Warning: This story contains detail that may upset some people.
Christchurch man Matthew Isaac Wolfe has been sentenced to 14 years in a US prison for coercing young women into starring in porn videos.
Wolfe was sentenced on Tuesday (local time) in a San Diego federal court, charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.
He moved from New Zealand in 2011 to work with Michael James Pratt, owner of the website GirlsDoPorn, where they recruited victims from across the US and Canada and tricked them with online advertisements looking for clothed modelling jobs.
After victims learned the gig was an adult video shoot, Wolfe admitted to persuading them to appear in the videos by telling them they would never be posted online, they would never be released in the US, and no one who knew the women would ever find out about the videos.
He knew this was false and even told his co-defendant, cameraman Theodore Gyi, to lie to the women too.
Wolfe also admitted he was aware some victims' personal information was being leaked, causing harassment to them, but he and others continued to assure prospective models no one would ever find out about their video shoot or learn their identity.
Some were even allegedly forced to perform certain sex acts, which they had earlier declined to do.
The videos ended up on popular sites, including Pornhub, funnelling viewers to full-length versions on Pratt's website. Pratt charged visitors to GirlsDoPorn a subscription fee and generated more than US$17 million (NZ$28.1 million) in revenue.
"Matthew Wolfe's willingness to use deception, coercion and intimidation to exploit young women paints a sordid picture of the lengths some people will go just to make money," FBI San Diego special agent in charge Stacey Moy said.
"Wolfe's sentencing today, and any past or future sentencings related to this case, are small slivers of justice for the victims, but ultimately don't fully heal the deep pain spawned by Mr Wolfe and the other defendants."
Wolfe pleaded guilty to the conspiracy on July 26, 2022. He worked at GirlsDoPorn from 2011 until his arrest in October 2019.
He was involved in the filming of about 100 videos, uploaded finished videos onto the internet, oversaw the company's financial books and operated various business entities that were used to promote the business.
During hearings on Wednesday and in January, about 30 victims called on the judge to impose a tough sentence, saying the actions of Wolfe and his co-defendants destroyed their lives.
Many of them were university students at the time - some had dropped out or went into hiding after the videos emerged.
Others spoke about anxiety and depression, substance abuse and even suicidal thoughts or attempts. Some also lost relationships with friends and family as a result.
"I was robbed of my privacy, my dignity, and my peace of mind… But worst of all, I was robbed of my identity," one woman said. "I was once viewed as a beautiful, fun-loving and strong woman who was known for her athleticism and ability to make just about anyone laugh. I was a caring friend and a daughter my parents were proud of.
"Mr Wolfe shattered who I was… Today I'm taking my identity back.
"I am not a victim. I'm a survivor."
Another woman, whose video was viewed more than 300 million times on Pornhub, said it "wrecked my entire life".
"The fall-out from the videos spread to every part of my life like cancer and that cancer remains to this day, making it virtually impossible for me to start a new life. I lost my modelling career, my college years, my whole 20s, my name, my career path, my friends, and my family.
"Everything I had built was gone and so too was my future.
"Matthew Wolfe stole my life and it wasn't just my life. He stole hundreds of lives.
"What kind of price do you put on a life? Mr Wolfe deserves a jail sentence that accounts for each and every life he has stolen."
Pratt - who was named on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list - made his first court appearance on Wednesday after being extradited from Spain. It comes after more than three years as an international fugitive.
Meanwhile, others involved are also facing penalties.
Ruben Andre Garcia, a recruiter and male model, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on June 14, 2021; Theodore Gyi was sentenced to four years in prison on November 9, 2022; and Valorie Moser, the office manager, is set for sentencing in August.
