Rentboy.com CEO Indicted for Promoting Prostitution, Set for Trial in Federal Court in NY
Federal prosecutors recently indicted the CEO of Rentboy.com on multiple criminal charges, including promoting prostitution.
Authorities initially charged seven people in connection with Rentboy.com, an online gay escort service. The suspects included Jeffrey Hurant, the company’s founder and CEO, as well as six individuals who worked for Rentboy.com at one time or another. Law enforcement arrested the suspects in summer 2015. The arrests were made after a controversial criminal complaint was filed in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, NY, prompting a public demonstration by gay rights activists.
Prosecutors allege that Rentboy.com was nothing more than an Internet brothel catering to gay people looking for escorts. The website actually touted itself as the world’s largest online male escort service. According to federal officials, Rentboy.com had an online database of more than 10,000 men.
Most of the suspects in the case eventually reached plea agreements with federal prosecutors after being placed under arrest. In exchange for pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against Hurant, the suspects will avoid the most severe punishments that would otherwise have been on the table. Meanwhile, Hurant still faces serious criminal charges, including federal charges of promoting prostitution and money laundering. Now he is set to stand trial after being indicted in the case.
Several salacious details emerged during the indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. For example, federal prosecutors claimed that Rentboy.com failed to verify the ages of many escorts, resulting in underage escorts engaging in prostitution. Additionally, prosecutors alleged, Rentboy.com conducted business with a Florida escort agency that lured foreign men into sex slavery.
The consequences of a conviction for Hurant could be devastating. In addition to being slapped with a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted, Hurant would also have to forfeit more than $1.5 million that federal authorities seized during a raid of the Rentboy.com business headquarters on West 14th Street in Manhattan, as well as subsequent freezing of Rentboy.com bank and brokerage accounts.
It is also possible that the federal government will be able to permanently seize the Rentboy.com domain name so that it cannot be used by anyone else in the future.
For more information about this salacious case, read the NY Daily News article, “Founder and CEO of Online Gay Escort Service Rentboy.com Indicted on Promoting Prostitution, Money Laundering Charges.”
If you or a loved one has been charged with prostitution, solicitation or any other sexual offense in New York, you need to speak with a qualified criminal defense attorney immediately. The experienced criminal defense lawyers at the LaDuca Law Firm are ready to help you fight your criminal charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at our office in Rochester, NY.
