On 8/9/2025, Michael James Pratt, the mastermind behind the GirlsDoPorn pornography empire, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for sex trafficking hundreds of women.
The New Zealand native owned and operated two websites, supported by the same staff at a shared office in San Diego.
According to prosecutors, from 2012 to 2019, Pratt built a multi-million dollar criminal empire by luring young women into the pornography industry through deception, coercion, and manipulation. He then distributed the videos to millions of online users.
Pratt conceived the idea for the website, recruited the women, sometimes transported them to and from filming locations, occasionally operated the camera, and managed the business.
 |
Michael James Pratt in an FBI wanted poster. |
The indictment alleges Pratt and his accomplices sought victims through fake modeling advertisements, targeting vulnerable women. When the victims contacted them about modeling, they were lured into filming pornographic videos for overseas clients.
To further their scheme, Pratt's group used other young women as "shills" to deceive victims into believing the videos would not be posted online and that none of their friends, family, or colleagues would discover them. Pratt's group hired and paid these shills, believing victims were more likely to trust other young women.
Pratt and his accomplices concealed their ownership and operation of the two pornographic websites by omitting this information from documents. Instead, they presented the business under names like "Begin Modeling", "Bubblegum Casting", or "BLL Media".
Most of the pornographic videos were filmed in hotels or short-term rental apartments in the San Diego area.
Victims reported being pressured to consume alcohol and cannabis upon arrival and then coerced into signing contracts without being allowed to read them. Some reported being sexually assaulted, held against their will in hotel rooms, and forced to complete filming sessions under duress.
Pratt's group falsely claimed their sex videos would never be posted online or released in the US. Hundreds of women from across the US and Canada were recruited to appear in these videos based on these lies.
In reality, Pratt's group posted the videos on his websites and advertised them on free pornography platforms to attract viewers. Under Pratt's management, GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys garnered millions of views. The websites charged users subscription fees to access the content, generating over 17 million USD in revenue for Pratt.
In 2019, Pratt and his accomplices were sued in civil court by 22 women who alleged fraud and breach of contract.
Pratt was charged in October 2019 in California with sex trafficking in connection with the scheme to defraud and coerce young women into appearing in pornographic videos. He liquidated his assets and fled the US in mid-2019.
In 2020, a judge ruled in favor of the women who filed the lawsuit, ordering Pratt and his accomplices to pay 12.7 million USD in damages.
The FBI placed Pratt on its "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list. He remained at large for over three years until he was arrested in Spain in December 2022 and extradited to San Diego in March 2024.
 |
Michael James Pratt was arrested by Spanish police while staying in Madrid under a false identity. Photo: Policia Nacional |
Pratt pleaded guilty on 5/6/2025 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.
At the 8/9 sentencing hearing, 40 women sought the maximum sentence. Some wept as they recounted being exploited, raped, and abused in San Diego hotel rooms. They described suffering severe psychological consequences, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, job and relationship losses, stalking, threats, and harassment. Most of the victims were between 18 and 21 years old when they were exploited.
"Pratt is a cruel and calculating predator," said prosecutor Adam Gordon. "He lured young victims, directed others to abuse them on video, and then mocked them for years as they sought to reclaim their dignity. These victims then had to endure the cruelty of the internet and social media every day because of the public release of their personal information."
The scale and severity of the crimes led the judge to impose a 27-year sentence on Pratt—the longest in the case.
Pratt's accomplices also pleaded guilty. Matthew Isaac, who oversaw daily operations, finances, marketing, and filming for the website, pleaded guilty to federal sex trafficking conspiracy in 2022 and was sentenced to 14 years. Pornographic film producer and actor Ruben Andre Garcia was sentenced to 20 years. Cameraman Theodore Gyi was sentenced to 4 years.
Tue Anh (DOJ, CBS)
