SAN DIEGO
Douglas Wiederhold, a performer in the sprawling GirlsDoPorn sex-trafficking scheme run by Michael Pratt, was sentenced last month to four years in federal prison for his role in exploiting dozens of young women through deception and coercion, officials stated.
Wiederhold, 42, was paid to appear in 71 pornographic videos and is the last of seven defendants sentenced in the multimillion-dollar conspiracy, prosecutors said last month.
U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino said the harm endured by victims would be lasting, telling Wiederhold that “some of the damage will be lifelong,” according to authorites.
Federal prosecutors said Wiederhold worked with Pratt from at least 2011 to 2012, helping recruit women nationwide and assuring them—falsely—that their videos would not be posted online. Instead, the footage was sold through GirlsDoPorn, a subscription website that generated millions. Investigators said Wiederhold knew the videos were publicly distributed and still continued participating.
Victims told the court they trusted Wiederhold because he presented himself as a friend. Several urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence. One woman said she was “branded” by the experience and spent years unable to face her family. Another told the court she was left “scared, humiliated, and overwhelmed.”
Pratt, the site’s owner and operator, filmed and directed the encounters while misleading women about where the videos would appear. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Wiederhold was convicted of conspiracy under federal sex-trafficking statutes. He was ordered to self-surrender March 27, with a restitution hearing set for March 6.
The case was prosecuted in San Diego following a yearslong investigation involving the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and victim advocates.
Other defendants received sentences ranging from two to 20 years, including Matthew Wolfe (14 years), Ruben Andre Garcia (20 years), Theodore Gyi (four years), and Valorie Moser (two years).
Prosecutors credited victims for coming forward, saying their testimony made the convictions possible.