Michael James Pratt, a 42-year-old New Zealand citizen and mastermind behind the notorious GirlsDoPorn website, entered a guilty plea in a San Diego federal court on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to two sex-trafficking charges that could result in a life sentence.
Pratt admitted to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and another count of conspiracy to commit the same crime.
According to his plea agreement, between 2012 and 2019, he conspired to traffic 15 victims, though federal authorities assert that this number only represents a small portion of the actual victims involved in the conspiracy.
The website has been at the center of several civil lawsuits, with over 120 women filing against GirlsDoPorn and affiliated sites, including popular pornography platforms like PornHub, which hosted clips from GirlsDoPorn that garnered millions of views.
Many of these women have shared harrowing testimonies, detailing how the release of these videos had devastating impacts on their lives.
During the sentencing, numerous victims are expected to present impact statements, similar to what occurred during the sentencing of a co-defendant last year.
Victims have described endless harassment after online trolls exposed their personal information.
Some reported having links or images from the videos sent to their families, employers, and educational institutions.
This fallout has led many to lose their jobs, friendships, and, in some cases, to change their appearances, drop out of school, or transfer universities.
Several have recounted struggles with substance abuse and thoughts of suicide as a consequence of their experiences.
As Pratt appeared in court, he acknowledged that the sex-trafficking charge comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.
Both charges, however, carry a potential life sentence.
If he is ever released, Pratt will face deportation to New Zealand.
When asked by U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino if he was satisfied with his legal representation, Pratt responded “somewhat.”
He expressed that he hoped his court-appointed attorney would assist him effectively during the sentencing process.
In his plea agreement, Pratt confessed that he, along with his associates, recruited women online as models.
Upon their arrival in San Diego, these young women were coerced into filming sex acts, under the false pretense that their videos would be kept private in overseas DVD collections.
Instead, the content was disseminated widely across the GirlsDoPorn network and various free pornography sites.
One victim, referred to in the plea agreement as Victim 1, was only 18 when Pratt rushed her into signing a contract without providing her a copy.
He paid her $2,000 and ignored her subsequent requests to remove the video when it was posted online nine months later.
Pratt acknowledged in his plea that the revenue generated from GirlsDoPorn and its associated sites netted him millions.
In 2019, as Pratt faced a civil trial that ultimately awarded nearly $13 million to 22 women who sued him and others affiliated with GirlsDoPorn, he liquidated his assets and fled the United States.
Federal authorities unsealed a significant indictment against him, listing him as the lead defendant.
While co-conspirators gradually pleaded guilty and received sentences, Pratt remained an international fugitive.
He was finally apprehended in Spain in 2022, following his placement on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List.
He was extradited back to the U.S. the same day that Judge Sammartino sentenced his co-defendant and childhood friend, Matthew Isaac Wolfe, to 14 years in prison for his involvement in the operation.
Wolfe was responsible for the day-to-day operations of GirlsDoPorn, including managing finances and filming content.
Earlier this year, Thomas “Teddy” Gyi, another co-defendant who worked as a cameraman, received a four-year prison sentence after filming approximately 120 videos.
Moreover, adult film actor Ruben Andre Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in prison, a decision which he is now appealing.
Valorie Moser, a former bookkeeper linked to the operation, is scheduled to be sentenced shortly after Pratt.
The GirlsDoPorn scandal has prompted various related criminal proceedings and civil lawsuits beyond the primary prosecution.
Alexander Brian Foster, who contributed to nearly 100 GirlsDoPorn videos, received a one-year federal prison sentence for creating a retaliation video intended to harass women and lawyers involved in the civil suit.
Additionally, Douglas “James” Wiederhold, who pleaded guilty last year to similar sex trafficking charges, will face sentencing in December.
Wiederhold admitted to starring in 71 GirlsDoPorn videos, where he misled some women about the online publication of their footage.
The ramifications of the GirlsDoPorn case have reached major pornography distribution platforms, such as PornHub.
In 2023, Pornhub’s parent company settled a criminal investigation, agreeing to pay over $1.8 million related to allegations that it profited from sex trafficking through hosting GirlsDoPorn content.
Several lawsuits involving over 120 women have been filed against PornHub’s parent company, with proceedings regarding the first suit involving about 60 women reportedly settled.
The second ongoing lawsuit, which involves 62 women, has currently been stayed pending the outcomes of sentencing for key individuals such as Moser and Pratt.
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