this is "nightline." >> tonight, trump on the brink? >> grab them by the [ bleep ]. >> the scathing backlash to newly leaked reportings of donald trump making lewd comments about women. the presidential candidate characterizing the moment 11 years ago as locker room banter. tonight, further damage control. >> i said it. i was wrong. and i apologize. plus, a ground-breaking arrest. the ceo of what authorities call the world's top online brothel. backpage.com. charged with multiple counts of pimping a minor. "nightline" confronting him months ago. >> underage girls are trafficked on backpage.com, your company -- >> a young woman who says she was sold for sex on the website at just 15 years old, telling her story. >> how often did you work?

hurricane matthew wreaking havoc up the east coast. destructive flooding and exploding power lines. mass evacuations and states of emergency declared across several states. but first the "nightline 5." >> hey, guys, what's up? >> the new recipe of beneful is really excellent. the first ingredient is chicken. >> wow this chicken is spectacular. >> i had to start hiding the bag because he would try to put his fa you love it so much! i feel when he eats beneful i feel he turns into a puppy again. it's protein, vegetables, grains. that sounds like a dinner i'd make for myself. >> it's a big bag, just have some of mine. >> beneful now with real chicken as the number one ingredient. healthful, flavorful, beneful. >> number one in just 60 >> number one in just 60 seconds. i think my strongest asset, maybe by far, is my temperament. i'd like to punch him in the face, i'll tell you.

dle of 5th avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? and you can tell them to go [bleep] themselves. get him out of here! get him out of here! get the hell out of here! priorities usa action is responsible

good evening. thanks for joining us. donald trump's presidential campaign in turmoil, facing withering political fallout and harsh criticism from top gop brass. republicans calling his leaked vulgar recorded comments about women indefensible. and inexcusable. after dismissing it as locker room banter, late tonight a rare apology. but trump still defiant and vowing to fight on. here's abc's nick watt. donald trump posted this apology on facebook. >> anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who i am. i said it. i was wrong. and i apologize. i pledge to be a better man tomorrow and will never, ever let you down. >> reporter: here's why. >> down below, pull the handle. >> reporter: it's 2005. donald trump pays a visit to the set of "days of our lives." >> hello, how are you?

>> nice to see you. >> how you doing, ariana? >> reporter: notice their audio is good, we hear everything. you see trump and billy bush were miked before they arrived. so let's roll the tape back and listen to what they said before getting out to meet actress ariana zucker. >> sheesh, your girl's hot as [ bleep ] in the purple. >> whoa, whoa! >> yes, yes, the donald is good! whoa my man. you've got to look at it. >> who sets this up? >> okay, you are a [ bleep ]. >> you've got to give the thumbs up. >> yeah, with the gold. i start kissing her.tacs in case i'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- i just star kissing them like a magnet. i don't even wait. when you're a star they let you do it. you can do anything. grab them by the [ bleep ]. you can do anything. >> reporter: they can all shake hands, say hi, and --

star? >> let's get ready. >> how about a little hug for the donald? just got off the bus. >> absolutely. melania said this was okay. >> reporter: we don't yet know who gave the tape to the "washington post." tonight strong reaction from both sides of the aisle. >> you have paul ryan saying it's sickening. you have john mccain saying it's inappropriate. at what point do they say, enough? >> reporter: republican senator kelly ayotte in a statement, his comments are totally inappropriate and offensive. twitter, beyond vile and disgusting. >> this is the true donald trump. you saw him speaking candidly in private, only 10 years ago, when he was married. the exultant way he says these offensive and predatory things, i think it will shock a lot of people in the hearing. >> it's just -- it makes me sick to my stomach. >> reporter: hillary clinton tweeting, this is horrific, we cannot allow this man to become

>> the story is a problem because it is offensive to a lot of different types of voters. vote there's donald trump is going to need in just weeks. and it's also the october surprise that this campaign definitely did not want. >> reporter: an abc news/"washington post" poll taken september 25th, before this video leaked, showed trump trailing clinton among female voters by 19 points. >> he needs moderate voters, undecided voters, female voters. >> reporter: mr. trump issued a statement, this was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. bill clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course, not even close. >> that statement does bring in bill clinton. i don't think that is really a smart strategy. but at this point, when the campaign is really in crisis levels, it seems like the only strategy they can grasp at. >> reporter: brandon morrow's take of the san diego padres, i've been around locker room banter, those are a few of the most disgusting things i've heard a man say. >> locker room banter occurs in locker rooms with 15-year-olds,

not 59-year-old recently remarried men. >> reporter: in his video statement tonight -- >> this is nothing more than a distraction. i've said some foolish things but there's a big difference between the words and actions of other people. bill clinton has actually abused women and hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated his victims. we will discuss this more in the coming days. see you at the debate on sunday. >> it does seem like he had somewhat of a pressure to respond swiftly. >> reporter: not enough for some. tonight republicans, congressman jason chaff gets, governor gary herbert, both from utah, pulling their support. in trump's defense, bill o'reilly, anti-trump forces release a private conversation where trump talks about women and sex, what happens when you run for potus. "i apologize" is not a phrase the gop candidate uses often.

>> i believe apologizing is a great thing, but you have to be wrong. >> reporter: mr. trump has demonstrated a potentially damaging tonal problem when it comes to speaking about women. take his spat with megyn kelly. after a primary debate. >> you've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs -- >> reporter: when she raised his treatment of women. >> there was blood coming out of her eyes. blood coming out of her -- wherever. >> reporter: at the first presidential debate mrs. clinton raised alicia machado, a miss universe winner when mr. trump owned the franchise. >> he called this woman miss piggy. then he called her miss housekeeping because she was latina. donald, she has a name. >> where did you find this? >> her name is alicia machado. >> where did you find this? >> she has become a u.s. citizen >> reporter: trump doubled down the next morning. >> shelves the winner and she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem. >> reporter: this hot mike moment on the bus -- >> you can do anything, grab

you can do anything. >> reporter: this isn't the first time we've heard trump use the "p" word. he used it in reference to ted cruz. >> she said, i'd never expect to hear that from you again. she said, he's a [ bleep ]. that's terrible. terrible. >> reporter: it's a tonal issue the clinton camp has exploited. >> i'd look her right in that fat ugly face of hers. >> reporter: democrats this evening sending fund-raising e-mails highlighting these comments. >> i moved on her and i failed, i'll admit it. i did [ bleep ]. she was married. >> reporter: billy bush and trump discussing another woman, reportedly nancy o'dell, the tv host. >> i moved on her like a -- i couldn't get there, she was married. she's now got the big phoney [ bleep ], she's totally changed her look. >> reporter: billy bush this

twitter account. tonight he issued this statement. i'm embarrassed and ashamed, this happened 11 ago, i was younger and immature and acted foolishly in playing along. tonight on the trail in ohio, trump's veep nominee mum on the matter. >> this has been an incredibly difficult stretch in his campaign, it's a campaign in crisis, the only thing that could really turn it around is a really amazing debate performance on sunday. >> reporter: i'm nick watt in los angeles. >> watch the second presidential debate between donald trump and hillary clinton live on abc sunday night at 9:00 eastern with our very own martha rad dads. we chase down the ceo of what authorities call the world's top online brothel and confronted him over allegations

his website. now he's under arrest. with bipolar depression, and it's tough. it leaves me feeling sad and empty. it makes it hard to be there for the people i love. so i talked to my doctor and she prescribed latuda. there are many forms of depression. latuda is fda approved to treat bipolar depression which is different from other types of depression. once-a-day latuda was proven effective for many people with bipolar depression. latuda is not for everyone. call your doctor about unusual mood changes, behaviors, or suicidal thoughts. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients on latuda have an increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles and confusion, as these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction, or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements, as these may be permanent.

with latuda and medicines like it, and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death. other risks include decreased white blood cells, which can be fatal, dizziness on standing, seizures, increased cholesterol, weight or prolactin, trouble swallowing and impaired judgment. avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. use caution before driving or operating machinery. being there for the people i love means i get to be a part of life's little moments. and that means so much to me. ask your doctor if once-daily latuda pay as little as a $15 copay. visit latuda.com. introducing the new turbocharged golf alltrack. [ clearing throat ] the new golf alltrack. [ upbeat music ] with 4motion all-wheel drive. soon to be...everywhere. it's endless shrimp at red lobster. with another new flavor you never saw coming... grilled, glazed korean bbq shrimp.

percorn shrimp.

with its racy online listings, the website backpage.com has long been targeted by law enforcement as a hub for prostitution bookings. the ceo of the site has been, up to now, untouchable. when "nightline" confronted him months ago he argued his business is protected by the first amendment. but tonight a ground-breaking arrest. here's abc's gloria riviera.

ceo of backpage.com, the man behind what authorities are calling the world's top online brothel, facing criminal charges for the very first time. >> it is incredibly unique. there are thousands of children who will not be sold, to be raped by adults off of that website. >> reporter: similar to craigslist, backpage is a classified ad site. but with racy adult sections. like escorts, body rubs. technically legal services that law enforcement has called thinly veiled code for prostitution. >> the majority of children sold for sex in the united states today was trafficked using backpage. >> reporter: now ferrar's charged with multiple counts of pimping a minor and conspiracy. the moment that tom has been waiting for. >> he's just as accountable as the pimp that sold her, in my mind. >> reporter: this is tom's

>> reporter: they are the sweet dreams of a seventh grade girl. but what lay ahead was a nightmare her parents never saw coming. >> they took everything from my little girl. >> i live in an american town, how can my kid be sold on the internet? >> reporter: a few short years after this video was taken, the 15-year-old, who we'll call natalie, would be sold for sex. on backpage. >> how many encounters do you think you had during that time? >> over 150. >> over 150? >> yeah. >> would that have been possible without backpage? >> no way. >> reporter: this saga led natalie to join a major lawsuit against backpage with other girls like her. today, natalie is 21 years old and a mother herself. why your decision to speak publicly? >> i don't just do it for myself. i do it for other families. >> reporter: this is one of the last photos taken of natalie before she made the choice that would change her life forever.

>> a pimp picked us up and took us to his house. and then that's when i got raped for the first time. >> you were a virgin? >> yeah. >> reporter: this first traumatic encounter sent natalie down a dark path that eventually led her to a man. she says he was kind, offered her a place to stay. but soon the dynamic dangerously changed. >> he'd ask me if i had ever worked before. then he told me that i wouldn't be on the streets. that's when backpage came into play. >> reporter: through ads titled "well worth it, $150 an hour, it won't take long at all," natalie started earning $4,000 a weekend for sex, handing over all the cash. >> how often did you work? >> every single day. >> it tore our family apart. >> reporter: natalie's father tom would spend his days driving around seattle. >> the dreams of her going to college -- >> reporter: searching desperately for his missing girl. >> day after day, yeah. >> reporter: later, natalie's parents found out she wasn't

sold online. >> you're thinking, okay, how many of these is she having to answer? how many times a day is my child being raped? >> reporter: backpage, based in dallas, says they voluntarily put in place a multi-tiered system for screening ads which includes employing moderators, a filter for key words, a user-reported flagging system. in 2012, their attorney told "nightline" -- >> online child exploitation exists and the best tools to fight it are also online. and backpage.com is currently one of the very best tools to fight it. >> age 18 -- >> reporter: seattle's police department vice squad tells us they find underage girls listed on backpage all the time, including natalie. who they rescued in a hotel sting set up through her backpage ad 108 days after she went missing. >> he says, i know who you are, natalie. instantly i saw storms of cops outside. i remember meeting detective

almost reminded me of my dad. >> reporter: detective guyer formed a special bond with natalie. today detective guyer is still on a mission with seattle vice squad. they've agreed to take us inside a backpage sting. the detective creates an ad for an 18-year-old girl named angel, adding a critical detail. the mention of a "younger friend." in minute wet have an ad essentially advertising an underage girl. [ phone ringing ] >> we've gotten calls, texts, they'r >> reporter: a full 24 hours later we're in a seattle hotel with the vice squad. angel's ad is still up and running, yet to be taken down by backpage. they've brought in katie, an undercover cop, who will pretend to be angel. she calls back a man who left a voice mail about the ad. she tells him she's 16 and the friend who will be joining them only 15. >> me and my friend are standing

>> shut up! >> he tried to bolt. >> police, you're under arrest. >> reporter: earlier this year, "nightline's" quest to find the ceo behind all these ads took us to amsterdam where ferrare seemed to be running a few other escort sites here, eerily similar to backpage called cracker. karl ferrer is an active member of the classified ad industry. he attends a networking conference every year. it doesn't take long before we spot him. carl, carl ferrer? hi, we've been looking for you, do you have a second? i'm gloria riviera with abc news. >> yeah? >> we want to ask a few questions. >> oh, i'm -- >> law enforcement tells us that underage girls are trafficked on backpage.com, your company. >> no comment. >> we saw a real-life example of this last week -- >> i'm sorry. >> you're a father, what would you want to say to him? he wants to know why this is going on.

>> reporter: now he's facing even tougher questions. the california investigation found that backpage committed a crime by earning revenue from prostitution. and soliciting clients. and because of his alleged role, ferrare faces up to 22 years behind bars. his defense attorney says he's looking forward to his day in court. >> mr. ferrare looks forward to vigorously fighting these charges we believe are trumped up. >> reporter: tonight backpage attorney liz macdougal sent "nightline" a statement saying prostitution ads violate backpage.com's policies and backpage.com removes ads when contacted by law enforcement. for at least one young woman and her family, today brought gratitude and they say for the first time peace, after so much pain. >> there's a lot i'm looking forward to. >> our thanks to gloria riviera. up next the latest updates on hurricane matthew.

i'm claudine and i quit smoking with chantix. by the time i was 30, i said "that's it, i'm a smoker for life." i wanted to be a non-smoker and i did it thanks to chantix. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix reduced my urge to smoke some people had changes in behavior, ng or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. tell your doctor if you have heart or blood vessel problems, or develop new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms

taking chantix. use caution when driving or operating machinery. most common side effect is nausea. this is for real. i'm a non-smoker. ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. why do people put milk on cereal? why does your tummy go "grumbily, grumbily, grumbily"? no more questions for you! ooph, that milk in your cereal was messing with you, wasn't it? try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. good, right? mmm, yeah. lactaid. the milk that doesn't mess with you. introducing the new turbocharged golf alltrack. throat ] the new golf alltrack. [ upbeat music ] with 4motion all-wheel drive.

two billionaires, spending millions to buy a senate seat for joe heck. smearing catherine cortez masto with ads called "bogus," "highly misleading," and "false." as attorney general, it's cortez masto who held banks accountable and helped nevada homeowners. and governor sandoval praised cortez masto's dedication to fighting sex trafficking. don't let joe heck's billionaires fool you. catherine cortez masto has always stood up for us. i'm catherine cortez masto

finally tonight, hurricane matthew still menacing the southern coast with life-threatening storm surges. abc's eva pilgrim is reporting from inside the storm zone. >> reporter: hurricane matthew continuing to wreak havoc, pummeling the florida coastline. >> you see just how bad it has gotten -- >> reporter: the powerful category 2 hurricane showing its force. torrential downpours and powerful winds up to 110 miles per hour. in haiti the death toll soaring. the storm leaving close to 300 dead. here in st. augustine, florida, devastating flooding. >> more than 1 million without power in florida. we are part of that group. we're staying in a holt, no power here. you can see they used glow sticks to light the way to the hallway. >> reporter: the storm's dangerous center as it moves north. states of emergency declared in georgia, south carolina, and north carolina.

in its aftermath, water taking over the town, swallowing park benches, whole streets, tearing up roofs and tearing down trees. over 3 million fleeing their homes from florida up the north carolina coast as matthew sets sights on georgia. >> thanks to eva pilgrim. we'll keep tracking the storm and political turbulence 24/7. thanks for watching abc news. tune into "good morning america." as always we're online at abcnews.com and our "nightline" facebook page. good night, america. have a great weekend. on "celeb ben stiller reveals his battle with cancer. why he says it was just like a tv show. then chrissy teigen puts her twitter account on lockdown. plus demi lovato steps out of the spotlight. the star reveals why she's taking a break and why she won't apologize for what she said

big stars, big hollywood, "celebrity page" tv starts now. >> welcome to "celebrity page" i'm sonia isabelle, coming to you from the "celebrity page" attitude i don't understand little bit later on dive into one of the biggest trends on tv, period dramas and jaymes vaughan for stop headlines. first kristin kren >> you're supporting breast cancer awareness. >> it's mom's event which is awesome because had a lot of events over the years that's meant a lot to me. mom is breast cancer survivor and partner with companies and order organic food to have it sent to somebody who neepds it. real ways to help each other.