As many of you already know, on August 2nd, I was sentenced to 6 months in prison. As I stated at my sentencing, I believe that I ran a company that was a force for good. I meant what I said immediately after my arraignment in this case two years earlier: “We just connect good people with good people.” I stand by that statement, and, to my surprise, the judge agreed.
There is a place for sex work in a healthy society. I know people who do it admirably and compassionately. In this crazy world, if nothing else, we must have the power to decide what we do with our bodies. This includes reproductive rights and the not submitting to anyone’s judgement of how we share ourselves with others.
Rentboy.com allowed untold numbers of people to achieve their dreams by experiencing human contact that otherwise would have been impossible. The loss of this freedom is cheered by some, mourned by many, and we must resist and demand that the government stop criminalizing human sexuality. The pursuit of happiness was supposed to be one of the three underlying principles of our national ethos.
This case has propelled the conversation to a national level, and in great part I need to credit Michael Tremonte and Noam Biale, my legal team at SherTremonte, LLP, for understanding the nuances and making them clear to the judge. You can find a link to our sentencing submission here. And a link to all the letters filed on my behalf here.
The work done by this team is incredible, and it moved the conversation to a public scale. It is unheard of for a Federal Judge to say that the very thing that I must punish you for was also a force for good. Now as I try to prepare to surrender to prison, I need to raise money and help pay for my defense. If you are moved, please contribute. The legal bills are considerably more than we collected before the sentencing. Please help me to close that gap now. After prison, I look forward to fighting to change the arcane laws that broke in the months and years to come.
With gratitude and respect,
Jeffrey Hurant
New York Times | Aug. 2, 2017: Owner of Rentboy.com Is Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison
Daily Mail | Aug. 2, 2017: 'There's no question it did a lot of good': Former CEO of Rentboy.com is sentenced to six months for promoting prostitution despite judge saying the escort service IMPROVED conditions for sex workers
The Nation | January 7, 2016: What the Pathetic Case Against Rentboy.com Says About Sex Work
