GirlsDoPorn

GirlsDoPorn

Company type	Private
Industry	Pornography
Founded	2009
Founder	Michael Pratt, Matthew Wolfe
Defunct	January 2020
Fate	Shut down following civil lawsuit and criminal charges
Headquarters	San Diego , United States
Products	Pornographic videos (casting couch-style adult films)
Parent	GT Group Limited (early), Oh Well Media Limited (later)

GirlsDoPorn operated as a U.S.-based pornographic website from 2009 until its closure in 2020. In late 2019, six individuals connected with the platform were formally charged with offenses including sex trafficking through coercion and force, as well as fraud and coercion. Two more persons faced charges in December 2019 for obstructing law enforcement efforts related to sex trafficking. The site was shut down in January 2020 following a civil lawsuit victory by 22 victims against the company. According to the United States Department of Justice, GirlsDoPorn and its affiliated site GirlsDoToys accumulated revenues exceeding $17 million. Their content, distributed via GirlsDoPorn.com and third-party platforms such as Pornhub, garnered approximately 680 million views, ranking the channel among the top 20 in terms of viewership.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, the enterprise focused on producing 'casting couch'-type adult films featuring amateur performers. Legal proceedings revealed that women who responded to fictitious modeling advertisements posted on Craigslist were connected to so-called 'reference girls' who provided misleading endorsements of the company. Participants were promised payments ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 for roughly 30 minutes of filming; however, actual sessions frequently extended up to nine hours, with about half of those involved reportedly unpaid or undercompensated. Upon arrival, contracts were signed that notably excluded any mention of GirlsDoPorn. Although subjects were assured their videos would not be distributed online or within the United States, the footage was extensively circulated internationally and across various online platforms. The Department of Justice documented occurrences of sexual assault during production. Victims endured exposure of personal information and subsequent online harassment, resulting in significant repercussions including job termination and mental health challenges.

A lawsuit filed in 2016 accused co-owners Michael Pratt and Matthew Wolfe (who also acted as cameraman), along with performer Andre Garcia, of "intentional misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, unlawful business practices, and intentional infliction of emotional distress." In January 2020, plaintiffs were awarded $12.775 million in damages plus ownership rights to their recorded material; however, payments had not been fulfilled by early 2022. In December 2023, Aylo—the parent company of Pornhub—agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine alongside victim compensation connected to the case. Prison sentences were handed down to Pratt (27 years), Garcia (20 years), and Wolfe (14 years), with additional convictions among other associates.

History

GirlsDoPorn was a pornography website founded by Michael Pratt (born 1982 in New Zealand), who also fulfilled roles as cameraman and editor. His childhood friend Matthew Wolfe (born 1982 or 1983 in New Zealand) co-owned the site and worked as a cameraman. The primary male performers included Doug Wiederhold and Ruben Andre Garcia (born 1986 or 1987). Attorney Aaron Sadock joined the operation in 2012, while cameraman Theodore "Teddy" Gyi contributed by filming approximately 120 videos between 2015 and 2017. Pratt initiated planning and production for GirlsDoPorn starting in 2007, officially launching the platform two years later.

Pratt entered the adult entertainment industry around the year 2000 after completing high school, initially creating affiliate websites such as Wicked Movies, Kute Kittens, and TeenieFlixxx—all delivering content akin to that later featured on GirlsDoPorn. In 2007, he relocated to the United States to pursue pornographic filmmaking. From 2007 through 2012, Pratt collaborated with Wiederhold on videos involving Wiederhold paired with women new to adult films; these videos established much of GirlsDoPorn’s foundational content. In 2010, Pratt and Wiederhold launched MomPOV—a MILF-themed site based in Las Vegas but registered under a Vanuatu domain.

Wolfe moved to the U.S. in 2011 and had been involved with Pratt’s projects since 2008; between 2011 and 2019 he filmed over one hundred videos for GirlsDoPorn.

The site exploited rising demand for 'casting couch' style adult content—typically shot in hotel rooms or offices with minimal crew presence—featuring women inexperienced in pornography who were compensated on camera. The platform advertised exclusivity by stating "You will not find these girls on any other website." Videos often showed women discussing their sexual experiences or reading aloud portions of contracts; male performers’ identities remained concealed throughout. This approach drew inspiration from popular series such as Backroom Casting Couch.

During its existence, more than a dozen domestic and international companies were affiliated with GirlsDoPorn. In 2011, GT Group Limited—cited as its parent company and mentioned in the Panama Papers—was linked to individuals involved in arms trafficking, drug cartels, and tax evasion schemes. By 2017, Oh Well Media Limited based in Port Vila, Vanuatu—a known offshore tax jurisdiction—served as the parent entity. Some performer contracts referenced BLL Media Inc.

GirlsDoPorn.com operated on a subscription model charging $30 monthly fees while releasing roughly one new video approximately 45 minutes long each week. Its official website also provided short free clips for promotional purposes. In 2014, Pratt and Wolfe introduced a spin-off platform named GirlsDoToys. By early 2017, GirlsDoPorn.com ranked as the 33,949th most visited website in the U.S., attracting around 1.2 million visitors over two months including about 84,000 newcomers. According to data from the U.S. Department of Justice, combined revenues from GirlsDoPorn and GirlsDoToys exceeded $17 million; Pratt was identified as the sole beneficiary of profits. When filing for bankruptcy protection in 2018, Pratt reported monthly earnings surpassing $60,000 alongside outstanding tax liabilities exceeding $134,000.

The enterprise drew media attention during 2013–2014 after two Miss Teen USA pageant contestants appeared in videos; this association led them to disassociate from their pageants. Some women who initially participated with GirlsDoPorn later transitioned into professional adult film careers—for example Emily Willis acknowledged being deceived but continued pursuing work within the industry.

In testimony given during October 2019 court proceedings, Wolfe admitted that recruitment persisted under contracts that omitted any reference to GirlsDoPorn’s name. Amid ongoing investigations into ownership structures, GirlsDoPorn.com ceased operations and went offline in January 2020.

Content distribution on external platforms

GirlsDoPorn videos were disseminated not only through GirlsDoPorn.com but also featured prominently on leading adult content aggregators such as Pornhub, XVideos, and YouPorn. Collectively, these videos accumulated in excess of 800 million views across these sites, with approximately 680 million views occurring on Pornhub alone, where GirlsDoPorn ranked within the top 20 most popular channels. Court filings indicated that the total view count for the website’s content surpassed one billion, with unauthorized copies contributing hundreds of millions more. Remarkably, a single GirlsDoPorn video was the second highest viewed clip on Pornhub in 2014.

In October 2019, Pornhub removed the GirlsDoPorn channel following allegations of sex trafficking; this decision was criticized as tardy by media outlets including Daily Dot and Motherboard. Despite this removal, unofficial uploads remained available on Pornhub. The platform’s digital fingerprinting system, Vobile, successfully blocked certain duplicates but failed to eliminate numerous slightly altered versions. In 2023, Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, issued a public apology for having hosted GirlsDoPorn content.

Legal actions against Aylo (previously MindGeek) center on its collaboration with GirlsDoPorn and its alleged continued hosting of their videos from 2011 until December 2020 despite repeated removal requests. Following this timeframe, other websites such as XVideos, XNXX, and Spankbang also took steps to delete many GirlsDoPorn videos and restrict related search terms.

Reddit maintained a dedicated forum titled "r/girlsdoporn" from 2013 until its shutdown in late 2019 amidst legal proceedings targeting GirlsDoPorn; at closure, this community had roughly 99,000 members. The company also operated an online forum launched in 2014 and actively promoted the youthfulness of its performers through Instagram.

Harassment directed at victims persisted after litigation concluded, especially on Twitter, where users targeted victims’ workplaces by sharing video links. YouTube delayed removing a harassing video aimed at four women for five months until intervention by Motherboard. This video attracted close to two million views and contained identifying details within the comment section.

Alleged operational methods

Information regarding the company’s conduct has been revealed through lawsuits, media investigations, and statements from former employees. An attorney involved in related litigation reported contact with approximately 150 women who claimed they were deceived during their participation in GirlsDoPorn productions. A lawsuit filed in 2016 included 22 plaintiffs, while six additional women recounted similar experiences to journalists in 2019.

Recruitment procedures

The 2016 lawsuit connected GirlsDoPorn to fraudulent modeling websites such as BeginModeling, ModelingGigs, ModelingWork, and Bubblegum Casting. Advertisements for these sites appeared on Craigslist across various college towns in the United States and Canada. Explore Talent was also utilized as a recruitment tool. Prospective models aged between 18 and 22 were requested to submit comprehensive physical descriptions along with personal details.

Founders Michael Pratt, Matthew Wolfe, and Andre Garcia employed aliases during recruitment—Pratt used names like "Mike" or "Mark," Garcia went by "Jonathan," and Wolfe adopted "Ben," "Joshua," or "Isaac." They informed applicants that the work involved performing sexual acts on camera but assured them that footage would only be sold overseas on DVDs (in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and South America), never appearing online or within the United States. Some women were initially invited under false pretenses of clothed or nude modeling sessions if they hesitated to agree to pornographic filming.

Participants were offered payments ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 for approximately half an hour of shooting time, which typically included five sexual positions lasting between five and seven minutes each. Persistent follow-up contact was reported prior to obtaining consent. Filming took place in San Diego with travel and lodging expenses covered; in some cases, flights were booked before participants fully committed.

Women who agreed to participate were connected with so-called 'reference girls' hired to mislead them by withholding information and encouraging their involvement; these reference girls received between $25 and $200 for each successful referral. Communication often occurred via text messages or video calls and sometimes required months of persuasion. Reference girls falsely assured participants that the videos would not be viewed in the United States. Some women reported receiving threats when attempting to withdraw from participation, including legal intimidation and death threats containing personal information.

Filming process

In San Diego, women encountered staff members who were subject to non-disclosure agreements that forbade any reference to GirlsDoPorn, frequently instructed to identify the company as Plus One Media or deny the online distribution of the videos. The recordings took place in upscale, four-star hotels.

The women involved in the 2016 lawsuit were hurriedly required to sign contracts containing intricate legal jargon, sometimes being told these documents were solely for tax reasons. These agreements did not mention "GirlsDoPorn" nor disclose that the videos would be uploaded online. Accounts revealed that employees consumed alcohol, smoked cannabis, and even offered cocaine to the models. The primary male performer, Garcia, reportedly provided drugs and alcohol to soothe models irrespective of their age. One woman was given alcoholic beverages along with prescription medications such as Xanax and oxycodone. An FBI complaint highlighted that the company withheld contract copies from the women. The release forms were deliberately ambiguous to conceal the true nature of video distribution.

Filming sessions extended up to nine hours, significantly exceeding the initially promised half-hour duration. During these trips, GirlsDoToys productions were also conducted. Videos commenced with rehearsed interviews involving intimate and sexual questions; if performers appeared disinterested, retakes were mandated. Reports described verbal mistreatment by Garcia and Pratt allegedly brandishing a firearm to compel participation.

Several women suffered vaginal bleeding or nausea resulting from aggressive sexual acts. When performers indicated pain or declined to proceed, they were informed it was too late to withdraw; in some cases, physical barriers prevented their departure. Threats included canceling return flights or demanding reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses if they refused additional scenes.

The United States Department of Justice documented instances of sexual assault and at least one rape. Garcia was accused of engaging in sexual acts with some women before, during, or after filming, occasionally requesting the cameraman leave during these encounters. One victim described an assault involving a paint sponge during her menstrual period, followed by coerced filming.

Former staff member Val Moser testified that only about half of the women received their agreed payments. Courts determined compensation was often reduced after undressing without prior warning or due to alleged physical imperfections despite prior nude photo submissions. One woman was paid $400 instead of $2,000 and was denied access to her hotel room; another received $2,500 rather than $5,000 because she appeared "too old."

Women also claimed Garcia deceived them into entering his apartment under false pretenses such as needing overnight accommodation or a brief stop before airport transport. One woman recounted Pratt forcing oral sex at gunpoint inside a vehicle and continuing the assault at his residence.

Outcomes

Videos were uploaded online roughly one month following filming. Some women were recorded multiple times, with threats to release initial videos used as leverage for further scenes. One victim reported that nude photographs she had sent through Craigslist were also published publicly. Several women contracted sexually transmitted infections from contact with Garcia. Personal details—including phone numbers, previous schools, workplaces, and family information—were posted online. Many women lodged complaints with GirlsDoPorn staff; responses varied from assurances of video removal to legal threats issued via Panakos Law, which also sent cease-and-desist notices to women seeking removal of videos from other websites.

Hundreds of women’s identities appeared on Porn Wikileaks, a website dedicated to exposing porn performers’ private information. A 2016 lawsuit claimed ownership of the domain transferred in 2015 to an email address associated with Pratt; an FBI affidavit linked the site directly to Pratt. Exclusive GirlsDoPorn images surfaced on Porn Wikileaks as well. Judge Kevin Enright concluded it was "more likely than not" that Pratt, Wolfe, and Garcia orchestrated online harassment against one involved woman. Pratt managed the site until August 2016; it was later acquired and shut down by adult studio Bang Bros in August 2019. Donny Long (Donald Carlos Seoane), connected to Porn Wikileaks, was arrested in December 2023 on unrelated human trafficking allegations.

Women reported that after videos went public, family members, friends, and coworkers received texts containing links or GIFs of their content, resulting in job terminations, eviction notices, college withdrawals, and estrangement from relatives. A high school teacher lost her position years later when her principal discovered her video. Others endured panic attacks, depression, self-harm behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. One woman lost contact with family following publication of a video combining GirlsDoPorn footage with childhood ballet clips under her real name. Another victim described ongoing harassment and assault continuing into 2023 tied to a video filmed over ten years prior.

Investigation

In June 2016, attorney Carrie Goldberg engaged the cybersecurity firm Fortalice, LLC to uncover the individuals behind GirlsDoPorn. Intelligence expert Charles DeBarber verified that Wolfe and Pratt were the proprietors, disproving claims of an offshore entity connected to the Panama Papers in Vanuatu. He also identified Ruben Andre Garcia as the principal recruiter and male performer. During the 2019 civil trial, DeBarber presented metadata evidence demonstrating that Michael Pratt impersonated a Jane Doe online to contact plaintiffs and collect information.

Initial Lawsuit

Four women initiated a lawsuit in June 2016 at San Diego Superior Court against Wolfe, Pratt, Garcia, and GirlsDoPorn. The number of plaintiffs expanded to 14 within six months and reached 22 by the end of the first year. Those involved were primarily college-aged women between 17 and 22 at the time of recruitment. Ten plaintiffs reported attempts to exit filming sessions but were compelled to finish. They testified that the public release of these videos adversely affected their education, professional opportunities, and family aspirations. The lawsuit sought compensation exceeding $22 million. Allegations against defendants included intentional misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, unlawful business practices, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lead counsel Brian Holm was assisted by John O'Brien, with additional legal support from firms such as Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP. Daniel Kaplan served as legal representation for GirlsDoPorn.

Trials and Criminal Charges

The trial initially scheduled for March 8, 2018, experienced multiple postponements. In January 2019, the court found that Wolfe, Pratt, and Garcia had acted with "malice, fraud or oppression." On the same day, Pratt filed for bankruptcy, temporarily halting proceedings. A bankruptcy judge later determined Pratt had acted in bad faith, allowing the case to proceed in early 2019. The trial commenced on August 20, 2019, continuing through November under Judge Kevin Enright.

In September 2019, attorneys discovered Pratt had fled the country. The following month saw Garcia and Wolfe arrested on sex trafficking charges following an FBI search warrant. Bail was denied for Wolfe in both October 2019 and May 2020. Pratt was placed on the FBI's wanted fugitives list in September 2020 and elevated to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in September 2022 with a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture; he replaced Jason Derek Brown on this list. On December 21, 2022, Spanish National Police apprehended Pratt in Madrid with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), acting on an Interpol Red Notice. He was extradited to the United States and appeared in court in March 2024; his trial is set for September 2, 2025.

In November 2019, a federal indictment expanded charges to include three more defendants: Theodore Gyi (videographer), Valorie Moser (Pratt’s administrative assistant), and Amberlyn Dee Nored (a fabricated reference model). Although Nored testified on behalf of plaintiffs, she did not appear in any GirlsDoPorn videos. Charges against Nored were dismissed in November 2021.

Pratt faced allegations involving production of child pornography related to a 16-year-old girl in 2012 and sex trafficking of a minor; these accusations were extended to Wolfe in 2022. Additional indictments from 2013 through 2016 encompassed conspiracy and sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion. A superseding indictment filed on February 10, 2022 added further sex trafficking counts.

Throughout the trials, multiple efforts to hinder justice emerged. Attorney Holm experienced harassment such as fabricated pornographic images and paid phone threats orchestrated by a GirlsDoPorn employee. Social media campaigns targeted Holm’s family members while a private investigator was employed to monitor him. In December 2019, brothers Fredrick and Efrain Jimenez—Fredrick being a former GirlsDoPorn employee—were charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to eliminate evidence. Prosecutors documented witness intimidation including defendants impersonating journalists to contact plaintiffs and offering bribes intended to suppress testimony. FBI agents uncovered plans promoting doxxing of plaintiffs under a video script titled "22 Whores + 5 Shady Lawyers VS GirlsDoPorn."

Lawsuit outcomes

On January 2, 2020, the court awarded the plaintiffs a total of $12.775 million in damages, consisting of $9.475 million in compensatory damages and $3.3 million in punitive damages, along with $8 million for attorney fees and $800,000 for additional costs. Faith Devine was appointed as receiver over the defendants’ business and personal assets on January 9. As of February 2022, the plaintiffs had not yet received any payments. The court granted them ownership rights to the videos in which they appeared and ordered the removal of all such content from websites controlled by the defendants, with further efforts mandated to eliminate it from other platforms. In December 2021, this injunction was broadened to include 402 women filmed for GirlsDoPorn, extending beyond the initial 22 plaintiffs. Additionally, the court required that model contracts and recruitment advertisements include clearer disclosures regarding online publication and the use of personal data.

In January 2020, a separate woman filed a comparable lawsuit and was awarded nearly $450,000 through a default judgment in February 2021.

Garcia pleaded guilty in December 2020 to federal charges related to sex trafficking involving force, fraud, and coercion; he was sentenced in June 2021 to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, a sentence surpassing prosecutors’ recommendations. Gyi admitted guilt in January 2021 to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking after misleading performers about the distribution of their videos online; he received a four-year prison term in November 2022 and was ordered to pay restitution exceeding $100,000 in March 2023. Wolfe pled guilty to conspiracy charges in July 2022 and was sentenced to 14 years in March 2024. Pratt entered a plea of not guilty at that time.

Moser also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in April 2021. In January 2023, cameraman Alexander Brian Foster pled guilty to conspiracy to commit stalking related to retaliatory actions against plaintiffs; he was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment in April 2023.

On June 21, 2023, Doug Wiederhold was indicted on charges including conspiracy and sex trafficking involving five GirlsDoPorn models; if convicted, he faces a possible life sentence.

In 2022, Domi Publications—the operator of MomPOV previously owned by Pratt—filed a malpractice lawsuit against two defense attorneys for rejecting a $16,000 settlement offer before trial. Domi subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing the 22 Jane Does as creditors.

On June 5, 2025, Pratt pleaded guilty to conspiracy and sex trafficking charges concerning one victim among sixteen charged counts. He was sentenced on September 8, 2025, to 27 years imprisonment plus an additional 10 years of supervised probation.

Aylo lawsuits

On December 16, 2020, forty women associated with GirlsDoPorn initiated legal action against Aylo (formerly MindGeek), owner of Pornhub, Tube8, and other adult websites, seeking $80 million for damages including emotional distress and trauma. The complaint alleges that MindGeek had knowledge of GirlsDoPorn’s sex trafficking activities since 2009 but continued collaborating until the operation ceased. Despite repeated requests from victims, MindGeek reportedly failed to remove GirlsDoPorn videos through December 2020. After media scrutiny intensified, Pornhub began removing videos posted by unverified users. By April 2021, the number of plaintiffs increased to fifty. Aylo settled the litigation in October 2021 under confidential terms.

On September 8, 2023, a former GirlsDoPorn participant filed a federal civil lawsuit against Aylo and its owners Ethical Capital Partners, accusing Aylo of profiting from and aggressively promoting GirlsDoPorn content while disregarding removal requests and threatening legal consequences. In October 2023, another civil suit was filed by sixty-two women represented by the original legal team.

In December 2023, Aylo entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that included payment of a $1.8 million fine, compensation for victims unpaid in previous cases, and a commitment to three years of independent audits reviewing its content moderation practices.