Jail Sentence for “Promotion of Prostitution” May Set Compelling Precedent For Backpage Promoters Like Tony Ortega

Few people would ever mistake Tony Ortega for Heidi Fleiss, the so-called Hollywood Madam whose upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles, California ensnared a number of high profile personalities.

While Tony Ortega did work to promote Backpage, at times with the rabid ferocity of a dyspeptic junkyard dog, many of those who became mixed up in the Backpage scheme to sell underage girls and marginalized women for profit were nameless, faceless pimps living in the shadows of society.

All that changed this summer, however, when it was announced that west coast rapper 40 Glocc would be spending the next year in prison after taking a plea deal over allegations he was pimping a woman using Backpage.

According to the TMZ website, 40 Glocc was busted back in 2017, after he drove a prostitute to meet a “John” who had contacted the woman from an ad 40 Glocc had helped her place on Backpage.

It turned out the “John” was an undercover cop, part of a sting operation put in place despite Tony Ortega’s repeated editorial assurances to the nation that Backpage was nothing more than an honest, humble site where — to quote the infamous line Tony used to help promote Backpage back when they were paying him a salary — ‘two consenting adults can find each other.’

Arresting officers, however, noticed the woman was on an active cell call at the time of the bust.

Cops said 40 Glocc took off in a car when he saw the woman being busted, but they caught up with him a short time later in the act of destroying cell phones to hide the evidence.

His plot did not work and he was eventually charged with two counts of intentionally promoting the prostitution of an individual and another count of inducing an individual into prostitution.

On June 30th 40 Glocc took a plea deal. Though he did not admit guilt, he pleaded out to avoid a harsh sentence since the evidence against him was as damning as it was overwhelming.

Though the rap star was sent to prison immediately to spend one year behind bars (with another decade of probation, following his release) we here at the blog find ourselves faced with an unresolved question…

If a high profile individual like this can be charged with multiple counts of ‘intentionally promoting prostitution’, refuse to admit his guilt, and yet still be brought to justice(!) is there hope that a certain other ‘prostitution promoter’ who was once on the Backpage payroll might face a similar fate?

If we were you, Tony Ortega, we wouldn’t be destroying any cell phones any time soon.

Until then will be right here to keep you posted on the latest developments.