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Backpage settles lawsuit by 3 who said they were sold as teens

SEATTLE — Attorneys for three women who alleged they were sold for sex on Backpage.com as teenagers say they have settled their lawsuit against the website.

The confidential settlement was announced Tuesday by lawyers Jason Amala and Erik Bauer. The case was scheduled for trial in Pierce County Superior Court next week.

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In the lawsuit, filed in 2012, the three said they were 13 to 15 years old when they were advertised on Backpage.com. They argued the website knowingly marketed commercial sex.

Attorneys for Backpage.com did not immediately return emails seeking comment. Backpage shut down its "escort" section early this year.

The Washington Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the lawsuit could go forward. The justices said the federal Communications Decency Act does not protect Backpage where plaintiffs allege the company didn't just host the ads, but helped develop the content.   Other cases against Backpage remain pending in Washington, California and Texas.