In a significant development in a case that has shocked and horrified many, Michael James Pratt, the founder of the now-defunct adult website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in a San Diego federal court on June 5, 2025. This plea marks the culmination of a years-long legal saga that exposed a disturbing scheme involving coercion, deception, and exploitation of young women. Pratt, once listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, now faces the possibility of a life sentence for his role in a large-scale sex trafficking ring that operated under the guise of a legitimate adult entertainment business.
GirlsDoPorn, launched in the early 2010s, presented itself as a platform offering amateur adult content. The website gained significant traction, generating over $17 million in revenue by exploiting the videos of young women, many of whom were misled about the nature of their participation. Pratt and his co-conspirators used deceptive tactics, targeting women—often in their late teens or early twenties—who were seeking modeling opportunities. Many were promised that their videos would remain private or be distributed only to select audiences, only to later discover their content was widely available online, including on major platforms like PornHub.
Prosecutors revealed that Pratt’s operation used fake company names like “Bubblegum Casting” and “BLL Media” to obscure their connection to GirlsDoPorn. Women were often flown to San Diego, where the majority of the videos were filmed, under the pretense of clothed modeling gigs. Once there, they were coerced or pressured into filming pornographic content, with false assurances about anonymity. Some victims were as young as minors at the time of filming.
Michael Pratt’s guilty plea comes after a dramatic sequence of events. In 2019, as civil lawsuits and criminal charges began to mount, Pratt fled the United States, landing him on the FBI’s most-wanted list in 2022. After three years on the run, he was apprehended and extradited back to San Diego in 2024 to face federal charges. Initially pleading not guilty, Pratt changed his plea just before his trial was set to begin, admitting guilt to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of conspiracy to commit the same crime. Under the plea agreement, more than a dozen other felony charges were dismissed, potentially reducing his prison term, though he still faces the possibility of life in prison.
Pratt’s co-conspirators have also faced justice. Ruben Andre Garcia, Matthew Wolfe, and Theodore Gyi, his former business partners, are serving sentences of 20, 14, and four years, respectively. Valorie Moser, the former bookkeeper for GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and awaits sentencing in September 2025. Another associate, Alexander Brian Foster, received a one-year sentence for creating a harassing video targeting women who sued the company.
The impact of GirlsDoPorn’s actions on its victims has been profound. Over 120 women have been involved in civil litigation against the company and related entities, with many reporting severe emotional and psychological trauma. Victims were often unaware that their videos would be posted online, leading to widespread dissemination on free pornography sites to drive traffic to GirlsDoPorn’s paid content. Despite pleas to remove their videos, the company’s leadership ignored or refused these requests, compounding the harm.< The case also prompted legal action against PornHub’s parent company, which settled a criminal probe by paying $1.8 million after admitting it knowingly profited from GirlsDoPorn’s illicit content. This settlement underscores the broader issue of accountability in the online adult entertainment industry, where lax oversight has often enabled exploitation. Pratt’s guilty plea is a significant victory for the victims and the prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring him to justice. It also highlights the importance of addressing systemic issues within the adult industry, particularly around consent and transparency. The case has sparked broader conversations about the need for stronger regulations to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and to hold platforms accountable for hosting non-consensual content. As Pratt awaits sentencing in September 2025, the focus remains on the survivors, many of whom continue to grapple with the long-term consequences of their exploitation. Their courage in coming forward has been instrumental in dismantling GirlsDoPorn and exposing its predatory practices. While Pratt’s plea brings some closure, it also serves as a sobering reminder of the work still needed to prevent similar abuses in the future. The GirlsDoPorn case is a stark example of how deception and coercion can thrive under the veneer of legitimacy. It underscores the urgent need for reforms in the adult entertainment industry, including robust age verification, clear consent protocols, and stricter oversight of content distribution. Advocacy efforts, such as those highlighted in recent discussions around revenge porn and deepfake abuse, are pushing for legislative changes to better protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable. As the legal proceedings conclude, the hope is that this case will serve as a catalyst for change, ensuring that no one else falls victim to such predatory schemes. For now, the guilty plea of Michael Pratt stands as a testament to the resilience of survivors and the power of justice, even when it takes years to achieve. Written by Deedee Mc
