Bitcoins Seized from GirlsDoPorn Mastermind's Wallet
FBI Initiates Sequestration of $1.2 Million Worth of Bitcoin from GirlsDoPorn Leader
The FBI has pocketed $51,533 worth of Bitcoin from Michael Pratt's digital stash, a notorious pornographer nabbed for sex trafficking linked to his lewd GirlsDoPorn platform.
This stunning development unfolded in the hot summer of 2024, with federal authorities filing a forfeiture order against Pratt and his cohorts, seeking possession of three Bitcoin wallets containing a whopping 8.13 BTC. That's a mind-boggling $840,000 at today's Bitcoin price!
According to a snap shared by the FBI today, they've snatched 0.61096499 BTC, or approximately $6,100, from Pratt's funds.
Born in New Zealand, Pratt relocated to the U.S. in 2009 and crafted his dirty empire between 2007 and 2019, running the GirlsDoPorn website like a well-oiled machine. In October 2019, he was indicted in absentia for sex trafficking crimes in the Southern District of California.
As the FBI slammed him onto their Ten Most Wanted list early in 2022, they offered a cool $50,000 to any informant who could provide the dirt on Pratt's whereabouts.
Fast forward to December 2022, local Spanish authorities made the bust and charged Pratt with 19 heinous crimes, including sex trafficking, production of child pornography, and laundering tainted cash.
In March 2024, Pratt was extradited to the States, and once in custody, the dark underbelly of his operation was laid bare.
Pratt and his cronies allegedly used deceit and coercion to ensnare hundreds of young women in their sordid web, luring them through phony modelling ads for clothing in the U.S. and Canada. The unsuspecting victims were later told they'd be doing adult films in exchange for meager pay.
It's a nasty story that sounds like something straight out of a crime novel. The victims reported being made to perform unspeakable acts, with shoots lasting for hours, despite Pratt's promises of quick and private DVD-only distribution.
Destroying the sanctity of their promises, Pratt and his accomplices dished out clips of the videos to popular adult sites like Pornhub, driving traffic to full versions on GirlsDoPorn.
The site amassed over $17 million in revenues, but was shut down in January 2020 by a San Diego judge who ordered it to fork over a hefty $12.8 million in damages to 22 victims. Pratt's pals, including webmaster Matthew Isaac Wolfe and performer Ruben Andre Garcia, have already copped guilty pleas and are cooling their heels in prison.
Pratt, for his part, pleaded not guilty and is currently awaiting trial, scheduled to kick off in September. Interestingly enough, it was the 2020 Ledger breach that apparently helped the FBI zero in on their man. Though concrete evidence linking Pratt's Bitcoin wallet to the hack is lacking, the Ledger data breach was a significant event that exposed over 200,000 of the company's customers' info. Pratt had used his real name to secure a Ledger wallet, sending it to a hotel in Barcelona, Spain.
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Source and Additional Reading
- Business Insider article on Michael Pratt and the Ledger breach: (https://www.businessinsider.com/lauded-french-bitcoin-startup-ledger-breached-26-million-user-accounts-2022-9)
- CBS News coverage of Michael Pratt's arrest: (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-pratt-girls-do-porn-sex-trafficking-kingpin-arrested-in-spain-extradited-to-us/)
- The New York Times profile on Michael Pratt and his empire: (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/25/us/san-diego-porn-studio-bust.html)
- VICE News deep-dive into the sex trafficking allegations against GirlsDoPorn: (https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/3kxere/the-internet-porn-studio-that-ruined-hundreds-of-womens-lives)
- The FBI seized $6,100 worth of Bitcoin from Michael Pratt's wallet, a pornographer known for his sex trafficking activities through the GirlsDoPorn platform.
- The FBI is seeking possession of three Bitcoin wallets containing a significant amount of BTC, totaling approximately $840,000.
- Despite Pratt's realize pseudonym, his real name was linked to a Ledger wallet that was used and sent to a hotel in Barcelona, Spain.
- The 2020 Ledger breach exposed over 200,000 of the company's customers' information, potentially helping the FBI zero in on Pratt.
- The crypto world is not always about technology and finance; it can also be tied to illegal activities like the sex trafficking case involving GirlsDoPorn.
- Following the latest developments in this case, and many others, subscribe to the Daily Debrief newsletter on Walrus for updates on the twisting tale of Michael Pratt and GirlsDoPorn.
