World’s largest online male escort service raided, CEO arrested

American federal agents have raided the New York City headquarters of Rentboy.com, said to be the world’s largest male escort website.

CEO Jeffrey Hurant and six employees were arrested on Tuesday morning and charged with violating the Travel Act by promoting prostitution across state lines and international borders.

According to officials, Rentboy.com is a male escort advertising site founded in 1997 which hosts thousands of paid advertisements.

They claim that while the site has disclaimers stating that the advertisements are for companionship and not sexual services, “Rentboy.com is designed primarily for advertising illegal prostitution.”

The website charges subscribers a minimum monthly fee of $59.95 and up to several hundred dollars to advertise sexual services, said the US Attorney’s office for eastern New York.

Once the fee is paid, subscribers can select from a number of categories, the sexual services they are willing to perform and the price charged. Subscribers can also include their physical descriptions and provide links to another website where their sexual services are rated by prior customers.

The site hosts more than 10,500 escort profiles in more than 2,000 cities, including Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Prosecutors say that between 2010 and 2015, Rentboy.com had over $10 million in gross proceeds.

“As alleged, Rentboy.com attempted to present a veneer of legality, when in fact this internet brothel made millions of dollars from the promotion of illegal prostitution,” said Acting United States Attorney Currie.

Hurant has denied that his site promotes prostitution.

Speaking outside court after being released on $350,000 bail, he said: “I think we do good things for good people, and bring good people together.”

According to CBS New York, he faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

Hurant said in a 2008 interview that he created the site because “escorts were a disenfranchised group.”