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Seattle Man Accused of Using Social Media To Set Up Fake Porn Agency (nbcnews.com)
The Washington State Attorney General's Office has charged a Seattle man for setting up a fake talent agency for adult entertainers in order to trick women into posing nude and having sex with him. NBC News reports: Michael-Jon Matthew Hickey is accused of creating a fictitious business and using deceptive ads with bogus employment offers to find his victims. The lawsuit alleges Hickey offered and advertised commercial services solely for his "own personal gain" and to "satisfy his sexual desires" with no intention of following through on the promised services to help these women find jobs. Hickey, a 40-year old technology blogger and aspiring photographer, is charged with numerous violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act and the Commercial Electronic Mail Act. Assistant Attorney General Andrea Alegrett, who is handling the consumer protection case, told NBC News Hickey had developed "a sophisticated scam" which involved fake business websites, fictional people, and bogus contact information. The lawsuit alleges Hickey pretended to be a woman named Deja Stwalley, who claimed to live in Las Vegas where she ran a number of talent companies, including New Seattle Talent, West Coast Talent and FMH Modeling. The New SeattleTalent website stated: "We work as recruiters and scouts for some of the top studios in the Northwest. Our goal is to be the top recruiting group for girls in America. We're woman-founded and woman-owned, and take the talent's safety and welfare seriously." Hickey, posing as Stwalley, would contact women between the ages of 17 and 25 via Facebook and offer them a chance to audition for an adult film studio. Stwalley assured each woman that they "TOTALLY have the look they're going for" and could earn between $1,200 and $3,500 a day, the AG's complaint alleges. Digital Security expert Adam Levin, Chairman and founder of Identity Theft 911, said this case shows just how easy it is for someone to use social media for fraudulent purposes.
Sydney Brownstone at The Stranger (Seattle "alt: weekly) did a whole slew of articles on this guy who actually used to work at The Stranger. The dude is also up on rape charges, and there's some question if the ladies claimed rape only after the fraud, and if that's legit.
http://www.thestranger.com/authors/20774260/sydney-brownstone
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
Is he the guy with the black leather couch and video camera in his office?
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
"between the ages of 17 and..."
Thanks for playing: go directly to jail. Goodbye!
The age of consent is 16 in many states, including Washington.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
If he filmed any sex acts with a 17 year old, he's done. Even if he didn't film them, kindly locate for me a jury who will provide anything less than the maximum available penalties as soon as the words "minor child", "fraud", "sex", and "rape" are uttered together.
-- "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
And before someone says "not for porn" - which is true, that's 18 everywhere - it's not illegal to contact a 17 year old and ask if she wants to do porn when she turns 18. There's a huge market for "barely legal" porn and a lot of them are filmed the day after their 18th birthday. That can't happen unless it's planned in advance, which by necessity would occur when she was 17.
Thanks, Captain Obvious. The rest of us who read TFS learned the same thing.
Based on there being a ton of "casting couch" porn, this seems like it happens a lot...
He (and his parents) should be prosecuted for that alone!
Deja Stwalley
But his conviction should be reversed for choosing that name...
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
If he filmed any sex acts with a 17 year old, he's done.
Read the article. The point is he didn't film and sex acts because he's not a porn producer.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
...ever since the invention of Photography.
How many young girls haven't been lured from the promise of a model career, but can't afford to pay the photographer or agents, and gets into the hands of fake agents and "hobby photographers" with professional looking gear.
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
The only one making the mental jump from contacting 17 year olds, to raping them and possibly filming it, is you. Even the AG isn't being that absurd.
This is the coolest thing I ever heard of.
The question is: how long was he able to run the scam before getting busted - could he have folded up shop and skipped town before catching the heat?
Not that I'm advocating the behavior, but getting a business license in Washington State costs something like $500. Probably cheaper than paying for porn sites for years.
There's no place like
NOT for photographs. They might be able to fuck you but if you take a picture of them you are going down for Child Pornography (a federal charge).
A defense of "she lied about her age" is about as worthless as claiming the cops forced you to do it. Pornography is covered by some seriously powerful laws that require the publisher to obtain, photocopy and retain documentation of proof of age for 10 YEARS that can be requested at any time by just about anybody and if you don't produce the documents you go directly to jail.
"but she had a fake ID", good luck with that defense too. You apparently aren't aware of how strictly regulated pornography is in the US.
APK, is that you?
Tia Tanaka and Kitty Jung both started at 18, and attended the same high school.
Supposedly there is an interview where Kitty says she started on her 18th birthday, I have not seen that. Here is a normal, dressed look at Kitty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJbLI2Lo-I
There is also the huge issue of Human Trafficking, where the women are basically slaves and may also be under age...
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
Fyi, ANYONE who says he runs a recruiting company for major porn sites is lying. It doesn't work that way. If you want to be a porn model, join modelmayhem.com or email Brazzers and the other major networks. Also, hundreds of photographers sell photos and videos, and thousands of web sites buy photos and videos, through adultcentro.com. They can refer you to a legitimate photographer in your area.
Source: 15 years working full-time in the porn industry.
"paying for porn sites"? What? People actually do that?
Ken
What! Are you serious? Porn isn't real?
Ken
Not so cool in my opinion. When you get something of value in return for false promises it's fraud, even if it is fun for you.
This is not a victimless crime.
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A minor may *disaffirm*, or void, most contracts. The contract is therefore not binding on the minor. They absolutely CAN agree to a contract, then either honor the contract or disaffirm it.
They can't generally disaffirm a contract for necessities, such as food, shelter, and clothing. This is so that people can rent an apartment or even bring food to a teenager in a restaurant without demanding full payment upfront.
In New York and California, a minor may have a contract validated by the district court and will thereafter be bound by it. The court checks to see that the contract is reasonably fair, and the minor gives up their right to later disaffirm. This is primarily for young entertainers, who may have multi-million dollar contracts.
> Agreeing to participate in sexual photography and/or video requires a contract between photographer and model.
The contract, called a "model release", is normally signed on the day of the shoot. At the same time, the photographer makes a copy of the model's ID as required by 18 USC 2257.
Wait.. what? How is this even on /.
Sure it talks about porn sites. Which a large proportion of /. readers PROBABLY[0] access. But apart from that, this is nothing to do with tech news etc..
Oh wait.. I'm living in the Naughties[1] back when Slashdot cared about relevance.
[0]Okay Okay Petal. Not you. I know you don't access porn. I'm talking about the OTHER group of /. readers
[1] You know, 2000 to 2010.
I probably shouldn't spoil the illusion for you, but have you ever noticed how many of those "day after my 18th birthday" ladies look about 24 years old, despite the pigtails? One very popular "barely 18" model, Little Lupe, was 26 when she changed her stage name to Lupe Fuentes and started dressing appropriately for her age (and got a boob job).
This is almost the same story as french journalist a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Marc_Morandini">Jean-Marc Morandini. I wonder if they knew each other business or if they had a common inspirator.
I mispoke. Lupe was 21 or 22 when she stopped being "barely 18". I was thinking of a different model.
... where a guy does just this.
Whether it's a setup porn site, I do not know.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
Sheesh, if he'd bought a $500 HD camera and a couple of lights, he could have made actual porn and turned a profit while still having fun.
just to get laid.
Not if it's for a commercial transaction.
A defense of "she lied about her age" is about as worthless as claiming the cops forced you to do it. Pornography is covered by some seriously powerful laws that require the publisher to obtain, photocopy and retain documentation of proof of age for 10 YEARS that can be requested at any time by just about anybody and if you don't produce the documents you go directly to jail.
"but she had a fake ID", good luck with that defense too. You apparently aren't aware of how strictly regulated pornography is in the US.
I'm not saying that the performer lied about her age, but the entire production company lied about her age and claimed it was her 18th birthday when it she's really years older.
You could certainly try to sue the company for misrepresenting her age, but you'd have a hard time proving damages "Your honor, I jacked off to her video for years before I realized she was actually 22, not 18 as stated. I deserve compensation for all of those orgasms".
Tia Tanaka and Kitty Jung both started at 18, and attended the same high school.
Supposedly there is an interview where Kitty says she started on her 18th birthday, I have not seen that. Here is a normal, dressed look at Kitty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GJbLI2Lo-I
There is also the huge issue of Human Trafficking, where the women are basically slaves and may also be under age...
I didn't claim that no performers started when they were 18, but did either of them start filming the day they turned 18 and claim that they had just turned 18? I'll admit to not being familiar enough with either of them to know the answer, but I looked at Kitty's filmography and none of them are called "Barely legal Kitty's 18th birthday!"
But I admire your knowledge of porn and you had not one, but two 18 year old performers in mind!
Straw man. A business doesn't have to be admirable, it has to obey the law, both statutory and common. You might not respect women who choose to enter the industry; you might think that is an extremely foolish thing to do. You might even be right. But you don't get to judge for them; they're the only people qualified to judge their own financial need against the costs. But of course when you're committing fraud, you're taking away their right to judge for themselves by force of deception.
Now people trick other people into having sex all the time. It's always reprehensible, but it's not always criminal. But just because it's sometimes legal doesn't mean it's always legal. When the proposition is presented as a business arrangement, you are obligated to deliver the thing promised.
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Considering this fraud is about sexual stuff for commercial purposes I'd say there is plenty to lock him up with 17 year olds even if there were no photos of the sexual activity. "Procuring" is a word that comes to mind. The law looks down on people convincing 17 year olds to become hookers and that's probably how the situation would be looked at.
Sometimes yes. But either way your opinion of someone is irrelevant. Even if you don't respect a person you are obliged to respect their rights.
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There no "lawsuit" involved. If it's child pornography because the model was underage it doesn't matter who lied or when. The production and all copies are then child pornography, and you don't sue them, the Attorney general shows up with the power and unlimited funding of the government behind them and throws you in jail.
And as another poster mentioned, as soon as the state says the words child pornography to the jury you are going to jail. Mere possession of child pornography is 5 years in federal jail and that's for a SINGLE image, every additional image is an additional count. Creating pornography with an underage model is up to 20 years in federal prison per image. And ignorance of the models age is not a defense. Real porn producers won't TOUCH a model they aren't positive is over the age of 18 for this very reason.
Child pornography isn't a game, if as part of this guys scam he even photographed an underage person in the nude he's going to jail. Hell, they've put kids in jail for taking photographs of themselves because it's producing child pornography. Only very foolish people would take a risk like this.
Worked in a local repair shop and most of the infections came from porn sites. Those two actors I had to trace back to xnxx (a side door to xvideos), in order to not call the cops. I only really had one case where someone brought in a computer with illegal porn on it... most of those guys are paranoid enough to learn to take care of their own systems.
That one time I did have a case for the cops, the guy got out on bail or a deal or something and six months later he tapped me on the shoulder at a store, I about crapped! And to top it off he wanted to know if I still did that kind of virus removal... you can't fix stupid. I had moved on and soon after that I changed cities so I never found out what happened with the dude. But I know he shared the system with his wife and he made no effort to hide his files, so she had to know what was going on. We turned the system over to officers after they confirmed what was on the system was illegal, and never did hear about the tower, the court case, or testifying, from anyone.
I still disinfect a system or two for friends, and if they got cooties I tell them about noscript, safe sites, etc.. It is tedious to clean systems, I don't miss it.
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
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There no "lawsuit" involved. If it's child pornography because the model was underage it doesn't matter who lied or when. The production and all copies are then child pornography, and you don't sue them, the Attorney general shows up with the power and unlimited funding of the government behind them and throws you in jail.
And as another poster mentioned, as soon as the state says the words child pornography to the jury you are going to jail. Mere possession of child pornography is 5 years in federal jail and that's for a SINGLE image, every additional image is an additional count. Creating pornography with an underage model is up to 20 years in federal prison per image. And ignorance of the models age is not a defense. Real porn producers won't TOUCH a model they aren't positive is over the age of 18 for this very reason.
Child pornography isn't a game, if as part of this guys scam he even photographed an underage person in the nude he's going to jail. Hell, they've put kids in jail for taking photographs of themselves because it's producing child pornography. Only very foolish people would take a risk like this.
Are you replying to the right person? Who said anything about underage performers in this thread? I and the post I was replying to specifically were talking about performers that are 18 years or older. Performers under the age of 18 are an entirely different story.
"there's some question if the ladies claimed rape only after the fraud"
Wait, if it's rape by fraud, wouldn't you expect the ladies to complain only after they became aware of the fraud?
I'm curious about this "rape by fraud" thing.
Are you saying that someone who is convinced to have sex by fraudulent means, and who later finds out that there was fraud involved, can claim it was "rape" by reason of the fraudulent circumstances?
How far does this go? If a man tells a women he's rich and she has sex with him, can she claim it was rape by fraud if she finds out he's a blue-collar worker?
On the topic of the OP, if there were legitimate rape charges I would *expect* the charges to be filed notwithstanding the circumstances of the business. I cannot imagine any of the rape charges being legitimate if the women only come forward after realizing that they were defrauded(*).
I always thought rape was "sex without consent". Is that no longer true?
(*) Presumably these women were defrauded of money, and perhaps payment of services or contract violation depending on the situation, but I have a hard time believing rape if the women consented at the time.
If the guy just wanted sex I suppose all is fair. After all the girls that go for this want to be sexually very liberal anyway. The money part, to me, is where the fraud can take place. If the guy had simply set up shop and told the girls that he wants to interview them and snap pics and send them out in hope of getting work and not charged money he could have still had a lot of sex. But taking money while claiming to be connected to studios puts an opening for the law to punish him. After all, sex is normally about deception. That is why lipstick, cosmetics, pop up bras and the like exist. The clear intention is for a girl to look more sexy than she actually is and that is every bit as deceptive as the guy saying he could get girls expensive modeling work.
There's an entire genre of porn dedicated to this. Are we really surprised someone needed to live out the fantasy?
Believe what you want, if you choose to be intentionally ignorant that's your perogative. Here's a decent article written by someone with a clue, a lawyer, citing relevant cases and statues:
http://p2lawyers.com/blog/2016...
If you care to name any state I'll be glad to take 30 seconds to link the relevant state statutes for you and you can read the actual law for yourself.
kindly locate for me a jury who will provide anything less than the maximum available penalties as soon as the words "minor child", "fraud", "sex", and "rape" are uttered together.
A jury is not allowed to decide what the law says, or what the proven facts are, or to choose sentencing.
A jury is only allowed to decide if a person is guilty of the crime(s) the person is charged with.
Any legal document on the girl in question, such as a birth certificate or drivers license, will prove the fact she is 17.
The law clearly states a minor is a person aged 15 or younger.
There can be no charge of having sex with a minor once evidence is shown she is not a minor, so the jury can not decide if he is guilty of a crime he didn't commit.
The prosecution would need to prove that the 17 year old girl is in fact age 15 or younger to ask for a charge of sex with a minor.
Then the accused would need to claim they did not have sex with that girl.
Only then would a jury become an option, and only to decide if he actually did or did not have sex with her.
Even if the jury decides he did have sex with her, the jury is only allowed to say he is guilty (or not guilty if they decide he didn't) to the judge.
It is the judge that will choose maximum penalties or not.
So to answer your request, it would be impossible to find a jury in the state of Washington to do as you want, as such a thing is and always has been forbidden by law.
... Fake Nudes?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The guy who I saw first doing this ("Rick" on Backroom Casting Couch) sure made it look real.
Many of the girls he films seem completely believable as total amateurs, so much so that if these girls are putting on an act, someone in mainstream Hollywood needs to talk to them about acting in real films. I just don't think strippers, hookers or low-end porn pros can pull off some of the facial expressions and awkward pauses that happen in BRCC's videos.
I always assumed there was a gimmick to them, though. My assumption is that the action actually plays out as it appears, but afterward he has them sign a release and probably has to pay some of them something to get it signed even though during the video he tells them that they're not getting paid today.
Some of the episodes seem rigged, as if he had to actually hire a few entry level pros to get episodes made on schedule, but most of the time it has a really remarkable reality to it that seems as if many of these girls really are amateurs falling for his ploy. It's basically too real appearing to be entirely contrived.
People buy pre-release collector's editions on Steam, so probably.
Play Command HQ online
1. Would the suspect be a good example or a bad example, of a social media user who simply wants to make the most of his so-called social skills in a very social-centric online world?
2. If it's a fake porn agency, would this item be considered as fake news, and Slashdot a fake news source for nerds?
3. Would a real porn agency be equally newsworthy?
Man hires 17-25 yo women for pr0n!
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
Wait? There are people other than fetishists?
So all the other women will be logically arrested for prostitution, right?
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."
Only if you're so cute she actually gives you what you're being arrested for trying to procure before arresting you for trying to procure it.
IANAL and apparently neither are you. In fact, in most states, a minor can contract. However, as a defense to the formation of the contract the contract may be voidable, unless it is for "necessaries." This is basic contract formation 101.
Fight Spammers!
Tricking woman into sleeping with a man or a tricking a man into sleeping with a woman is as old as prostitution.
How many men in Los Angeles claim they are close with some actor/producer/studio to bed a wanna be actress? How many men tell women they love them to sleep with them?
How many women pretend to be attracted to a man to have him buy her things?
This is clearly overreach. Carmela Harris and her attack on backpage is the same, despite the 9th circuit telling her so, she brought new charges.
Fight Spammers!
Lol. About five years ago, I learned "when someone tells you they are crazy, stupid, or dishonest BELIEVE THEM!" Captain Dork told me "You can't school me." I believe him.
How many guys out there are thinking right now, "Damn! Why didn't I think of that!"
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
So, if you pay a prostitute with counterfeit money... have you just committed rape?
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
That's why I always film my sex acts with prostitutes, so if I get busted, I can claim I was legally producing adult films!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
So, all other "fake agent" porn is professional, right?
Why didn't he just just set up a real recruiting agency? He could've gotten a lot more (ahem) bang for his buck with only a little more effort.
(Score: -1, Stupid)
paying for porn IS a fetish...
hehehehe,
on a side note, since all politicians lie about what they stand for or will do, before getting elected. should that be considered fraud and thus electoral rape.
Fresh out of Man of the Year awards. I think this guy deserves an invitation to Washington DC on January 20th. If the president elect can, anybody can
I don't know, and that's another issue anyway. Whether minors are arrested for prostitution in that area or not the law in a lot of cases looks down on people who pay minors for sex, or even attempt such a transaction. Consider all those FBI stings with fake minors that the internet is infamous for. Even where prostitution is legal I can't see this going well for a guy who really was fucking minors after offering them a job and/or money (and IMHO that's how it should be, if guilty of that lock him up).
"You are sentence"
I do not want your cheap brainburning drugs. They are useless for work. And I am a working man today.