OnlyFans models talk about new searches despite paying taxes and bribes: who is against decriminalizing the porn industry?
14 January 20:09
New inspections instead of support. Models of the OnlyFans platform told
How much bribes models have paid to law enforcement officers for not opening criminal cases and how much tax the state loses due to the shadowing of the porn industry – details and shocking confessions of models – in the article
It is known that on December 23, 2024, the Law Enforcement Committee of the Verkhovna Rada supported a document on the decriminalization of pornography, but it has not yet been put on the agenda of the session hall. Yaroslav Zheleznyak, MP and one of the initiators of Bill No. 12191, said at Kommersant Ukrainian’s request that he knew what was known about the status of the draft law:
“The committee has passed – we are waiting for a vote in the parliament.”
It is worth noting that the draft law is aimed at protecting citizens from excessively harsh penalties for storing and creating intimate content. After all, today anyone can be punished even for storing personal nude photos on their phone.
“In short, we are simply changing Article 301 of the Criminal Code so that adults do not go to prison for 3-5 years for filming or distributing intimate videos. This is the ‘decriminalization of porn’. We propose to abolish the penalty for storing such content and to stop massive “secret procurement” in the webcam industry,” Zheleznyak said.
MP from the Servant of the People party and member of the Committee on Law Enforcement Maksym Buzhansky, at the request of
“Indeed, the draft law is recommended by the law enforcement committee for adoption as a basis, and is awaiting inclusion in the agenda and voting in the first reading. But unfortunately, it has not been included yet.” – Maksym Buzhansky
When asked why the draft law has not yet been included in the agenda, the MP said:
“I think there is a lack of solidarity and approval from the media and the public.” – Maksym Buzhansky
It is currently unknown from whom we should expect final approval. However, the testimonies of models who have been working in different areas of the porn industry for many years open our eyes to many unknowns.
Citizen A: schemes, blackmail and a “roof” from the SBU
In an exclusive interview with
According to her, she has many years of experience in business. In 2020, citizen A started working on the OnlyFans platform, which provided her with a stable income. However, during her previous activities related to a webcam studio, she and her colleagues were subjected to pressure from law enforcement. She recalls the experience in 2020.
“One day, the SBU and the OCD came to our studio. We, three girls and two boys, were accused of creating an organized criminal group. They intimidated us, promised us ‘problems’ if we didn’t sign their documents. They said that if we showed off, they would tell us what we were doing and use us. And to make us believe in their intentions, they groped us through our clothes. It was unpleasant,” recalls citizen A.
According to her, the case was fabricated: the evidence had inconsistent dates, and one of her colleagues was put in a pre-trial detention center, while the others were given suspended sentences. Subsequently, the appellate court managed to get the case sent for additional investigation, but it required significant financial costs.
“After our studio was closed, about a month later I received a call from an SBU officer. I know his last name, but I’m not sure if I should say it. He offered me to open a new studio with up to five girls working there, promising to provide ‘reliable protection’. At first, this proposal seemed absurd and risky, but we thought about it. In the end, we refused.” – Citizen A
Even then, it was known that this SBU officer was involved in the protection of other studios in our region. In particular, there was a similar studio in a neighboring town, and no one came to inspect it because it worked under his protection. The model clarified that although she was given a three-year suspended sentence, they were unable to prove any of the charges during the trial.
They came to her parents’ house with searches
In recent months, the situation has become more complicated due to the actions of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES). After Citizen A’s friend was accused of violating tax laws, BES officers searched her parents’ home, even though she herself lives at a different address.
“My parents are elderly, and they became ill because of the intimidation. It is not clear why they came to them and not to me. My address and phone number can be easily found,” says Citizen A.
Citizen A emphasizes that she paid all her taxes on time, but believes that this was just a pretext for pressure.
“I paid huge taxes – about 22 million hryvnias in two weeks. We were even praised for our speed, but after a while they came to us again. They clearly knew that everything had already been paid, but decided that they could find something else,” said citizen A.
After these searches, which we made public, no one pays taxes anymore. The models are afraid that if they show that they have money, it will be a signal to law enforcement.
“Instead of supporting the budget, they (models – ed.) are just waiting for decriminalization,” explained citizen A.
The girl summarized that models want to work transparently, but such actions of law enforcement and tax authorities discourage any desire to cooperate. Moreover, they stimulate the shadowing of business.
Citizen U: I had to pay a bribe
In an exclusive anonymous interview, citizen “U” shared frank details about corruption in Ukraine’s law enforcement system. Her story, in particular, concerns the extortion of bribes during searches under Article 301 of the Criminal Code. To avoid criminal prosecution, she had to pay.
“In 2020, I had searches under 301. And I gave a bribe of 20 thousand dollars. There were a lot of people in masks with machine guns. Everything was as it should be,” citizen “U”
However, the corruption scheme did not end after the first bribe was paid. Citizen “U” describes the so-called “meter”. That is, either you pay someone $500 to $1,000 a month for five years, or you are forced to leave the country. The woman also emphasizes that law enforcement officers have databases that include personal information: names, addresses, phone numbers, and income. This makes it easy to find victims for further blackmail. In addition to financial extortion, some women have been subjected to sexual blackmail.
“To avoid opening a criminal case, they were offered to pay with sex. It’s a system that works, and everyone knows it.” – Citizen U
According to citizen U, one of the key solutions to overcome corruption could be the decriminalization of activities for which women are prosecuted.
“If all this money went to the budget, for example, for the army, and not into the pockets of corrupt officials, it would be much fairer,” summarized citizen U
Citizen K: searches despite paying taxes
Another model of the OnlyFans platform, Citizen K, shared details of events related to her activities and searches conducted by the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) at her parental home.
“In October 2023, I received a notification about the need to pay taxes for 2020-2022. After consulting with lawyers, I found out what I had to pay and paid UAH 18 million without delay. It was my duty, and I fulfilled it, but two months later, my house was searched,” said citizen K.
According to the model, in December, BES officers first tried to stop her car, and then searched her house in the absence of the owners.
“We were driving along the Zhytomyr highway when the police stopped us. It seemed like a standard document check, but a man ran up to us and started breaking down the car door. We ran away, but meanwhile they were already searching my house without my consent,” recalls Citizen K.
Citizen K notes that the case against her was opened retroactively, and the decision contained false information.
“I was accused of tax evasion in the amount of USD 1.8 million. However, this amount has nothing to do with me, and all my taxes have already been paid. It seems that the BES employees just decided to “shake me up” before the holidays,” said citizen K.
Decriminalization or emigration? Citizen K also emphasized the problems of legislative regulation for workers in her field of activity.
“If the state does not want to lose budget revenues, it needs to decriminalize the activity. Today, all girls are afraid of Article 301 of the Criminal Code and are ready to leave the country. In Poland or the Czech Republic, they work legally and pay taxes. In Ukraine, however, we face blackmail and absurd accusations,” citizen K.
The woman also appealed to the authorities, in particular to Danylo Hetmantsev, with an official statement about the violation of her rights. Citizen K stated that she had fulfilled her obligations to the state, paid her taxes and wanted to work honestly.
She is a lawyer: The problem is not only in the law, but also in the system
Lawyer Lesia Mykhalenko, who actively keeps in touch with the models of the OnlyFans platform, in an exclusive commentary for
According to Lesya Mikhalenko, although the law enforcement committee of the Verkhovna Rada supported the bill, it has not yet been submitted for consideration in the session hall.
“At first I thought that the problem was with the law enforcement committee, but Max Buzhansky said that everything was fine, and the committee did support it. Interestingly, among the supporters of decriminalization, there are MPs with different ideological views, such as Zheleznyak and Hetmantsev. For one of them it is a way to stop the police mess, for the other – potential taxes,” noted Lesya Mykhalenko.
Mykhalenko emphasized that in Ukraine, many women who create content for platforms face pressure and discrimination.
“Girls did not finish their studies because they were expelled from universities because of their activities. And many were forced to keep silent or pay bribes to avoid criminal liability,” Lesia Mykhalenko
According to her, corruption has become a common part of the system:
“From 3 to 20 thousand dollars is the price of closing a case. And then there is monthly blackmail, where you have to pay from 500 to 1000 dollars to avoid new problems,” states Lesya Mykhalenko
In addition to discrimination, the lawyer noted that the persecution of models creates an excessive burden on the judicial and law enforcement systems. Huge resources are spent on cases without victims, but with a great potential for putting pressure on people. Lesia Mykhalenko drew attention to the double standards in the state policy on pornography.
“On the one hand, the state receives taxes from platforms such as OnlyFans. On the other hand, it persecutes those who create this content. If this money is already going to the budget, why not legalize the activity and stop the persecution?” – Lesia Mykhalenko
The lawyer summarized that decriminalization of pornography could not only reduce corruption but also bring significant tax revenues to the state.
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