In the last several decades, pornography has gone from being a shameful, taboo topic to one that is widely accepted as a viable career path. While porn can be financially beneficial to those involved (Glassdoor), if unchecked, it can also have negative effects on the lives of its subjects and “stars”. Many people who begin working in the sex and pornography industry are looking to embrace and liberate their sexuality (HuffPost), but some end up losing the very autonomy and freedom over their body that they were hoping to find. Others are struggling to make ends meet and get involved in porn “in hopes of earning a quick buck” (CNBC). These financially vulnerable individuals can be prime targets for trafficking (USCSAHT). Although the dictionary defines pornography as “printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings”, there is no legal definition for it in the United States (Oxford Languages).
A jarring example of unchecked exploitation in the porn industry is that of GirlsDoPorn and Ruben Andre Garcia. GirlsDoPorn (GDP) was an American porn company founded by Michael Pratt and Michael Wolfe in 2009. Ruben Andre Garcia was an actor, producer, and recruiter for GDP from the years of approximately 2013 to 2017. During this time, the company grossed millions of dollars in profits (Department of Justice). GDP did most of its recruiting by scamming women into believing they were being scouted to be models (Northern Iowan). The recruiters would book flights for their targets, who would arrive several days prior to their casting shoots . Then, the recruiters would suggest that the women perform in pornographic videos (Northern Iowan).
When they refused, the traffickers would coerce them by canceling their flights home or physically stopping them from leaving (Northern Iowan). Additionally, the women were assured that their videos would not appear online, but they did anyway (Northern Iowan). The victims signed contracts with Garcia and his co-conspirators that had no mention of GirlsDoPorn or any of its associated businesses. None of the women received copies of their contracts (Northern Iowan). Many of the videos that were filmed were later sold to Pornhub and featured on the website. Due to Pornhub’s download feature, viewers were able to download the videos to their personal devices and re-upload them as they pleased, furthering the exploitation of these women. When the victims learned that the films they featured in were posted online, they begged Garcia and his colleagues to take them down, but their calls were blocked and ignored (Northern Iowan).
This case was eventually taken to court by the Acting U.S. Attorney General, Randy Grossman. The defendants included Garcia, co-founders Michael Pratt and Michael Wolfe, and other co-conspirators. The attorneys on the case worked to prove that Garcia and others exploited, coerced, and defrauded hundreds of women for no other reason than their own financial gain. On December 17, 2020, Ruben Andre Garcia plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, per 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c), and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, per 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a)(1) and (2) (Casetext). Garcia’s co-conspirators, Theodore Gyi and Valorie Moser, also plead guilty to one count of sex trafficking each. Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and Gyi to 4. Founder Michael Pratt remained a fugitive for several years, but was captured in Spain on December 21, 2022 after months on the FBI’s most wanted list. Pratt awaits extradition and trial on multiple charges of conspiracy, fraud, and sex trafficking (CBS7 News).
Following the ruling on this case, Pornhub removed 75% of GDP’s videos from their site, but hundreds still remain. Even though Pornhub financially and legally partnered with GirlsDoPorn and shared these videos on their own website, none of its executives have faced any legal consequences, although 50 victims of Garcia’s scam are now suing Pornhub for over $100 million in damages (USA Today). Despite facing allegations of human trafficking for years, Pornhub only committed to ensuring consent in the videos they upload by hiring a third-party identity verification in 2021 in response to a slew of abuse reports. Additionally, Pornhub committed to cracking down on videos that depict child sexual abuse (Ars Technica). If pornography companies are aware of the abuses that occur within their industry, they often only attempt to stop them when they are threatened with legal action or negative press (Northern Iowan).
Sources:
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/pornstars-salary-SRCH_KO0,9.htm
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/porn-stereotypes_n_5129137
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/20/porns-dirtiest-secret-what-everyone-gets-paid.html
https://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/USCSAHT-HT-and-Poverty.pdf
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/
https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-garcia-2562/
https://www.cbs7.com/2022/12/24/porn-site-founder-accused-sex-trafficking-caught-spain/