When last we left the saga of government overreach that is the Rentboy.com crackdown, things weren’t looking good.
Back in August of last year, Hurant and six of his employees were arrested during a sting operation in Manhattan conducted by Homeland Security with help from the NYPD.
The site’s former CEO, Jeffrey Hurant, 51, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn on a charge of promoting prostitution, as well as two other money laundering charges.
Related: Rentboy.com CEO Jeffrey Hurant Indicted On Prostitution Charge
How about we take this to the next level?
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The indictment did not include the six arrested employees, and the criminal complaint against them remained pending.
Today it’s being reported that the charges against them have been dropped. It’s a welcomed bit of good news in a case that has been heavily weighed down by questionable motives and tactics at the government level.
Let’s hope more good news follows as Hurant is now engaged in plea negotiations with the feds.
“The government’s charges against Mr. Hurant are unwarranted. He ran his business openly for nearly 20 years, and it makes no sense to single him out for criminal prosecution,” Hurant’s lawyer, Michael Tremonte said.
Related: Rentboy CEO Breaks Silence, Begs For Help On Facebook
Even the New York Times noted in an op-ed that the site, founded in 1996, “provided sex workers with a safer alternative to street walking or relying on pimps,” adding, “Federal authorities should consider whether continuing to spend time and money turning the website’s operators into felons is worthwhile, while far more serious crimes, including human trafficking and sexual exploitation, go unpunished.”
anxman
To quote the late, great George Carlin (paraphrasing): Why is it illegal to sell something it’s legal to giveaway???
Billy Budd
Prostitution should be LEGAL. That is all I have to say about this.
Glücklich
Totally off topic but I see a waste of money right in the photo.
Nix the custom boxes and slap a sticker on a regular banker’s box. Anyone can use the Avery label templates in Word.
Aromaeus
Thanks Obama!
jimontp
Why in the world is there ANY justification for the Department of Homeland SECURITY would have spent millions of dollars and countless hours to raid this gay “escort ” site? Why? Really? If they spent the same amount of money and resources they might have prevented the San Bernidito mass shooting. This is a massive misuse of government resources and money.
SnakeyJ
@Glücklich: It’s actually cheaper to have the boxes made and stamped by an outside vendor. Plus labels can be ripped off. The waste of money is raiding this business in the first place. Why is homeland security involved in a prostitution raid? It seems like there is something bigger underneath.
Anthony Howard
Let’s face it, he is a modern day Heidi Fleiss pimp regardless of how you feel about it
Stache
@SnakeyJ: In the complaint they have them doing business with some international sex slavers and the money laundering charge. I guess that makes it a security issue. That’s my guess.
Of coarse it’s all bogus when you dig a little deeper. Selling ad space hardly equals a business partnership and the laundering charge is very loosely applied.
Stache
@Anthony Howard: Heidi was a traditional pimp. RB only sold ad space. Nowhere near the same. Of coarse having the hookie awards and being so open about it sure didn’t help.
o.codone
How long before Marco Rubio’s Rentboy account surfaces? Or that horrible fag Chuck Schumer? Oh, that’s right Rubio’s will, Schumers won’t. Or if it does, remember, a blowjob isn’t sex. Unless Rubio’s doing it.
dean089
Just another example of our tax dollars being wasted on nonsense.
Kangol
@o.codone: Girl, what are you going on about? Charles Schumer supports pro-gay policies, Marco La Rubia does not.
Schumer can slurp on whatever kind of pickle he wants, he’s not oppressing me or you or anyone else. He hasn’t even taken away (your) guns.
La Rubia advocates judges who’d overturn same-sex marriage, he voted against repealing DOMA, he supports conversion therapy, he opposes gay people adopting children, etc. He has been called the most anti-gay Republican running in the primaries, and with Ted Cruz in the mix, that’s saying something.
If you can’t tell the difference between a pro-gay politician and an anti-gay one, and why people think the latter should be outed, you might want to put down that codone.
throwslikeagirl
@Billy Budd: I absolutely agree with you.
Bryguyf69
@o.codone: Chuck Schumer? What evidence — whether direct or implied — that Schumer is a “fag”? I live in NY and no such rumors exist locally.
Bryguyf69
@o.codone: Chuck Schumer? What evidence is there — whether direct or implied — that Schumer is a “fag”? I live in NY and no such rumors exist locally.
Furthermore, how exactly has Schumer been “horrible” to the LGBT community?
Care to provide evidence to either of your claims?
martinbakman
I like to dream that DHS took Rentboy’s server and recorded names of all the qweens in the GOP that like to svck coq.
Let’s end that stalemate in Congress now!
Samuel Joiner
If they’d just admit it was about the Tax evasion and not about prostitution they’d have a much better leg to stand on
Antony Nguyen
Hey if you dont have the evidence you cant charge people because you dont like or have placed judgement on them this is the usa
winemaker
When, oh wen are the idiots in government going to get it! This is a total waste of taxpayer money, but hey, the liberals don’t give a rats ass, it’s the taxpayers money wasted. If adults over eighteen want to earn their living this way, why not. Let’s once and for all legalize prostitution nationwide, tax them as businesses etc. The unreported revenue would astound you!
gaym50ish
@Anthony Howard: Actually, what rentboy.com was doing was way different from pimping, because they were not making money from any sex acts. They made their money ONLY from fees they charged the rentboys for advertising on the website.
What they did online was no different from what many publications, both gay and straight, have done over the years in print. Even the Advocate, which now projects an image of respectability, used to advertise for “masseurs” and “models” in its classified pages. Were they ever indicted for “promoting prostitution”? I don’t think so.
Where the rentboy.com folks made their mistake was in allowing the boys to be too specific in their ads, describing what they were willing to do in bed, etc. If they had allowed them to describe their physical assets but not whether they would take it in the bum, I don’t think a case could be made against them. Those details should have been handled by the boys when a john called them, not in the ads.
I think there are already other websites doing the same thing, and more of them will pop up.
QJ201
The feds are after Rentboy’s database or email list… of CLIENTS
Louie Mars
Bring back rent boy!
Stached1
@Anthony Howard: True, now he’s a rat as well.
startenout
@Antony Nguyen: That’s an adorable thing to think. Not true, but very idealistic.
hwc2016
What he should have done was like Rentmasseur & Rentmen, run the companies out of the country and 2nd put an end to all those hustler balls, he was having. That’s like a drug dealer having an annual event for best drug dealer, made no sense at all, especially when the mess he was doing was illegal.