After five years on the run, Michael James Pratt, the alleged mastermind behind the GirlsDoPorn sex-trafficking ring, has been arrested in Spain and brought back to the United States to face federal charges. Five of his co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty, pointing to Pratt as the ringleader of a scheme that preyed on hundreds of young women. His extradition has brought relief to many victims who had been waiting for justice for years. Even though Pratt faces decades in federal prison if convicted, his case is yet to be resolved as he has pleaded not guilty and has the option to take the case to trial.
The GirlsDoPorn operation lured young women off Craigslist and social media with promises of modeling gigs, only to coerce them into performing explicit sex acts on camera. Many victims were pressured, misled, and confined in cramped hotel rooms, signing contracts they were not allowed to read. The videos were then released online, with the victims’ personal information doxed on another site controlled by Pratt, leading to harassment and threats from thousands of trolls. This traumatic experience left many victims emotionally scarred, with some attempting suicide, losing jobs, and being estranged from friends and family.
Victims who spoke out at the sentencing hearing for one of Pratt’s co-defendants shared harrowing stories of assault, coercion, and brutality during the filming process. Many described scenes where they were in excruciating pain, begging for the filming to stop, only to have these moments edited out of the final video released online. These women have endured years of suffering, with some facing new waves of attacks when they joined a civil lawsuit against Pratt in 2016, which eventually led to the criminal investigation against him and his co-conspirators.
Despite being hailed as a victory by many of the victims, Pratt’s case is far from over as he faces multiple charges including sex trafficking, conspiracy, and producing child pornography. His lawyer has not responded to requests for comment, leaving many to speculate on the possible outcomes of the case. While some believe Pratt is unlikely to plead guilty and may opt for a trial, others worry that a jury of strangers may not understand the full extent of the trauma experienced by the victims or may even blame them for their own exploitation. The fight for justice in this case is ongoing, with many hoping that Pratt and his co-conspirators will be held accountable for the pain and suffering they caused.
