In December 2020, 40 women identified as Jane Does sued Pornhub and its then-owner, MindGeek, alleging the companies knowingly hosted and promoted videos connected to GirlsDoPorn’s sex-trafficking operation. The case was reportedly resolved in October 2021, but the terms were confidential. The claims against Pornhub and MindGeek were allegations in a civil complaint, not findings of liability.
Why did the 40 women sue Pornhub?
The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of California on December 15, 2020. They alleged that MindGeek knew GirlsDoPorn used fraud, coercion and intimidation to recruit and exploit women, yet continued to host or promote videos from the operation on Pornhub. They also alleged the companies benefited financially from the videos. These were the plaintiffs’ claims, as described in contemporaneous Ars Technica reporting; the filing itself did not establish that the defendants knew of or participated in trafficking.
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The suit concerned alleged corporate conduct by Pornhub and MindGeek. That is a separate question from whether people running GirlsDoPorn committed crimes, and a criminal case against an operator does not by itself establish a platform’s civil liability.
What happened to the 2020 lawsuit?
The plaintiffs’ counsel, Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, says the parties reached a mutual resolution in October 2021. The firm does not disclose the terms. The public information cited here therefore does not establish whether the resolution involved a payment, other conditions, or an admission of wrongdoing. It should not be described as a court finding that Pornhub or MindGeek was liable.
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How the separate 2023 case differs
A later lawsuit is sometimes confused with the 40-plaintiff case. Jane Doe Nos. 60 through 121 filed a separate action on October 3, 2023, against Aylo entities. Aylo is the defendant name used in that later case; it is not the 2020 case’s procedural outcome.
| Case | Plaintiffs and defendants | Reported procedural outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 case | 40 Jane Does sued Pornhub and MindGeek. | Plaintiffs’ counsel reports a mutual resolution in October 2021; terms are confidential. |
| 2023 case | Jane Doe Nos. 60 through 121 sued Aylo entities. | On September 28, 2026, the district court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. |
The 2026 order concerns only the later action. It recounts allegations in that case; those descriptions are not findings that the allegations were true. The order is available through Justia’s reproduction of the district court order.
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What happened in the criminal case against GirlsDoPorn’s owner?
The U.S. Department of Justice reports that Michael Pratt pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, and to sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. On September 8, 2025, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. DOJ says the operation used misleading recruitment promises and that videos were promoted on free platforms, including Pornhub.
Those criminal proceedings concerned Pratt and the GirlsDoPorn operation. They do not amount to a judgment against Pornhub or MindGeek in the 2020 civil suit. DOJ’s release also quoted victims describing the lasting harm: one said, “Pratt has caused me to fear my own name”; another said, “The life I was meant to have, died in that hotel room.” The release does not identify those speakers by name. The DOJ announcement provides details of the plea and sentence.
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Key dates
- December 15, 2020: 40 Jane Does filed suit against Pornhub and MindGeek.
- October 2021: Plaintiffs’ counsel says the 40-plaintiff case was mutually resolved; terms were confidential.
- October 3, 2023: Jane Doe Nos. 60 through 121 filed a different suit against Aylo entities.
- June 5, 2025: Michael Pratt pleaded guilty to sex-trafficking offenses.
- September 8, 2025: DOJ announced Pratt’s 27-year prison sentence.
- September 28, 2026: The court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss in the separate 2023 case.
