Report: Feds Raid RentBoy.Com
Federal agents, along with members of the Department of Homeland Security and the NYPD, have raided the headquarters of RentBoy.com, the rather notorious website that’s self-described as “the world’s destination to meet the perfect male escort or masseur.”
NBC New York reports that “seven people, including a high-ranking executive, were arrested as part of the RentBoy.com raid at the offices on 14th Street and Fifth Avenue…Millions of dollars in numerous bank accounts have been seized in connection with the probe.”
The United States Attorney’s Office issued a statement, stating the RentBoy.com employees were charged with “conspiring to violate the Travel Act promoting prostitution.” The report goes on to read:
“Rentboy.com is a male escort advertising site founded in 1997 which hosts thousands of paid advertisements. While the site has disclaimers stating that the advertisements are for companionship and not sexual services, Rentboy.com is designed primarily for advertising illegal prostitution. The website charges subscribers a minimum monthly fee of $59.95 and up to several hundred dollars to advertise sexual services. Once the fee is paid, subscribers can select from a number of categories created by Rentboy.com the sexual services they are willing to perform and the price charged. Subscribers can also include their physical descriptions and provide links to another website where their sexual services are rated by prior customers. Between 2010 and 2015, Rentboy.com had over $10 million in gross proceeds.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Sorge stated, “The facilitation and promotion of prostitution offenses across state lines and international borders is a federal crime made even more egregious when it’s blatantly advertised by a global criminal enterprise.”
I was able to pull the RentBoy.com website up as of approximately 1PM this afternoon, where pretty blatant offers for #Cash4Class (along with a “scholarship” opportunity) and advertisements suggesting that rent boys #LoveWhatIDo were peppered all over: In other words, the site appeared to be fully operational, although the NBC report claims “the website was expected to be shut down.”
