Michael Pratt, fugitive behind predatory porn site, arrested in Spain after 3 years on lam
A pornographer accused of tricking and pressuring young women into filming adult videos was arrested after three years on the run, the FBI announced Friday.
Michael Pratt, 40, was arrested by Spain’s National Police on Wednesday in Madrid.
Pratt was one of several men who ran the website and sex trafficking scheme GirlsDoPorn, according to federal investigators.
The men conspired to lure young women to San Diego with promises of modeling jobs, only to bait-and-switch them into filming porn videos, the feds said.
The victims were also told the videos would only be sold to private customers in faraway countries like New Zealand. That was a lie, as GirlsDoPorn often quickly posted the videos online, including on popular sites like Pornhub. At least one woman said she contemplated suicide after she was seen in a video.
Fellow schemer Ruben Garcia was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in running GirlsDoPorn. Videographer Theodore Gyi got four years behind bars. Co-owner Matthew Wolfe pleaded guilty to several charges earlier this year, and the site was forced to pay $22 million to the victims.
But Pratt, the other co-owner, had escaped justice until Wednesday. A warrant was issued for Pratt’s arrest in November 2019, but he fled. In September 2022, he was added to the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list.
Pratt was captured at a Madrid hotel where he was staying under a false identity, according to Spanish media. He faces a 19-count indictment in the U.S., including sex trafficking and child pornography charges. One of the GirlsDoPorn victims was a minor.
“The capture of Michael Pratt is an example of how the FBI will pursue justice beyond U.S. borders — you can run but you can’t hide,” FBI agent Stacey Moy said. “Thank you to our determined FBI San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and to our federal and international partners for their commitment to making sure that Michael Pratt is brought to justice.”
