Domain used for services for pregnant women now forwards to porn site.

The Virginia Department of Health has filed a lawsuit to recover a domain name it inadvertently let lapse.

Since 2018, the department has forwarded the domain name VirginiaWIC .com to a section on virginia.gov for its Women, Infants and Children unit.

Earlier this year, the employee responsible for renewing the domain left, and the domain expired. A new registrant is forwarding the domain name to adult entertainment sites.

This is especially troubling because WIC is targeted to pregnant women, infants, and children. Anyone visiting the domain is in for a rude awakening.

The lawsuit is an in rem complaint against the domain name. The state filed the case in the Eastern District of Virginia, where the .com registry, Verisign, is located.

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig is representing the state in its lawsuit.