SAN DIEGO — An attorney representing nearly two dozen women who sued a San Diego-based porn site told judge Tuesday that the owners and operators of GirlsDoPorn.com distributed videos online without consent, then purposely divulged their personal information over the internet to increase website traffic, but a defense attorney countered that the plaintiffs were well aware their videos could be posted online and sued out of regret.
The plaintiffs -- identified in court documents as Jane Does 1 through 22 -- are seeking more than $22 million in damages from the defendants, which include GirlsDoPorn CEO Michael J. Pratt, actor Andre Garcia and videographer Matthew Wolfe.
Plaintiffs' attorney Ed Chapin said in his opening statement in the non-jury trial that the women typically answered ads for a purported modeling agency, then were flown by the defendants to San Diego. At no time was the name GirlsDoPorn mentioned orally or in writing, Chapin claimed.
While the pornographic nature of the work was sometimes discussed beforehand, some women claim they were not informed until after they arrived in San Diego, where the site's owners filmed scenes at various high-end downtown San Diego hotels.
The women were allegedly assured the videos would only be distributed to private parties living overseas and would not be posted online. Chapin alleged that several "reference women" told the Jane Does that they had been featured in videos that were not posted on the internet. Chapin said those women were paid and instructed by Pratt and others on how to sell the job to the alleged victims.
Defense attorney Aaron Sadock said the women claim they received oral assurances that the videos would only go to private parties -- primarily on a DVD only to be distributed in Australia -- yet signed written contracts stating that they released any distribution rights.
During his opening statement, Sadock showcased filmed testimonials from each plaintiff, in which they read statements relinquishing their distribution rights.
Chapin claims those statements were coerced or obtained by plying the women with alcohol or drugs. He also alleged that the women were handed the contracts in the hotel room just before filming and given no opportunity to properly read the documents, while Sadock countered that some of the plaintiffs had appeared in as many as five GirlsDoPorn videos and thus had ample opportunities to review the contracts.
The lawsuit alleges that if the women tried to back out of taking part in the scenes, they were told they could be sued or forced to reimburse the defendants for the cost of their flights to and from San Diego and hotel rooms booked for filming. Chapin alleged GirlsDoPorn's braintrust also cut off contact with any women requesting their videos be taken down.
After their video was distributed over the internet, the website's owners then allegedly posted the womens' real names and contact information on other websites, opening them up to harassment and abuse from anonymous online users, as well as humiliation when the videos were discovered by family members, friends, classmates or employers, according to Chapin.
Some of the women allege in court documents that the ensuing shame drove them to depression, suicidal thoughts and/or attempts, and, in at least one case, to move out of the country.
The attorney alleged that the names were purposely posted online by the heads of GirlsDoPorn in an effort to drive up website traffic, with one such prominent website taken down -- allegedly by the defendants -- nine days after the lawsuit was filed in 2016.
Sadock alleged that people who personally knew the women were the actual leakers, and that GirlsDoPorn's founders paid exorbitant amounts of money to have the womens' names removed from various websites. As a business practice, Sadock said it made no sense to spread the womens' names, especially when GirlsDoPorn may have wanted them to film new scenes in the future.
The trial, which is expected to last three to four weeks, is being heard by San Diego County Superior Court Judge Kevin A. Enright without a jury at the downtown San Diego courthouse.
Trial begins in suit brought by 22 women against San Diego-based porn website
The plaintiffs -- identified in court documents as Jane Does 1 through 22 -- are seeking more than $22 million in damages from the defendants.