A pornography company owner from Christchurch who is charged with sex trafficking and production of child sexual abuse material in the United States has been named on the FBI’s list of 10 most wanted fugitives.
The FBI is offering US$100,000 (NZ$164,583) for information that leads directly to the arrest of Michael James Pratt.
Pratt is the “only major player” in the Girls Do Porn scandal still at large, FBI San Diego supervisory special agent Renee Green said.
Pratt, in his late 30s, was raised in Christchurch and went to Christchurch Boys’ High School.
He is accused of deceiving more than 20 young women to travel to Southern California to perform in sex videos.
Pratt and his co-conspirators allegedly used internet advertisements, along with fake websites and email addresses, to recruit young women for modelling jobs.
Once the victims responded to the advertisements, Pratt and others disclose that they were actually seeking women for pornographic video shoots, according to charging documents.
Investigators said the women were promised the videos were for a private collector overseas, and that they would remain anonymous.
Pratt and his partners allegedly hired other young women to falsely reassure reluctant participants that their images would never appear online.
Green said the videos were posted online, and Pratt’s pornography websites made millions of dollars from them between 2012 and 2019.
“Pratt has victimised hundreds of young women through the course of this conspiracy,” Green said.
One victim was under the age of 18 during her encounter with Pratt, according to court documents and investigators.
Other victims reported being forced into sexual acts to which they did not consent, as well as being threatened and intimidated by Pratt and his partners when they learned their videos were posted to his websites and wanted them removed.
“He used deceit and lies and vindictiveness to torture the young women he caught in his snare.
“We believe that he will continue to look for the opportunity to victimise more women and more people for his own financial gain.”
Green said they feel there are people out there who have been helping Pratt hide.
“He has probably promised them the world – giving them money, buying them gifts in return for providing him a safe haven.”
Green encouraged anyone who may be aiding Pratt to consider their own best interests – along with the interests of the many victims in this case – and to come forward with information.
The FBI says Pratt is 6ft tall with brown hair and hazel eyes, and speaks with a New Zealand accent. He has ties to New Zealand and Australia, and the financial means to travel the world.
Several of Pratt’s co-conspirators have faced justice for their roles in the scheme.
The websites’ cameraman and its bookkeeper each pleaded guilty to trafficking charges in 2021.
One of the websites’ lead recruiters and producers, Ruben Garcia, of San Diego, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the trafficking conspiracy.
Pratt’s alleged co-owner, Matthew Wolfe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Wolfe is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
Pratt’s stepfather told Stuff in 2020 the family had no idea where he was or how to contact him.
“He stayed with us for a while [in 2019] then he moved on, he was on a bit of a world tiki tour.
“Just like any mum and dad would, of course, we’re concerned. Even when Michael did come to us he didn’t say anything, it was only what we discovered in the papers when it broke that we realised what was going on and by then Mike had left.”
Pratt had “always been his own man”, his stepfather said.
“He left New Zealand initially years ago … we had no idea what his business was. We just know that he was in some form of IT working in the States, that’s all we know.
“He didn’t call us and say, ‘Hey, I’m doing this and I’m doing that and I’m doing the other’. We just didn’t know until all this broke.”
Anyone with information about Pratts’ whereabouts can contact the FBI or the nearest American embassy or consulate. They can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
