Reviews - Result of rentboy raid?

[calrichmond]

I noticed that after the raid on rentboy, the number of reviews seems to have declined. Are people afraid to post reviews because of the police? Has the escort business taken a dive due to the closure of the largest online escort site?

 

I hope the industry recovers. It seems a waste of money to prosecute this case.

[loverboy95]

Yes, it's probably due to the raid.

[big-n-tall]

I think the industry is fine. It isn't called the oldest profession for nothing. But I think people are a bit more on the dl about reviews and contacting individuals via certain means. I'm including using social media... Grindr, Scruff, and what have you, as increasingly used avenues.

[klifhangar]

I know nearly nothing of the raid. Were clients/hirers sought out, questioned or arrested? I got the impression that it was only the owners of the actual website.

[Mike Monkevicz]

From what I understand no they were not well most were not there were a few! Also, nothing is private and if the government wants to find out who you are from a review they most likely could. That being said it would be a waste of money! But I for one don't write many reviews anymore.

[calrichmond]

They didn't prosecute any clients or escorts. The DA only targeted the website employees and owner.

[+ Axiom2001]

I noticed that after the raid on rentboy, the number of reviews seems to have declined. Are people afraid to post reviews because of the police? Has the escort business taken a dive due to the closure of the largest online escort site?

 

I hope the industry recovers. It seems a waste of money to prosecute this case.

 

I've definitely noticed that the reviews are less and less candid and detailed as many of the past. I've submitted reviews here as well as at www.rentmen.com. Nowadays, the website that I cited does NOT have the text of its reviews in full view of the reader of an escort's ads.

This so infuriated me that I wrote to the webmaster who's in Amsterdam about it. He wrote back stating that it was a decision made that

he and a few others thought best. I still go there, but I am NO LONGER writing any reviews for and about the men that I see and/or have

seen!

I, too, "hope the industry recovers." I would also like to see our tax dollars going for something more productive and beneficial to humankind!

Those friggin' busts, regardless of who's involved, are indeed shameless!

[caliguy]

They didn't prosecute any clients or escorts. The DA only targeted the website employees and owner.

I wonder though if any tax evasion charges might get filed down the road. We know that you're buying and selling so where are the receipts?

[pierrot]

I wonder though if any tax evasion charges might get filed down the road. We know that you're buying and selling so where are the receipts?

 

An escort told me that he thought RB had been a mafia run organization and that's why they were targeted. I have no idea. From what I read in the papers, it all seemed very strange though. And why was the raid conducted by the Department of Homeland Security? Really? They are prioritizing this when terrorists are a major international problem? And that in a Democratic administration! There's got to be some reason we don't know as to why they went after these guys. Taxes is a possibility, but then wouldn't it be IRS rather than Homeland Security? All very odd.

Anyway, it does make me think twice about writing a review and scared me off hiring for a little while. Seems like we all need to be a little careful.

[LivingnLA]

@pierrot, DHS was given the enforcement responsibility in the Victims of Trafficking Act that was passed in April last year by Congress and in their overall mandate to "secure cyberspace."

 

http://gaycitynews.nyc/homeland-securitys-rentboy-raid-predictable/

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/homeland-security-raid-rentboy-com-raises-ire/

 

It's entirely possible DHS may go after other websites in their "war on human trafficking." I hope the people running rentmen are taking appropriate precautions. Just as Daddy, CL, Backpage, and others should be too. Though, given the sweeping powers federal agencies have to capture and analyze data to prosecute future cases, it's entirely possible they're already sniffing traffic to and from sites like rentmen and slowly building their case before raiding and prosecuting at some future point.

[DonaldTramp]

Isn't Rentmen "safe" from Federal prosecution if they operate out of Amsterdam?

[LivingnLA]

Isn't Rentmen "safe" from Federal prosecution if they operate out of Amsterdam?

 

We have treaties of cooperation that cover human trafficking. If DHS gets serious about it, I doubt local, national, or EU officials would object. But, who knows?

[+ saminseattle]

A few thoughts:

 

1. This case is far from over. Yes, after arresting and upending the lives of six lower level employees, the feds eventually dropped the charges against them. http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/breaking-criminal-charges-dropped-against-six-rentboy-com-employees.111879/ But they continue to pursue their prosecution of the CEO, who they are threatening with (20?) years of jail time. Presumably, by going after the head of the company, their intent with this strategy is to maximize the symbolic message of their prosecution. Of course, they also need to secure at least one conviction to keep all the money they’ve seized. So far as I know, no trial date has been set yet, but perhaps the people in NY would know the latest. It is clear that donations are still being made to Mr. Hurant’s legal defense fund. http://www.rentboyfund.org.

 

2. This case is important and has far-reaching implications. Many people have suggested that this is an isolated case that is primarily about one website and one person: Mr. Hurant, who, with his “cyberpimp” business cards, is perhaps not the best poster boy around. They have argued that no advertisers were arrested (though of course their personal information was taken “as evidence”), most simply began advertising on RM instead, and things have continued more or less unchanged. One thing this argument ignores is the constant website redesigns, relabeling games, and deletion of review information, interview answers, etc., as people scramble to try to stay on the right side of the law given the uncertainty introduced by this prosecution. Here are just a few of the many threads over the last 9 months documenting and complaining about this phenomenon:

 

*http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/no-more-written-reviews-on-rm.111489/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/rentmen-com-reviews-no-longer-allowing-text.111330/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/relax-and-heal-with-masseurfinder.111319

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/adam4adam-removing-escort-category.107498/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/adam4adam-making-changes-to-pro-section-of-site.107499/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/new-advertising-marketing-strategies-4-escorts.107286/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/help-with-m4rn.107144/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/sensorial.110408/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/reviews.112260/

* http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/reluctant-to-post-review-in-these-rentboy-gone-days.107233/

 

Ironically, it is far from clear that any of these changes and disclaimers really do much of anything to shield the website owners/employees from the risk of jail time. It is quite possible that this case is just a test balloon, and if it succeeds, the feds will find a way to go after other websites next, even if they are based abroad. That is why, if I were RM or M4RN, I would be the biggest donor to the RB legal defense fund. I wouldn’t mind the competition if I could sleep better at night.

 

3. This case is part of a moralistic crackdown by a power-hungry federal government that stems from misguided prejudices and assumptions, nothing more. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people speculate that this case is about tax evasion, the mafia, underage immigrants being trafficked, or DC politicians afraid of being “outed” by hacking unless they acted first, etc. etc. To many, it doesn’t seem possible that this could simply be about disapproval of what consenting adults might do behind closed doors. But if you look at the criminal complaint that was filed, all that was necessary for the government to arrest people, seize their assets, and shut down the webpage, was to allege that 1) people were engaging in sexual conduct for a fee, that 2) Mr. Hurant knew this, that 3) he was profiting from this through advertising on the RB webpage, and that 4) he was using “facilities in interstate commerce” to do so (that is, using the Internet was enough to give the feds jurisdiction). https://tribwpix.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/rentboy-complaint-redacted.pdf

 

4. Even if this case is merely a prelude to further crackdowns, it will not mean the end of “the industry.” While government harassment and intimidation can make things less transparent, less convenient, and less safe for everyone involved, people seeking companionship and people providing companionship will continue to find ways to connect with each other. Indeed, perhaps one of the best forms of protest is to seek each other out more often than before.

[pierrot]

We have treaties of cooperation that cover human trafficking. If DHS gets serious about it, I doubt local, national, or EU officials would object. But, who knows?

 

Human trafficking? At RB or RM? I don't think these guys have been kidnapped. That sounds like a feeble excuse to raid them .

[MscleLovr]

Perhaps my memory is at fault but IIRC this very site urged us to be discreet and respectful in what reviewers discussed and submitted for posting.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I noticed that after the raid on rentboy, the number of reviews seems to have declined. Are people afraid to post reviews because of the police? Has the escort business taken a dive due to the closure of the largest online escort site?

 

I hope the industry recovers. It seems a waste of money to prosecute this case.

 

If you are talking about the number of reviews here in daddy's, I also noticed the drop in the number, but my benchmark is not the rent boy raid, but the last time that Daddy took a break upset at some drama doing on in the forums.

[pierrot]

Perhaps my memory is at fault but IIRC this very site urged us to be discreet and respectful in what reviewers discussed and submitted for posting.

 

I'm not sure what you mean or what IIRC is, but have we really reached a point in police state surveillance that we can't even discuss a case that's in the news? I guess I'm naive but I thought I still lived in a free society where having a conversation about a news event is not a crime.

[+ sync]

There have been several postings in the forums complaining that escort/masseur reviews are not explicit/graphic enough to be useful. I disagree--I believe there are words/phrases that are sufficiently suggestive/indicative to convey the necessary information without endangering licenses or inspiring sting operations.

[+ honcho]

IIRC = "If I Remember Correctly".