Rentboy.com Owner Pleads Guilty to Promoting Prostitution

Rentboy.com Owner Pleads Guilty to Promoting Prostitution

BROOKLYN — The former owner of Rentboy.com pleaded guilty Friday to promoting prostitution.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy accepted Jeffrey Hurant's plea and that of parent company Easy Rent Systems Inc. to money laundering..

"I'm guilty because I agreed to accept payment with advertisers and promoted their exchange of sexual activity for a fee," Jeffrey Hurant, who was CEO of the company, said at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn this morning.

Hurant, as part of a plea deal, agreed not to appeal the case in exchange for a maximum two-year prison sentence.

If he appeals his sentence, he could face up to five years. He also could get three years of supervised release, a maximum fine of $290,000.

Easy Rent Boy Systems Inc. faces a five-year maximum probation, a $500,000 fine at minimum and up to twice its value at maximum for the guilty plea to money laundering. The company will not be allowed to appeal.

Hurant and Easy Rent Systems previously pleaded not guilty over the charges.  

Activist William Dobbs, who attended today's hearing, told XBIZ that "after 19 years of operating openly, Rentboy.com was raided and turned into a federal crime."

"The war on sexual civil liberties continues, thanks to the feds in Brooklyn and their boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch," he said.  

In the indictment, prosecutors said that male escorts paid at least $59.95 per month and up to several hundred dollars to advertise on Rentboy.com, which generated more than $10 million from 2010 to 2015.

Before authorities shut the website and offices down, Rentboy.com reportedly lured about 500,000 unique visitors each day.

Hurant charged advertisers up to about $300 per ad, according to the indictment. Advertisers were encouraged to publish their penis size, build, indicate whether they had foreskin and whether they preferred to have safe sex or bareback sex.

The Rentboy.com domain recently changed hands after it was seized by the government. Today, the Rentboy.com site offers click-through links.

The case has had many critics who have accused the government of meddling in their personal sex lives.

Numerous media outlets also have blasted the government’s prosecution of Hurant.

In an editorial, the New York Times said prosecutors weren’t justified shutting down "a company that provided sex workers with a safer alternative to street walking or relying on pimps."

Hurant is due back in court on Feb. 2 to learn his fate at a sentencing hearing.

Pictured: Federal authorities outside of Rentboy.com's offices during raid several years ago

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

New Pleasure Product Review Site 'ToyChats' Launches

ToyChats.com, a pleasure product review and discussion site, has officially launched.

AEBN Reveals Jade Venus as Top Trans Star for Q1 of 2025

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the first quarter of 2025, with Jade Venus landing atop the leaderboard.

SexLikeReal Debuts 'AI Passthrough' Feature

SexLikeReal has introduced an AI Passthrough for video editing during VR livestreaming.

Show More