WASHINGTON — Today, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr urging the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Pornhub and its parent company, MindGeek Holding SARL. The letter referred to evidence that Pornhub has facilitated the distribution of media showing the abuse of sexually trafficked women and children, and it insisted that Pornhub “must not escape scrutiny” given that this evidence likely represents “just the tip of the iceberg of women and children being exploited.”

In response, Terry Schilling, executive director at American Principles Project, released the following statement praising the Senator’s action:

There can be no denying it: the recent explosion of online pornography has enacted a terrible toll on American society. Of course, the disastrous impact of pornography use on public health is well-documented. But even worse has been the porn industry’s horrific exploitation of women and children, both directly and indirectly, for its own financial gain. And all too often, those in power have been content to look the other way rather than confront this growing crisis.

Thankfully, however, there are still some courageous enough to take on this fight. Sen. Ben Sasse has shown true leadership today in calling on DOJ to investigate Pornhub over its alleged complicity in sexual trafficking and abuse. APP strongly commends the Senator for calling attention to this issue, and we urgently implore the Trump administration to take every step in its power to protect vulnerable women and children from this dangerous industry.

To schedule an interview with Terry Schilling or speak to an APP policy expert, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.