Aylo, the Canadian firm that owns PornHub and previously known as MindGeek, is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a recent report by The Logic. This investigation is linked to accusations of the company’s involvement in sex trafficking and illegal monetary transactions connected to the website GirlsDoPorn.com.
The probe came to light when the Department of Justice contacted Kristy Althaus, a former participant in a GirlsDoPorn shoot, who claims she was a victim of rape during the production. Her lawsuit against Aylo has been filed under the pseudonym “Jane Doe f/k/a Kristy Althaus” to protect her identity.
According to the complaint, GirlsDoPorn allegedly uploaded explicit content to PornHub and other sites managed by Aylo. They are accused of then sharing these videos with the victims’ personal contacts to increase their virality. Five members of the GirlsDoPorn team have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, while the site’s owner, Michael Pratt, was arrested in Madrid in December 2022 after being placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
Althaus’ attorney, Lisa Marks, disclosed that negotiations were ongoing between Aylo and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for a deferred prosecution agreement. Such agreements usually allow entities to avoid criminal convictions by acknowledging their actions, but as of October 19, no final agreement had been signed.
Despite her name change, Althaus reports continued harassment and assault due to the widespread distribution of the videos. In her complaint, she mentions an attack at her home by a self-proclaimed PornHub subscriber upset about the removal of the videos from Aylo’s websites.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of this investigation.
