Attorney General Chris Koster says Craigslist has agreed to remove its online erotic services.

Craigslist is a free online classifieds list. It’s where anyone can advertise anything. Except now, after Koster joined forces with attorneys general from Illinois and Connecticut to do away with one section Koster says promotes illegal conduct.

Koster says he wasn’t so sure the CEOs at Craigslist saw things his way at first, but says they probably realized they faced an unpopular lawsuit and backlash from attorneys general from throughout the U.S.

Koster says prostitution is society’s oldest crime, and while no solution is ever going to be perfect, Craigslist was clearly putting their thumb in the eye of law enforcement.

Koster says changes to the craigslist Web site will include:

– No new advertisements will be placed on its erotic services section as of May 14.

– Any remaining advertisements on its erotic services section will expire within seven days.

– The erotic services section will be eliminated in seven days.

– A new adult services section already has been posted.

– Each advertisement in the adult services section will be manually screened for nude photos and illegal activities, such as prostitution.

– Each new advertisement will require telephone and credit card verification in order to post the ad.

– The fee to post an ad in the adult services section will double to $10. All proceeds derived from advertisements in this section will continue to be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other similar organizations in the various states.

Koster says he’ll continue to closely monitor the site to make certain craigslist’s proposals are effective.

Jessica Machetta reports [Download/listen MP3]