UPDATE: A San Diego federal judge has just ordered Michael James Pratt, the imprisoned owner of the notorious website GirlsDoPorn, to pay a staggering $75.6 million in restitution to over 100 women he deceived and coerced into participating in pornographic videos. This ruling marks a crucial step in addressing the ongoing fallout from a yearslong trafficking scheme that has left many victims shattered.
Pratt, now 43 years old and serving a 27-year sentence in a medium-security facility in Victorville, California, was sentenced last September after admitting to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. He is scheduled for release in 2045. The judge’s order, signed by U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino, emphasizes the lifelong harm inflicted on these women, with U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon stating, “While no amount of money would fully remedy what they endured, this order holds Pratt financially accountable.”
Between 2012 and 2019, Pratt and his co-conspirators recruited young women online, luring them to San Diego under false pretenses. Once there, many women were pressured into filming explicit content, misled to believe it would only be shared privately. Instead, these videos were widely distributed across the GirlsDoPorn network and various free pornography sites.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Foster, while not all 505 women who shot GirlsDoPorn videos were considered victims, a significant majority reported being deceived about the nature of their participation. The restitution order specifies amounts owed to each victim, with the majority receiving less than $500,000. One victim is owed over $6.6 million, while another is owed just $440.
The court has identified that $16.9 million of the restitution correlates to Pratt’s gross income from the GirlsDoPorn scheme, while $58.6 million is attributed to the victims’ specific losses. However, it remains uncertain how much of this money is recoverable. Court records indicate that the authorities have only seized a small portion of Pratt’s assets, including $2,400 in cash and approximately 4.35 Bitcoins, valued at around $298,000 as of Monday.
Pratt’s legal representatives have not commented on his appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but he retains the right to appeal his sentence, which exceeds the prosecution’s recommendation by five years. In a troubling turn, he fled the U.S. in 2019 during a civil trial, which ended with nearly $13 million awarded to 22 women who sued him.
Victims are also pursuing compensation from other avenues, including civil lawsuits against PornHub, which hosted GirlsDoPorn videos. Over 120 women have filed lawsuits against PornHub’s parent company, alleging illegal publication of sex-trafficking videos. In 2023, PornHub’s parent company settled a criminal probe for over $1.8 million, admitting to profiting from these illicit activities.
The ramifications of this case are profound, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and justice for victims of sex trafficking. As the situation develops, attention remains on the financial recovery of victims and the broader implications for online platforms hosting similar content.
Stay tuned for further updates on this critical issue that continues to impact many lives.
