Homeland Security Raids Rentboy.com
DHS "will use its unique authorities to disrupt and dismantle" gay escort sites, says special investigator.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) today raided the Manhattan headquarters of Rentboy.com, which bills itself as "the original and world's largest male escort site." CEO Jeffrey Hurant and six other employees were arrested, according to WABC New York. The feds also seized their homes, bank accounts, and $1.4 million.
The raid was carried out in conjunction with a criminal complaint unsealed today in the U.S. district Court for the Eastern District of New York. Hurant and the other employees were charged with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution.
"Rentboy.com attempted to present a veneer of legality, when in fact this Internet brothel made millions of dollars from the promotion of illegal prostitution," said Acting United States Attorney Kelly T. Currie, also thanking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York District Attorney's Office for their help in bringing down the popular escort advertising site.
"Rentboy.com profited from the promotion of prostitution despite their claim that their advertisements were not for sexual services," said NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton. But "thanks to the detectives, agents, and prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District involved in this investigation, these individuals will be held accountable for running this racket."
Rentboy was popular in the gay community, known for playful celebration of sex work (it has run "the Hookies," a male escort award ceremony, since 2006) and community activism (it recently launched a scholarship fund for escorts who advertise on Rentboy and want to go back to school).
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Glenn Sorge called Rentboy's offenses "a federal crime made even more egregious when it's blatantly advertised by a global criminal enterprise." Homeland Security "will use its unique authorities to disrupt and dismantle such organizations and seize the millions of dollars in illegal proceeds they generate," he added.
Update: Here's the official complaint.
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Why is the DHS involved?
B/c FYTW?
I am just surprised they don’t even try to come up with a good justification other than a vague reference to some “global criminal enterprise.”
I think the more-accurate answer is, “bureaucratic self-perpetuation involves endlessly expanding your mandate”
(pause)
and yes, I went there. Mandate. You heard me.
I don’t get it.
Paronomasia is a disease.
I used this as a slide in a presentation about the first ObamaCare case. See if it helps:
http://www.someecards.com/frie…..a-man-date
I drop jewels like paraphernalia
Infallible
i.e. Not into faily-ure
Rhywun….Mandate….Man Date….
Paging Swissy…
Well played. 😀
” and seize the millions of dollars in illegal proceeds they generate,” he added. ”
You quit reading 1/2 a sentence too soon.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Glenn Sorge called Rentboy’s offenses “a federal crime made even more egregious when it’s blatantly advertised by a global criminal enterprise.”
This, I guess? Who knows? Real answer is probably that someone saw a chance to further his career.
Why is the DEA involved?
…. sigh…. endlessly expanding… blah blah blah
One of the ads said “420 friendly.”
OMG people might be smoking pot BREAK THEIR DOORS DOWN
They were recruiting jihadists for ISIS
No, that would be “EscortGoats.com”. Nothing to do with these defendants.
-jcr
I think you mean SlowGoatToChina.com
Wait, that should have been .org, my bad.
Well, either islamist.terorists are now infiltrating our society as male prostitutes or “Homeland Security Investigations” is embracing some serious scope creep.
Yeah, I imagine a lot of agents put in hours upon hours of “investigation” and “surveillance.”
At least in Cruising, actual crimes were being committed.
In fairness, the teaboys of Afghanistan are known to carry out their owner’s wishes which sometimes includes shooting up bases in Kabul.
It’s so simple that you must be simple for not seeing it. Islamist terrorists have beards. They sometimes hide weapons in their beards. Gay men sometimes use beards to give the appearance of being out on a date with a person of the opposite sex. Therefore, gay men must be aiding and abetting Islamic terrorists.
Illuminati: Confirmed
Glenn Greenwald doesn’t have a beard* though…
*In any sense of the word
I had read that NYC was big on rent control…
“Rentboy.com attempted to present a veneer of legality, when in fact this Internet brothel made millions of dollars from the promotion of illegal prostitution”
I don’t see any mention of any actual crimes, did I miss something?
nope. complete waste of resources. DHS is a waste of space.
Yeah, and I hear that their Jewish affiliate, rentgoy.com, is next.
No sex trafficking charges? ENB? Hello?
Duh, men can’t be sex trafficked
Even if they’re “boys”!
We can have sex in traffic!
Or at least we can dream about it.
Road head is a real thing, dude.
Ever since I watched the World According to Garp, I’ve been afraid.
Watch David Cronenberg’s Crash, you’ll be fine.
So real.
Lee…me too. My wife suggested it while we were driving once, and I said NO!
I had Garp in my mind.
These were men, not women.
I wonder if how progressives are going to react to this. On the one hand, they hate sex, and they hate commerce, and thus they really really hate prostitution. On the other hand, they hate people who crack down on gays.
Not so much if the crackdown is specifically on gay men.
I thought crackdown was what the gays were after.
+1 feathered taint
You mean “gay men with penises”. We get called out, by both reactionaries and SJWs, for daring to spend any amount of timing fighting our own battles rather than those of others.
Gay men, like women, are unable to properly consent to sex!
/sjw
Huh, so what’s the justification against adult male prostitution? I know adult women are too childlike to consent to sex for money, but I thought men were considered always responsible and in control of their sexual actions.
Not TEH GAIYZ
I think its that gay men are, like, honorary chicks or something.
But these are rentboys, not rentmen.
Just a few more raids like this and prostitution will be gone forever!
Hey, it worked with drugs, right?
And poverty!
Did somebody at DHS get a bad review?
I really hope the SJW crusaders run out of socially-themed issues soon and turn to economic issues. Would that they poured all their outrage into trying to legalize prostitution, for example.
No no no, prostitution is bad because SJWs wouldn’t have sex for money, so anyone who does must be both brainwashed and forced to do so, and forced sex is RAPE!!!
SJWs wouldn’t have sex for money
I think you have that reversed. Since the SJWs don’t have money, they can’t afford to buy sex, which is why they want it to remain illegal. It’s like Foie Gras: if they can’t afford it, nobody should have it!
-jcr
I don’t know. I hear a lot of the middle class tumblerettas who’ve had daddy and mommy pay for everything in their life declaring that no women would every willingly choose to have sex for money.
SJWs disproportionately come from affluent backgrounds. People who are struggling to make ends meet literally can’t afford to worry about grievances because they have actual hardships to worry about.
It will never happen anyway. SJW’s and their opposite counterparts work with emotional issues. Outrage doesn’t work with dry economic issues; that’s partly why the politicians are thrilled with all the KULTUR WAR bullshit.
Are you saying there is no way to paint economic issues in an emotional light? I think that’s all we have to do and they will run with it.
I guess it depends on what is a stronger driving force for them: a sense of justice or a sense of envy.
Have you seen Bernie Sanders’ supporters and arguments? Sayong they cannot make economic issues eotional is dangerously naive.
Millions of people starving to death, for a start. Let’s keep a little perspective.
Give it time.
The environmentalists are working hard on that angle…
It there some prize for gloominess that I don’t know about. We are pretty fucking far from forced relocations, reallocation of farm land, etc. Again, a little perspective. Shit is pretty bad, but let’s not insult those who suffered under Mao and his ilk by drawing these absurd equivalences.
Being forced to eat Chinese Food at EVERY MEAL!!
But you’re not head of the goon squad, Nicole, so what you think doesn’t matter.
First they came for the gay prostitutes and I said GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY GAY PROSTITUTE!!!
TV evangelists and US Senators hardest hit
It will be interesting to see what’s in all those records that were seized…
DHS seized them, those records will never see the light of day.
Unless they contain a couple of choice Republicans
Not exactly. They won’t see the light of day, but certain Senators might be asked to vote a certain way and despite their lobbying against that bill, they will vote for it. Funny how that works.
Lots and lots of DHS emails and phone numbers, would be my guess.
See, this is what happens when so-con teathuglicans are in charge. They sic their law enforcement goons on the gays. Shameful bigotry.
/Tony OFF
As long as the process is democratic…
+1 Tyranny of the Majority
I know, right? When is NYC going to finally get rid of these uptight, puritanical and judgemental Republicans and elect progressives for city council and mayor……………
Haven’t seen Tony for a while. Did he just get busted?
-jcr
No one would pay for that.
Tony considers his butthole to be collectively owned by the whole country anyway.
Wait a moment, I thought the gays were into being held down by the man.
I don’t see any mention of any actual crimes, did I miss something?
They made millions, Karl.
MILLIONS!
So 7 people arrested, their property and $1.4 million dollars. Holy fucking shit! The world is FINALLY safe now. Thanks to the brave heros who have dedicates their lives to making sure that this vast, evil, global enterprise is taken down. Thank the gods these amazing public servants went home safe.
This of course leads to my next question: Why do gay men have to pay to have sex? Isn’t that one of the benefits of being a gay man?????
I think the target demographic is closeted gay men. The sort with a high profile job, a wife, kids, etc.
I was thinking HGTV.
It seems like the only people who buy houses any more, and many of the ones who sell them, are gay.
HGTV always sucks me in because they jump right into the next show without a commercial break.
Eh, I went on a date with a self-identified objectivist who talked at length about preferring to hire sex because he could get what he wanted without having to give anything back…which is exactly how our ONE date went.
He was good looking, but impressively grating as a person. He asked me out and then when the check came stared at it, then stared at me until I finally paid so we could leave.
What dick. You should have made him blow you since you paid.
To my great shame, he also got a blowjob out of the date. In a very Margaret Cho moment I decided it’d be the easiest way to get him out of my house. This was right around the time he’d noticed Atlas Shrugged on my shelf and expounded on the virtues of paying for sex.
His is the only phone number I’ve ever deleted from my phone.
Margaret Cho moment?
I think you mean rape.
Before the enthusiastic consent thing, Cho had a joke about how sometimes it was easier to give a bad date a blowjob so that they’ll leave than to tell them to get out of your house. It’s surprisingly true.
I was joking about the rape thing but you blew me away with this:
Before the enthusiastic consent thing, Cho had a joke about how sometimes it was easier to give a bad date a blowjob so that they’ll leave than to tell them to get out of your house. It’s surprisingly true.
What?! You mean I could be an asshole and get BJs, even if I didn’t pay for dinner? Wtf have I been doing with my life…
Wtf have I been doing with my life…
Dating “nice” girls?
Wow, its exactly like a hetero bad-date but with blowjobs.
Wow, its exactly like a hetero bad-date but with blowjobs.
I’m confused why y’all choose the heterosexual lifestyle.
“I’m confused why y’all choose the heterosexual lifestyle.’
THATS WHAT I JUST SAID
If i knew i could get a bj on a “bad” date i would never have put up with all the grief that women entail
What the hell dude?!? I’m coming out there and we are going to roll up on that POS and even the score.
I’m coming out there and we are going to roll up on that POS and even the score.
Why? It’s not like he forced anything. He was just a loser who thought he was a Randian ubermensch or something, but the white-knighting will definitely get you laid.
Alright, alright.
You should write this up for Slate as a libertarian horror story. Under an alias, of course.
You sound like a cheap date, jesse. Cheap for your date, not for you, of course.
Ideally, if I ask you out, I’ll pick a place and pay for dinner. If you object and want to go Dutch I’ll allow it. If you ask me out, I expect you to pick the place and I’ll offer to split the check, but if you insist one paying I won’t force the issue (I would’ve a few years ago but an ex broke me of it).
He asked me out, refused to pick a place and then made it clear he wasn’t paying or going half. He was an impressively bad example of a date.
So…are you asking me out or not?
Quick! Listen to some country music or watch NASCAR! Teh ghey is taking hold…
He asked me out, refused to pick a place and then made it clear he wasn’t paying or going half. He was an impressively bad example of a date.And yet, the date still happened. What was it about him that you couldn’t turn down? Was it the hair? It was the back hair, wasn’t it?
Well, up until we were actually out on the date he just seemed indecisive for not picking the place and he’d only lived in the area for six months or so, so I was able to make excuses…I had no way of knowing he wasn’t going to pay or at least offer to split the check until after the date was well under way.
I wasn’t sure I wasn’t going to get anything out of the night until he zipped up and said “that was fun I’ll call you” and walked out on the blowjob front, but in hindsight I clearly should’ve known.
Sounds like you were raped.
Someone beat you to that joke.
I can’t imagine how miserable I’d be if I believed all regrettable sex were rape.
Not all gay men look like the ones you see on TV.
Isn’t that why glory holes are a thing?
Not all gay men are young and pretty, and lets be honest, going to the bar and picking up a guy requires effort. There is a reason people are willing to pay extra for takeout.
But the ones who are pretty are very pretty. As a straight man, even I am strangely attracted to Aaron Schock.*
*Who is totally not gay guys why do you keep saying that?
The best part about living in the Midwest is the real-life Ken dolls.
For some definition of “best.”
Stop objectifying us Nikki. You’re the worst.
I bet Lindsey Graham finds flimsy excuses to visit his office every day.
Null hypothesis rejected (p = 0.03)
I’ve known only one openly gay man who paid for sex. He was seriously unattractive.
You don’t pay them for the sex, you pay them to keep it on the down low.
To paraphrase Rush.
@Bear
You mean @bearcublove69sofine
I thought that you were paying them to go away in the morning
+1
“You don’t pay them for the sex, you pay them to keep it on the down low.”
Then why do they always seem to do such a rotten job of keeping on the down low-?
The scandals all seem to make into the news somehow.
The only people who are out whoring that we don’t know about are the people no one knows or cares about. If he or she recognizes you, he or she is going to talk about it. …especially if you’re not calling back anymore.
Women, especially, talk about every. god. damn. thing. they. know.–even if there’s no good reason to do so!
If they know something about it, and the subject comes up, they’re gonna tell everybody everything they know about it.
When we find the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold, she’ll still be running her mouth about all of her clients.
No, you don’t pay them to keep it on the down low, there isn’t enough money in the world for that. You pay them to just go away. But they’re gonna talk. They’re gonna tell everybody everything. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. If you don’t want her telling other people about you, make sure she doesn’t know who you are. Jesus will build the singularity machine himself before women stop telling everybody everything they know.
Very well said, Ken.
To paraphrase Rush.
And what the hell does Rush know about hookers anyway?
When we need advice about how to cook a turducken or abuse prescription narcotics, we’ll call Rush.
Weed warehouses in Denver.
Butt sex for hire.
Please, Reason. Make the next article about Mexicans. Let’s hit that trifecta!
Isn’t every Trump article about Mexicans, in a way?
This libertarian moment sure seems to come with a lot of law enforcement raids.
The site had been running for nearly 20 years before the DHS raided it.
I was skeptical that America is becoming more Puritanical – until now.
America, or Uncle Sam?
Well, if it’s just Uncle Sam then that would imply some sort of disconnect between him and the rest of America that would have to boil over eventually.
Not necessarily, as long as he isn’t actually bothering America too much with his stupid crusades.
This was all about the money. Nothing else. The $1.8 mill they picked up, and the $1.4 mill they reportedly picked up.
I have to assume they came specifically to DHS’ attention somehow. As Kristen implies upthread, I wouldn’t be surprised if some DHS employees (probably higher up) are embroiled with the site somehow, maybe as clients, and something spooked them.
Maybe someone’s trying to start cashing in on that OPM hack.
The site had been running for nearly 20 years before the DHS raided it.
Exactly. 20 years ago, the libertarian moment was something we only dreamed of. Now we’re smack in the middle of it.
probably required a long and deep undercover investigation
and hard
Code name: Deep Anal (Deep Throat was already taken)
It’s a good thing cops don’t go around busting up gay bars anymore. Truly, we have evolved as a people.
Who knows, maybe there are enough rent boys to have a riot? The modern gay rights movement started with one, maybe they need another one to get the cops off their back again.
-jcr
Rent Boy Riot.
The name of my next album.
Ages ago, I read a book about post-apocalyptic America, etc. No idea of title or author.
But I do recall one scene, involving a running gunfight between a bunch of transvestite hookers and some warlord gang. Hilarious. The trannies won, as I recall.
It wasn’t A Boy and His Dog, was it?
I tried to watch that movie, but failed after about five minutes.
Well, I’d certainly say you have marvelous judgment, sarcasmic, if not particularly good taste.
Not that one, no.
Your mom’s diary?
/Epi
OT.
I’m against message board bans in principle, but it’s clear that PB is just paid to come on here and give DNC/Obama talking points. He’s not here for an honest discussion/debate, or even just harmless trolling, or even just to play devil’s advocate.. I don’t come here to be subjected to talking points; I can get that anywhere, from National Review to the NYT.
That is all.
Ignore him then. Its not that hard. You see his name, just keep scrolling until you hit another thread. I do it all the time if I don’t feel like getting in a long debate that day.
You don’t have to read his stuff bro. Just scroll past it when you see his handle.
It’s a doofus, there’s really no reason to pay any attention to it.
reasonable is a wonderful thing.
I understand the ignoring thing, and I do it for a few posters. I just think a shill detracts from the site. He has a negative WAR; he’s the Jeff Franceour of posters.
I’d have went with Yuniesky Betancourt. Fun fact: Frenchy is actually a positive-WAR player for his career on the strength of two and two halves worth of good seasons.
You know who was truly a waste of space? Bill Bergen. Fucking catchers, man.
Honestly, I find him least annoying of the regular trolls and pretty easy to ignore if I want to.
true.
bo, jackand, hihn, amsoc, mtrueman earn their spots in the filter. Because they derail entire threads into endless stupidity
Buttplug is like a mouse that lives in your basement that you can’t be bothered to poison. in fact its almost cute. he pops up, says his canned shit, and disappears.
he pops up, says his canned shit, and disappears.
Exactly. I don’t know why more people don’t see this. Commenters on here try to refute the BS, but what they don’t grasp is that these stupid characters usually spew out two or three posts, then split.
Just ignore them completely.
Or don’t. Why should anyone care?
I feel safer already.
Ohhhh, this must be that violent backlash against the gays that John keeps salivating over warning us about.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9NaQZojWi6U
Most sampled drum track ever. Can imagine how Neil Peart would shit all over this
Jesus, did Neil Peart shoot your dog or something? You don’t have to like him if it’s not your thing.
DHS got involved because they figured out the 67 virgins isis promises their followers might well be provided by rentaboy.
Disappointed dead jihadi: “Oh man!!! I shoulda asked if the virgins were female!”
Why on earth would the jihadi be disappointed?
67? What, does ISIS skim a few off the top?
Evangelical Christian Pastors hardest hit
Obligatory
Oh no, first my fake investments, and now this? This is like the worst week ever!
What’s even more baffling than DHS’s involvement is that someone (or several ones) at DHS thought it would be a great idea to publicize this.
The NYPD adamantly maintains that they need to be able to legally have full penetrative gay butt sex so that the gay criminals won’t know how far they can go. For tactical reasons…
+1
Obviously people have to stop being gay and liking sex. Or vice versa.
Well damn, and RentBoy just announced (10 days ago) that they were giving scholarships for sex workers who wanted to pay their way through school.
It’s charmingly cliche.
It’s okay, jesse, we’ll get together a Kickstarter for you.
I’m going to want…something for my “contribution”.
It was ONE TIME, Nikki. It’s not like I have a profile with Rentboy or something.
Besides, jesse already has a college education more valuable than any number of furtive backseat handys.
So, not a sociology major, is what you’re saying.
That money’s in the hands of the DHS now, so you know it will be spent on something much better.
…and community activism (it recently launched a scholarship fund for escorts who advertise on Rentboy and want to go back to school).
Are Catholic schoolboy outfits a thing? I could always use extra income, but the Church didn’t let me keep my cassock and surplice.
Are Catholic schoolboy outfits a thing?
Oddly, not really. I mean, I don’t doubt it’s out there, but it’s not a front-and-center fetish the way Catholic school girls are.
YOU DON’T SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. I’m going to put together an outfit and go online and prove you wrong.
Pelosi says there’s nothing left to cut.
What if they change the name to Leaseboy?
Man the H&R commenters love them some gay prostitutes. More comments than the pot or cop murder articles in half the time.
We’re desensitized to pot and cop murderers. We’re not quite there on paid buttsecks yet.
Also this post didn’t go live within a minute of another one.
Good points.
I’m just waiting for the article where Trump is discovered with smoking weed in a gay Mexican brothel. The internet will break.
I also love that the US Attorney referred to it as “illegal prostitution.” So are we to take it that some forms of prostitution are legal in NY?
There’s the legislature.
Or those members from the city, if you want to be pedantic.
No one needs 27 different types of boys to rent.
I’m still trying to figure out why the “correct” opinion on Old Dominion University’s “sexy-banner frat” is to be revolted and upset, while generously offering those scum the token 1st amendment protections they barely deserve…
…while the equally correct-and-approved position on the oppression of gay-prostitute rings is to be horrified and dismayed and indignant that they are not allowed to advertise on buses and near children’s playgrounds.
I exaggerate, obviously. but i’m just pointing out something my nieces brought to my attention the other day = they can’t get in trouble in school if they’re talking about gaysex-stuff (and not only that, there’s people out there to help them if they need, and why not?), but LORD ALMIGHTY too much Boy-Girl sexy-talk in 6th grade? will bring the holy wrath of the administration as well as parents down to discuss the over-sexualization of teen life.
In sort-of-unrelated, but parallel vein…. witness the social bravery of teens who out themselves as… uh, something special, as long as its not like the totally “normal”-sexual thing because that’s lame and isn’t given any special-prizes and kudos.
Is that an IED in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?
I feel more secure in my homeland today because of the actions of our courageous leaders. Not!
The real reason rentboy.com was raided:
Some senior Homeland Insecurity officials are customers and they don’t want it getting out.
h
omeland Security and Drug Enforcement Agency busting an online prostitution ans sex worker outfit? That is federal overreach of a new order. That’s using federal firepower for civilian law enforcement, illegal under the Constitution. I hope a good defense lawyer pull this one out of hos bag. FedGov have NO AUTHORITY to meddle in such things. This one was NYC’s bird.
“Homeland” + “Security”…so this was in the “Homeland” but WTF does it have to do with “Security”? Afraid some gay boytoy is going to give you a blowjob against your will? Stupid frat boy agents and prosecutors.