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 Rentboy.com CEO Jeffrey Hurant and the employees were charged in a
criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, as
authorities moved to seize bank accounts holding $1.4 million and
the website's domain name.
During a midday operation, U.S. Homeland Security Department agents
along with members of the New York Police Department could be seen
carrying computers and boxes labeled evidence out of Rentboy.com's
Manhattan offices.
Rentboy.com, which described itself as the "the world's destination
to meet the perfect male escort or masseur," said on its website it
had operated since 1996 and featured more than 10,500 men in 2,100
cities worldwide.
The website took its name from a British slang term for a male
prostitute and marketed itself to gay men. It operated quite
publicly, even hosting an annual escorts awards show called the
Hookies.
In a 2008 video interview quoted in the complaint, Hurant, who also
went by Jeffrey Davids - and who tweeted under @thecyberpimp - said
he launched Rentboy.com because he felt "escorts were a
disenfranchised group."
While Rentboy.com had disclaimers saying its advertisements for
escorts were for companionship and not sexual services, authorities
said it was intended primarily to advertise prostitution.
Escorts were charged at least $59.95 per month and up to several
hundred dollars to advertise on the website, enabling Rentboy.com to
draw 500,000 unique visitors daily and generate more than $10
million from 2010 to 2015, prosecutors said.
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"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," Brooklyn acting U.S. Attorney
Kelly Currie said in a statement.
Charles Hochbaum, Hurant's lawyer, denied his client promoted
prostitution and said the case raised free speech issues.
"We don't advertise sex, we advertise people who want to meet
people," he said. "There are specific disclaimers that we don't
advertise sex."
Six defendants including Hurant were arrested at their New York
homes for violating the Travel Act, which is applicable to crimes
committed through interstate transit, and were later released on
bail. Shane Lukas, Rentboy.com's chief operating officer, was
arrested in South Dakota.
The other defendants include Michael Belman, Rentboy.com's marketing
director; sales agents Clint Calero and Diana Mattos; Edward
Estanol, an escort who previously coordinated social media; and
Marco Decker, an accountant.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Additional reporting by
Brendan McDermid in New York; Editing by Tom Brown, Alan Crosby and
Leslie Adler)
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