Sex Trafficking Ring Busted: CityXGuide.com Owner Pleads Guilty
Fort Worth, TX – CityXGuide.com, a commercial sex website shut down by the federal government in June 2020, was used to traffic hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide, according to court documents.
Wilhan Martono, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of promotion of prostitution and reckless disregard of sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises – facilitating prostitution under the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), a 2018 law that allows the federal government to prosecute websites that facilitate sex trafficking.
Martono, the owner of CityXGuide and several related websites, admitted to turning a blind eye to the sex trafficking occurring on his sites. Despite receiving numerous emails from law enforcement, he continued to operate the sites, netting more than $21 million in the process.
Prosecutors estimate that CityXGuide was used to traffic numerous victims, including a 13-year-old Jane Doe from North Texas in November 2019 and a 16-year-old Jane Doe from North Texas in March 2020.
The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the United States Secret Service, and the Colleyville Police Department, with assistance from HSI’s El Paso and San Jose Field Offices as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah is seeking individuals who were trafficked on CityXGuide to come forward and submit their information. Potential victims include minors who were advertised on CityXGuide.com or related websites, as well as adults subjected to force, threats of force, fraud, and/or coercion.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is offering restitution to victims who were trafficked on CityXGuide. Those who were affected can visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/united-states-v-wilhan-martono-cityxguide to submit their information and request court-ordered victim compensation.
Under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CRVA), victims are entitled to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of public court proceedings, the right to be treated with fairness and respect for their dignity and privacy, and the right to be reasonably heard at any public sentencing proceeding.
Related Federal Cases
- Wyndham Corporation, Sex Trafficking, USA, 2023 · Alabama
- Naomi Ruth Smith, Child Sex Trafficking, M.D. Florida, 2023 · Texas
- Marcus Deshawn Wright Sentenced to Life Terms for Sex Trafficking o… · Louisiana
- David Allen Vickers, Sex Trafficking of Minors, Buffalo NY, 2023 · Texas
- US Justice Department, Drug and Arms Trafficking, Washington D.C., … · New York
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Sex Crimes|Human Trafficking|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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