The FBI announced Friday that a pornographer accused of duping and pressuring young women into filming adult videos was apprehended after three years on the run.
Michael Pratt, 40, was apprehended by Spain’s National Police in Madrid on Wednesday.
According to federal investigators, Pratt was one of several men who ran the website and sex trafficking scheme GirlsDoPorn.
According to the feds, the men planned to lure young women to San Diego with promises of modelling jobs, only to trick them into filming porn videos.
The victims were also told that the videos would only be sold to private customers in distant countries such as New Zealand. That was a lie, because GirlsDoPorn frequently posted the videos on popular sites like Pornhub. At least one woman stated that she considered suicide after being seen in a video.
Ruben Garcia, a fellow schemer, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the operation of GirlsDoPorn. Theodore Gyi, a videographer, was sentenced to four years in prison. Earlier this year, co-owner Matthew Wolfe pleaded guilty to several charges, and the site was ordered to pay $22 million to the victims.
However, Pratt, the other co-owner, had escaped prosecution until Wednesday. In November 2019, a warrant was issued for Pratt’s arrest, but he eluded capture. He was added to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list in September 2022.
According to Spanish media, Pratt was apprehended at a Madrid hotel where he was staying under a false identity. In the United States, he is charged with 19 counts, including sex trafficking and child pornography. A minor was among the GirlsDoPorn victims.
“The arrest of Michael Pratt demonstrates how the FBI will pursue justice beyond U.S. borders — you can run, but you can’t hide,” FBI agent Stacey Moy said. “Thank you to our tenacious FBI San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as our federal and international partners, for their dedication to bringing Michael Pratt to justice.”
