‘Force, fraud and coercion’: Depraved explicit content king fled to Spain but can’t escape justice in California

Michael Pratt, the convicted mastermind behind the notorious GirlsDoP— trafficking empire, has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison after years of evading justice.

The New Zealand native, once listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives, was captured in Spain in 2022 and extradited to California in 2024. His sentencing marks the culmination of one of the most significant sex trafficking prosecutions in U.S. history.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Pratt, 42, orchestrated a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme through his websites GirlsDoP—.com and GirlsDoToys.com. He and his co-conspirators lured young women, many between 18 and 21 years old, into producing explicit content under false promises that the videos would remain private.

Instead, Pratt and his associates coerced, manipulated, and at times effectively trapped the women in hotel rooms while they filmed their abuse, then distributed to millions online. The sites generated massive profits through subscriptions and by driving traffic with content promoted on free platforms like P—hub.

“Pratt admittedly engaged in a conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, making millions off a deliberate and reprehensible scheme, showing no regard for the suffering he caused,” Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office said.

“At his direction, Pratt and his co-conspirators manipulated women into participating in pornographic videos and then bullied, lied, or threatened them when they tried to leave,” Dargis added.

Pratt victim’s testimony

At Pratt’s sentencing in San Diego, more than 40 survivors testified about their experiences, describing lifelong trauma. Some shared that they had attempted suicide, developed substance abuse problems, or suffered from severe PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Others revealed they had changed their names, undergone cosmetic surgeries, or abandoned career paths to escape the stigma and harassment tied to their exploitation.

“The life I was meant to have, died in that hotel room,” one survivor told the court. Another declared: “I am not your victim. I’m your reckoning. I am the girl who took you down.”

U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino emphasized the extraordinary scale of Pratt’s crimes, telling the courtroom: “I’ve been doing this a very long time and I’ve never had a case like this before, of this magnitude.” She cited his role as the leader and organizer in imposing the lengthy sentence.

Prosecutors detailed how Pratt’s lies extended beyond initial recruitment. Even after learning that victims’ names and details were being exposed on p—ikileaks.com, Pratt continued profiting from their exploitation. He refused repeated pleas to remove the videos, forcing victims to endure harassment, stalking, and lasting reputational harm. “Pratt has caused me to fear my own name,” one woman said.

Pratt’s time on the run

Federal authorities described Pratt as a calculating predator who fled the U.S. in 2019 after liquidating his assets. Authorities tracked him down in Spain after he lived as a fugitive abroad for more than three years.

Several of Pratt’s co-conspirators have already been sentenced: Ruben Andre Garcia to 20 years, Matthew Wolfe to 14 years, and Theodore Gyi to four years in prison. Pratt’s 27-year sentence is the harshest punishment to date. Another associate, Valorie Moser, awaits sentencing this month.

Survivors confronted Pratt directly in court. “For years I carried shame that never belonged to me,” one woman said. “Today I will walk out of this courtroom an empowered woman. You will walk out in shackles.”