Congressman Threatens OnlyFans With Segregation-Era 'White Slavery' Act

Congressman Threatens OnlyFans With Segregation-Era 'White Slavery' Act

PHOENIX — Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) sent a letter yesterday to the Department of Justice demanding that OnlyFans be investigated and prosecuted for “promoting prostitution” under a controversial Segregation-era law called the “White Slave Traffic Act.”

The White Slave Traffic Act, also known as the Mann Act after its sponsor Rep. James R. Mann (R-IL), was passed in 1910.

Gosar — a dentist elected into Arizona congress in 2010 whose webpage boasts of having “no prior political experience” — publicized his letter via his Twitter account, stating, “Today I’m writing the U.S. Attorney General requesting an investigation into OnlyFans for promoting, and profiting from, online prostitution. I encourage the Justice Department to vigorously protect vulnerable people from platforms that promote coercive immoral and sexual activity.”

A 1910 Law Created During the 'White Slavery' Moral Panic

The law, NPR’s “All Things Considered” reported, was the direct result of “a full-fledged moral panic” generated by politicians and the press.

“There were rumors, taken as truth, that women were being forced into prostitution and shuttled around the country by vast networks controlled by immigrants, who were arriving in the U.S. by the millions,” wrote Eric Weiner.

“The plague of ‘white slavery’ was on everyone's minds,” the report continued. “Muckraking journalists fueled the hysteria with sensationalized stories of innocent girls kidnapped off the streets by foreigners, drugged, smuggled across the country and forced to work in brothels.”

“It was into this charged environment that the Mann Act was born,” Weiner wrote. “Signed into law by President Taft in 1910, the Act made it a crime to transport women across state lines ‘for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.’ It was that last clause ‘for any other immoral purpose’ — that would prove the most problematic and give rise to concerns that the law enabled the government to legislate morality.”

Rep. Gosar: 'Dust Off This Old Law"

The White Slave Traffic Act has been controversial since its inception, with critics pointing out that its selective enforcement was a constant source of abuse of power, particularly against BIPOC defendants.

The law, according to the “All Things Considered” report, “has been applied broadly over the years and, critics say, used as a tool of political persecution and even blackmail.”

The first high-profile case prosecuted under the White Slave Traffic Act was that of Black boxer Jack Johnson, who was charged for “debauching” a white woman, who was actually his girlfriend.

Gosar’s letter begins with several lengthy paragraphs pointing out the history of abuses, many of them racially motivated, of the White Slave Traffic Act, before pivoting into calling it, nevertheless, “a vital federal law.”

“To the extent that the department is dusting off this old law,” Gosar wrote, the Attorney General should “consider opening an investigation into this troubling website.”

“The protection of vulnerable people from coercion of illegal and immoral sexual activity should be a priority of your department, and online platforms should not be immunized from accountability,” urged Gosar — who became notorious during the last election cycle when his own siblings put out an ad asking Arizona voters not to vote for him.

APAG's Reaction

“Platforms like OnlyFans changed our industry by giving our workers control of how they perform,” Alana Evans, president of adult performers union APAG, told XBIZ.

“For the first time in history, performers can be self-reliant without working under anyone else's direction," she said. "As a performer for 23 years, having the ability to control every aspect of the product I release is the ultimate goal in consensual content.”

Evans added that, during this pandemic, her union has seen a rise in adult workers across the country. “Women and men are crossing into consensual sex work from the privacy of their own homes, for many, saving their families from homelessness,” she explained.

“The adult industry takes claims of trafficking and abuse very seriously — however, a platform that offers the freedom of self-expression and financial support is hardly an employer or supporter of trafficking,” Evans said. “If a platform like OnlyFans is taken away from our workers, many would be forced into dangerous situations, financial ruin, and could likely lose their ability to control their content.“

APAG has been serving as a liaison to help performers with OnlyFans issues.

“We provide the 2257 documents that performers use for the platform to verify their age, and we work to help performers reclaim accounts if they were erroneously removed,” Evans explained.

“All too often, lawmakers make judgments or decisions about our industry without talking to the workers or the organizations that work daily to protect our community, including OnlyFans creators.”

Evans said APAG has “reached out to Congressman Gosar's office in the hope we are given the opportunity to share our experiences, our needs and our ideas.”

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

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Show More