Tag Archives: Targeting

Florida Judge Rules Men Busted In Porn Bookstore Raid Were Wrongfully Arrested

Florida Judge Rules Men Busted In Porn Bookstore Raid Were Wrongfully Arrested

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A judge in Broward County, Florida has ruled that the Hollywood Police Department ruined the lives of ten gay men for no reason at all when they raided the Pleasure Emporium in July of 2018 and release the names and photos of the men to news media outlets. The judge ruled that the men were, in fact, in a “private space,” and the men should not have been charged for exposing their genitals “in public.”

Broward County Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren found that the Pleasure Emporium is not a public space under [Florida Statute] 800.03,” Lerner-Wren wrote. “The patrons who access the private viewing theaters where consensual activity occurs in the presence of other consenting adults objectively and subjectively possess a reasonable expectation of privacy.”

In August, Hollywood PD adamantly defended its decision to raid a gay-cruising destination. HPD spokesperson Miranda Grossman — who, is a former reporter for the progressive news outlet Fusion — stated that the Pleasure Emporium was “not private, but open to the public.”

She then added, “As a reporter, I am sure you can understand releasing information related to criminal activity is in the public’s best interest.”

It turns out the men were not actually committing a crime, according to Lerner-Wren. Via email, Grossman said HPD still believes it was in the right.

After the arrest, many media outlets published mug shots of the men. WPLG went so far as to provide a bulleted list of every man’s name and hometown.

One man who was arrested according to his lawyer was suicidal after the arrest and had fled Cuba because he thought America would be more accepting of of gay men. Instead he was outed and fired from his job due to the actions of Miranda Grossman  and the Hollywood Police Department.

Rhonda Gelfman, an attorney lawyer for many of the accused men, says she plans to help the few who pleaded guilty to the charges before the judge ruled the raid was wrong. 

“I’m happy with the judge’s well-reasoned opinion and that justice was served,” she said through a spokesperson. “I plan to now spend time assisting the others who had pleaded guilty to this case when they should not have.”

Hopefully that will include lawsuits against the media outlets who published the men’s names and photos, the Hollywood Police department and Miranda Grossman. 

Via: Broward New Times

The New York Times Slams Rentboy.com Raid

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Rentboy domain seized

While hundreds of other “straight” escort sites remain open for business the editorial board of the “Old Gray Lady” aka the  New York Times is “baffled” by Homeland Security’s raid on Rentboy.com.

NYT’s editorial :

The criminal complaint is so saturated with sexually explicit details, it’s hard not to interpret it as an indictment of gay men as being sexually promiscuous. “Based on my investigation,” Susan Ruiz, a Homeland Security special agent, wrote in the complaint, “I have learned that a sling, also known as a ‘sex sling,’ is a device that allows two people to have sex while one is suspended.” Later, she helpfully explained that “the term ‘twink’ is a slang term for a young, gay man with an effeminate manner, thin build, and no body or facial hair.”

Prosecutors can credibly argue that the site’s operators were breaking the law. But they have provided no reasonable justification for devoting significant resources, particularly from an agency charged with protecting America from terrorists, to shut down a company that provided sex workers with a safer alternative to street walking or relying on pimps. The defendants have not been accused of exploiting sex workers, featuring minors on the website, financial crimes or other serious offenses that would warrant a federal prosecution.

Gay men in the United States turn to sex work for a variety of reasons. In New York, where homeless shelters for gay and transgender youths have lengthy waiting lists, sex work can mean the difference between sleeping on a bed and sleeping on the street. For others, it is a way to afford a degree. The Rentboy.com bust may spook clients and sex workers for a while, but it would be naïve to think it will do much more. Federal authorities should consider whether continuing to spend time and money turning the website’s operators into felons is worthwhile, while far more serious crimes, including human trafficking and sexual exploitation, go unpunished.

Rentboy.com must have forgotten to make this month’s extortion payment to someone.

Just like the old days.