Bosses of top male escort site arrested in Manhattan
The CEO and six employees of a website which provides escorting services have been arrested.
Jeffrey Hurant, the CEO of RentBoy.com, and six employees were arrested during a sting operation.
CBS News reports that the 50-year-old and his colleagues were arrested in the sting organised by Homeland Security and supported by NYPD.
The raid took place at the RentBoy.com headquarters on West 14th Street.
As well as the arrests, bank accounts containing millions of dollars were frozen, and boxes of files, and computers, were seized.
RentBoy.com boasts over ten thousand members in 2,100 cities across the world.
The site describes itself as “the original and world’s largest male escort site,” and “the world’s destination to meet the perfect male escort or masseur,” but authorities have accused Hurant and employees of operating a prostitution ring.
Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Kellie Currie, said: “As alleged, 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.”
Glenn Sorge, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, said in a statement: “The facilitation and promotion of prostitution offenses across state lines and international borders is a federal crime made even more egregious when it’s blatantly advertised by a global criminal enterprise.”
The seven arrested are charged with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution.
