Feds take down Rentboy.com

The chief executive of a Manhattan-based online male escort service and six of his employees at Rentboy.com were arrested Tuesday on charges of promoting prostitution.

Prosecutors announced the charges Tuesday against Rentboy.com CEO Jeffrey Hurant and the other defendants.

Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Kellie Currie, said: “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”. But a federal complaint alleges that in reality the site was created to advertise prostitution.

Federal and local authorities seized $1.4 million from the site’s bank account and ordered the site, which had disclaimers saying the listings were for companionship, to shut down, the reports says.

The website was not accessible as of Tuesday afternoon.

RentBoy.com has been in operation since 1996 and has over 10,500 members across the world, according to the company’s website.

They were identified as Jeffrey Hurant, 50, alleged CEO of the website, together with employees Michael Belman, 47, Clint Calero, 48, Edward Estanol, 23, Shane Lukas, 41, Marco Decker, 28 and Diana Mattos, 43.

Users of the site pay a minimum monthly fee of $59.95 to search for a rentboy or masseur on the site by country and city. Subscribers can also include their physical descriptions and provide links to another Web site where their sexual services are rated by prior customers.

Prostitution is illegal in the United States, except for in isolated counties in the state of Nevada.

Along with Hurant, authorities arrested six employees of Rentboy.com or its parent company, Easy Rent Systems Inc, for conspiring to violate the U.S. Travel Act, which is applicable to crimes committed through interstate transit.