Aylo Holdings, the owner of Pornhub – one of the largest adult content websites, has admitted to profiting from sex trafficking, including minors, and has agreed to pay $1.8 million to the US government, as well as separate payments to women whose videos were made. posted without their consent, federal prosecutors in New York announced late Thursday.
Aylo Holdings, the website’s parent company, has reached a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve a charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds, according to the office of Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. –CBS News
The move comes months after the acquisition from Aylo (formerly MindGeek) by investor and rabbi Solomon Friedmanwho says he wants to change the company’s image after this and other scandals surrounding illegal content on the platform.
In addition to the $1.8 million and individual compensation for women harmed by human trafficking, Pornhub must appoint an independent regulator for three years, after which the charges will be dismissed.
“It is our hope that this resolution, which includes certain agreed-upon payments to the women whose images were posted on the company’s platforms and an independent oversight body, will bring some measure of closure to those who have been negatively affected,” the statement said. U.S. Attorney Peace said in a statement.
The company is estimated at generated more than $200 million by 2022, with operating margins approaching 30%.
James Smith, head of the FBI’s New York office, said Aylo Holdings “knowingly enriched itself by turning a blind eye” to victims who told the company they had been deceived and coerced into the videos.
Prosecutors said Aylo has agreed to pay the victims compensation, but details such as who is eligible and how to apply will be forthcoming.
The charges stemmed from Aylo’s role in hosting videos and accepting payments from GirlsDoPorn. -CBS news
The operators of GirlsDoPorn, the now-defunct adult film production company, were accused and ultimately convicted of a series of sex trafficking crimes. including forcing young women to perform sex acts on camera which were then posted on Pornhub and other adult websites.
Prosecutors allege that between 2017 and 2020, Aylo received money that company executives knew — or should have known — came from GirlsDoPorn’s sex trafficking operation. The company received more than $100,000 from GirlsDoPorn and approximately $764,000 from advertisers attributable to the production company.
Aylo claims it “deeply regrets” hosting content from GirlsDoPorn, which Aylo says provided them with written consent forms supposedly signed by the women. They say they are not aware that the forms were obtained through fraud and coercion.
“Aylo pleads not guilty to any crime, and the government has agreed to drop charges against the company after three years, provided the company continues to comply with the deferred prosecution agreement,” the company said in a statement.
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