a March 31, 2026, deadline.
The FBI and DOJ announced the launch of the Backpage Compensation Program in July, following the forfeiture of roughly $200 million in assets connected to the sites. The money is intended to compensate trafficking survivors for eligible financial losses suffered between 2004 and 2020, including medical expenses, counseling costs, and lost income.
Officials say the effort is focused on ensuring that as much of the forfeited money as possible reaches survivors.
“The goal is to return as much of the $200 million as possible to victims of trafficking,” said Desirae Tolhurst, a special agent with the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office who led the Backpage investigation.
Documentation is key to claims
Tolhurst said documentation is the most critical element in securing compensation, but acknowledged that gathering records can be challenging for survivors.
Medical records, receipts, emails, and even copies or screenshots of online advertisements can help support claims, she said. However, aliases, prepaid “burner” phones, and fake contact information were common in trafficking situations, making verification more difficult.
“So it’s not as straightforward as you might think,” Tolhurst said.
Because of those challenges, federal agencies have expanded outreach efforts, including digital media campaigns and partnerships with more than 100 nonprofit organizations and service providers, to help victims understand the program and navigate the application process.
NCMEC connects survivors with free legal help
One of those partners is the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which has created a Backpage Survivor Remission Network to help eligible individuals pursue compensation.
NCMEC launched its outreach effort on Sept. 4, and by early December 2025 had connected more than 370 trafficking survivors with lawyers from about 35 national law firms providing pro bono services, according to the organization.
“We’ve been able to elevate our partnership with law firms, medical health clinicians, and so many others and bring them into the fold to support the larger good of this compensation process,” said Yiota Souras, NCMEC’s chief legal officer.
Survivors are allowed to file petitions on their own, but Souras emphasized that free assistance is available.
“I certainly think it’s important to know that people can complete petitions on their own and submit them,” she said. “But I think it’s also important to know there are free resources available to help — a trusted partner to walk alongside survivors and help them through this.”
Background on Backpage and CityXGuide
Backpage.com was once one of the largest online classified advertising platforms in the United States. From 2004 until its seizure in 2018, federal prosecutors say the site was widely used to facilitate commercial sex and sex trafficking, including the trafficking of minors.
The federal government seized Backpage.com in April 2018 and later brought criminal charges and civil forfeiture actions against its owners and operators. Several were convicted of crimes including conspiring to facilitate unlawful commercial sex and money laundering and were sentenced to federal prison.
CityXGuide later emerged as a successor site and operated until June 2020, when it was also shut down.
Data recovered from Backpage’s databases dates back to 2004, but officials note that its reliability varies because ads often used aliases, obscured images, and outdated phone numbers.
Who is eligible and how to apply
Individuals may qualify for compensation if they were trafficked through advertisements posted on:
Backpage.com between Jan. 1, 2004, and April 6, 2018
CityXGuide between April 8, 2018, and June 19, 2020
Victims may file petitions themselves, through a representative, or through the estate of a victim who has died.
More information about eligibility and the application process is available at BackpageRemission.com.