Owner of GirlsDoPorn Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking, Faces Life Imprisonment

Michael James Pratt, the proprietor of the adult websites GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys, has entered a guilty plea to charges of sex trafficking in a United States court.

From 2013 to 2019, Pratt operated his websites, which employed tactics to lure and coerce young women into producing adult film content. The scheme involved enticing women from the United States and Canada to San Diego, where the filming occurred in hotel rooms or short-term rental properties.

The websites advertised on various online platforms, including Craigslist, often under the guise of offering clothed modeling opportunities. Subsequently, participants discovered that the engagement involved performing in explicit videos.

When potential victims expressed hesitation regarding participation, Pratt and his associates reassured them by claiming that the resulting videos would only be shared with a select group of private collectors outside the United States, ensuring that no one within their social circles would see them. Additionally, Pratt employed other young women, referred to as ‘reference girls,’ to aid in persuading the victims, leveraging peer influence to increase compliance.

Once victims arrived at the intended location, Pratt and his team would expedite the contract signing process, often not providing the women with copies of the documents. Contrary to prior assurances, filming sessions extended for hours, during which Pratt’s group would apply psychological pressure on the victims to engage in sexual acts on camera, as documented by the FBI. In certain instances, the perpetrators would restrict the women’s ability to leave until they had completed filming, coercing them to perform acts they had previously declined. Threats were made regarding the cancellation of return flights or the dissemination of filmed content if compliance was not maintained.

During its operation, which spanned 2013 to 2019, the scheme adversely affected hundreds of individuals. The resulting videos were posted on Pratt’s websites, which operated under a subscription model within the United States. Furthermore, they distributed free versions on notable adult content platforms, such as Pornhub, significantly increasing viewership. The operation reportedly generated over $17 million in revenue for Pratt, the originating mastermind behind the venture. When approached by one victim seeking the removal of their video, Pratt failed to respond.

Pratt’s involvement in the operation encompassed various roles, including victim recruitment, transportation, and filming. After being charged in 2019, he fled to Spain and was subsequently placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. In 2022, the FBI apprehended him, leading to his extradition. He pleaded not guilty in March 2024 to 19 felony charges, encompassing sex trafficking (of both adults and minors), the production of child pornography, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In 2021, the pornography enterprise was mandated to pay $18 million to victims following lawsuits initiated by 22 women. The FBI has pursued legal action against other individuals implicated in the operation. Matthew Wolfe, who relocated from New Zealand to assist Pratt in 2011 and managed various business aspects, received a 14-year sentence in March 2024. Cameraman Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in 2022, while adult film performer Ruben Andre Garcia received a 20-year sentence in June 2021. Office manager Valerie Moser is scheduled for sentencing on September 12.

Pratt’s sentencing is set for September 8 of this year on two counts, with a minimum sentence of fifteen years for sex trafficking and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Additionally, another charge related to sex trafficking conspiracy could also result in a life sentence.