The recent announcement by federal prosecutors in New York reveals Pornhub’s parent company, Aylo Holdings, admitting to profiting from sex trafficking. This admission leads to an agreement to compensate women whose videos were posted without consent.

Aylo Holdings, the owner of Pornhub, reached a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay over $1.8 million to the U.S. government and individual women affected by sex trafficking. The agreement also mandates the appointment of an independent monitor for three years to dismiss charges eventually.

Federal authorities expressed hope that this resolution, coupled with payments to affected women and the appointment of an independent monitor, brings some closure to those negatively impacted. The FBI’s New York office highlighted Aylo’s enrichment while overlooking victims’ complaints of coercion into videos.

The charge against Aylo stemmed from its involvement in hosting videos and receiving funds from GirlsDoPorn, a company convicted of sex trafficking crimes. Prosecutors assert Aylo’s awareness of deriving money from GirlsDoPorn’s operations between 2017 and 2020.

Despite Aylo’s statement expressing regret for hosting GirlsDoPorn content, claiming it received consent forms allegedly obtained through fraud, the company avoided pleading guilty. The government agreed to dismiss charges after three years if Aylo complies with the deferred prosecution agreement.

This development follows the European Union’s mandate requiring age verification on major porn sites, extending measures to enhance internet safety under the Digital Services Act.

This case sheds light on the complexities of addressing sex trafficking in online platforms and underscores the legal responsibilities incumbent upon content-hosting entities.

(Source: The Time)