Michael Pratt, founder of GirlsDoPorn, receives 27-year sentence for sex trafficking.

Michael Pratt, the owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison following his conviction for orchestrating a scheme that exploited and deceived hundreds of women. The sentencing was announced by federal prosecutors, who highlighted the gravity of Pratt’s actions, which primarily targeted young women in their late teens. For approximately seven years, Pratt ran the now-defunct GirlsDoPorn website from San Diego, utilizing force, fraud, and coercion to recruit women to appear in pornographic videos.

Pratt, a New Zealand native, was initially charged with sex crimes in October 2019 in the Southern District of California but evaded capture by living as an international fugitive for over three years. During this period, he was placed on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List due to the severity of the allegations against him. In December 2022, Pratt was arrested in Spain and subsequently extradited to San Diego in March 2023.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sex trafficking and acknowledged his ownership of GirlsDoPorn. In his plea, Pratt revealed that he had recruited his co-defendant, Matthew Wolfe, who played a significant role in operating both GirlsDoPorn and its affiliated site, GirlsDoToys. Both websites functioned as part of a single business model and shared employees who worked out of the same San Diego office.

Prosecutors disclosed that many of the videos produced were filmed in hotels or short-term rentals in San Diego, often with Pratt, Wolfe, or co-defendant Theodore Gyi serving as the cameraman. Reports from the victims indicated that they were often provided with drugs and alcohol before being coerced into signing contracts that they were not allowed to read. Many women claimed they were sexually assaulted during the filming processes.

Victims recounted harrowing experiences at sentencing, detailing the exploitation and trauma they endured. One woman powerfully expressed that her life as she envisioned it ended in the hotel room where she was victimized. Another victim, a former law student at age 21, asserted her agency by declaring herself a catalyst for justice against Pratt.

Sentencing for Pratt’s co-conspirators has also followed suit, with Wolfe receiving a 14-year prison sentence and Gyi getting four years. Ruben Garcia, who served as a recruiter and producer for the websites, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Valorie Moser, the office manager, is slated for sentencing on an upcoming date.

In a related civil suit in 2020, a judge ruled in favor of 22 women who claimed to have been harmed by the fraudulent practices of Pratt and his associates, awarding a significant judgment of .7 million against them for breaches of contract and other violations.

As the legal repercussions of this case unfold, it underscores the importance of vigilance in combating sexual exploitation and trafficking, particularly in digital platforms where individuals may become vulnerable to predatory practices. Media News Source will continue to monitor the developments in this significant legal matter as they arise.