Months after pulling the plug on paid adult services ads in the U.S., Craigslist has removed the category from international sites as well.

Last Saturday, the Montreal Gazette reported that Craigslist had taken down the category in Canada and internationally as it faced political pressure from local markets.

Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, one of the most vociferous political opponents, said he was "pleased" that Craigslist "appears to have taken steps to protect women, children and the vulnerable."

"Our government was concerned that such advertisements could facilitate serious criminal offences, such as living on the avails of child prostitution and trafficking in persons," Nicholson said in a statement. "As well, these ads had already been removed from the American Craigslist Web sites.

Craigslist operates 700 local classified websites in 70 countries, according to the company.

In September, Craigslist removed the category in the U.S. at the urging of federal lawmakers, anti-prostitution and anti-sex trafficking groups. Following the removal, Craigslist's traffic dipped roughly 10 percent reports AIM Group, a consultant for the classifieds industry.

But it remains to be seen whether forcing Craigslist to remove this category has actually deterred online sex predators. AIM Group said the sex ads have migrated to Backpage.com, a site operated by Village Voice Media. Backpage bears a striking resemblence to Craigslist but also advertises escorts, body rubs, phone sex operaters, etc.

Craigslist could not be reached for comment at press time. Back in August, CEO Jim Buckmaster addressed concerns in a blog post: "Craigslist is committed to being socially responsible, and when it comes to adult services ads, that includes aggressively combating violent crime and human rights violations, including human trafficking and the exploitation of minors."