The following statement by Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Michelle L. LeBlanc has been posted on its website, regarding the ongoing civil and criminal charges facing the website Girls Do Porn and its owners and employees:
On October 10, Michael James Pratt and three other people involved with the rogue website Girls Do Porn, were charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, under federal law.
The allegations put forward in the complaint are unethical and illegal, and stand in total opposition to industry norms. According to the complaint, prospective models were:
* falsely promised that the films they made would never appear online
* denied the ability to read contracts, and actively misled about provisions
* provided with intoxicants during negotiations and before shoots
* bullied, harassed and prevented from leaving shoots
* denied the ability to confirm or see partner’s STI tests
* physically or sexually assaulted.
Free Speech Coalition unequivocally condemns the actions alleged in the complaint. Fraud, force, coercion, deception, harassment, pressure, and violence have no place in our industry, let alone on an adult film set. We have stood, and will continue to stand, with adult workers who report unsafe, exploitative, or illegal conditions.
The operators of the Girls Do Porn website were not members of, or otherwise known to, the Free Speech Coalition, and operated outside the confines of the conventional adult entertainment industry. As an industry, we can and must do more to inform performers as to their rights and resources—especially in relation to safe workspaces.
At FSC, we are continuing to build and strengthen programs that ensure safer working conditions for adult performers such as:
* The PASS testing system, with new tools to check partner status
* FSC’s Industry Code of Ethics, that requires producers to provide clearly written contracts, with adequate time to review
* FSC’s INSPIRE program, which helps new performers understand rights on set
FSC will continue to highlight the work of industry organizations like APAC and Kink.com, whose Model Bills of Rights and consent-based shooting protocols set the standard for ethical and responsible production.
Performer exploitation thrives in darkness and silence. Together, we have the power to stop it. It’s more important than ever that we—as performers, producers, business owners, and advocates—alert one another about suspicious activities or unethical business practices.
Free Speech Coalition will always be an active partner in the fight for transparency, ethics, and safety. Please reach out anytime you experience something that compromises the values of our industry.
Michelle L. LeBlanc may be reached at [email protected].
