Posted on 08/25/2015 6:47:24 PM PDT by markomalley
The New York City offices of Rentboy.com were raided by US federal agents on Tuesday – and several staff arrested including the chief exec. The website claims to be the world's largest online directory of male escorts.
In an affidavit filed in a Brooklyn court ahead of the swoop, US Department of Homeland Security special agent Susan Ruiz claimed the business had been facilitating prostitution for the past 18 years.
Seven of the dot-com's staffers, including CEO Jeffrey Hurant, were promptly arrested and charged with flouting state laws against the world's oldest profession.
Agent Ruiz alleged that Rentboy.com knowingly allowed male prostitutes to solicit sexual favors for money. According to her affidavit, the website received over 500,000 visitors per day and amassed $10m in revenues between 2010 and 2015.
Rentboy.com has been taken down. Archives of the site show that visitors are shown a warning screen notifying them that the service may not be used for advertising sexual services for money or other illegal activities.
"The advertisements on Rentboy.com are clearly for sexual services; and Rentboy.com's owner and employees have made statements that the site's purpose is for facilitating illegal prostitution," Agent Ruiz told the Eastern District Court of New York.
She quoted Hurant and others describing how the website operates, and what it does and doesn't allow escorts – who pay hundreds of dollars to maintain profiles and post advertisements on the dot-com – to say on the site. It cost at least $59.95 a month to register as a companion-for-hire.
The special agent also described, in vivid detail, the various steamy language used in the profiles, and examples of the escorts' saucy ads. Her affidavit does not say why the site, as it stands accused, had been allowed to operate since 1997.
“As alleged, Rentboy.com attempted to present a veneer of legality, when in fact this internet brothel made millions of dollars from the promotion of illegal prostitution,” said acting United States Attorney Kelly Currie in a statement.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed on Tuesday it had charged seven defendants with "conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution." Each of the accused – who are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty – faces up to five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
It took them that long to figure this site out... insane
I’m sure all the records were scrubbed of Ubama’s name before the raid.
Is that how he hooked up with Reggie?
From a few years back...
(Houston) Metro’s (CEO and one time mayoral hopeful) George Greanias Suspended For Porn Viewing (UPDATED With Sites He Visited)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
...Greanias seems to have been looking for love in all the wrong places. Among the sites he visited on the Metro computer, according to the investigation done by the agency and released today: rentboy.com sharethatboy.com sogayboy.com Daddysreviews.com Adultworld.com hourboy.com hardcoregaysexxx.com men4rent.com maximumescorts.com
“The violation was unintentional,” Greanias said in a letter to Metro employees. “I thought I was using my own computer, but was in fact in Metro’s system — but it was a violation all the same. The sites I accessed were of a sexual nature — to say the least, highly inappropriate, and embarrassing.”...
Not Fred Garvin? I'm shocked.
So what is wrong with that? The RATS say homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle; this is just the next logical step. But who is to say they rented boys? Where is the backlash from the LGBT “community?” Or is it LBGT, or LTGBT? Never mind! The world is upside down and fading fast.
“The advertisements on Rentboy.com are clearly for sexual services”
I would have thought the domain name would have given a pretty good indication all by itself.
:-)
Perhaps a closer look at the client list might provide a clue.
I wonder if this story is making Lindsey Graham a little nervous?
Caitlyn?
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