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On Thursday, Girls Do Porn cameraman Theodore "Teddy" Gyi pled guilty to counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.According to the FBI's announcement of his plea agreement, Gyi admitted that Michael Pratt and Matthew Wolfe—who ran Girls Do Porn and Girls Do Toys—instructed him that if any of the models asked about how the videos would be used, he should tell them they wouldn't be posted online. This was to uphold the lie that Pratt and Wolfe used to coerce many of them into having sex on camera in the first place: they were told that the footage would only be available on DVDs in brick-and-mortar porn stores in Australia and New Zealand, and wouldn't reach their own communities. Pratt and Wolfe posted the videos all over the internet, including to tube sites like Pornhub and their own production company websites, sometimes within days of shooting. For many models, this resulted in severe harassment and doxing, often within their own home communities, that upended their lives. Gyi said he realized throughout working for Pratt and Wolfe that this was a lie, but continued to tell it anyway. "To help convince them that the sex videos would not be posted on the internet, Gyi told some that he believed on-line pornography was 'cheap,'" according to the announcement. "Gyi also admitted that he was aware that Pratt, Wolfe, co-defendant Ruben Andre Garcia, and others were falsely assuring the women that if they agreed to appear in a video, the video would not be posted on the internet."Gyi said he filmed approximately 120 videos for Girls Do Porn and Girls Do Toys, from 2015 to 2017. He also admitted to knowingly lying to the women during the civil trial last year. “Today’s plea underscores the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursuing anyone who seeks to profit from the exploitation of young women," FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner said in the press release. "Theodore Gyi’s actions, in support of the Girls Do Porn conspiracy, caused significant emotional pain and distress to the victims they targeted. This conviction is another step forward in the pursuit of justice for sex trafficking victims and the FBI’s role in holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”In December, the male performer in Girls Do Porn, Ruben Andre Garcia, pled guilty to federal counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Michael Pratt, the owner of Girls Do Porn, is still on the run as one of the FBI's Most Wanted fugitives. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to his arrest. Gyi will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino on April 9.
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