An escort review website with ties to Tarrant County that carries tips on avoiding arrest and has escort ads that leave virtually nothing to the imagination is suing an anonymous blogger, alleging defamation.
The case pits a website that some would consider repugnant -- the Texas attorney general says it engages in "exploitation" -- against an anonymous blogger who has participated in escort-related escapades and tried selling his failed review site for $100, according to a blog posting.The lawsuit, filed in state District Court in Dallas County, says the blogger's assertions give the false impression that the Escort Client Community Information Exchange, owned by KCN Infosys, is a "dishonest and criminal organization."The blogger, who goes by Ty Steel, said the exchange wants to stifle his free speech, though he also said in one blog post that he wants to shame his adversaries.The suit is one of several legal actions involving Internet defamation. This month, Tarrant court actions have resulted in a $6.1 million judgment against one woman, and a judge overturned a jury award of nearly $14 million for Internet defamation.KCN is operated by two Tarrant County men and a woman in Kaufman County, according to state documents. The limited-liability company initially listed a Bedford post office box for its managing members and later, addresses in Colleyville, Keller and Forney.Steel appears to have focused his accusations on those who run the exchange, said KCN's attorney, Kenton Hutcherson of Dallas."This is not some church group" attacking the company's operators, Hutcherson said.The exchange's lawsuit accuses Steel of making false and disparaging statements about the character of the site's business, including its being a "pimp run site." The Star-Telegram found no records of KCN's operators having criminal records related to prostitution.The suit says the statements are false because the exchange is not run by pimps and doesn't lie to, blackmail or abuse members.Hutcherson, whose firm specializes in Internet cases, said some may consider such escort forums "really disgusting." But he said accusing the company of specific criminal conduct is defamation per se, or defamatory on its face, in Texas.However, a human trafficking presentation by an assistant attorney general, most recently given June 13, names the exchange and others the state says are "marketing the exploitation."The attorney general's office did not directly address a question about what led to the inclusion of the exchange in the presentation, which spokeswoman Lauren Bean said is meant to "educate Texas peace officers on any potential avenue for exploitation so they can better detect and prevent this crime."Hutcherson said the site does not tolerate the advertisement or promotion of activities involving minors and takes immediate action to remove such material when notified.Steel's motives are unclear, though according to a post he said he wrote this month, his goal was to shame the website."It's kind of like a chess game, and every move I've made over the past few weeks ... all of it was calculated to get [one owner] out of his comfort zone and make him dig that hole he's in even deeper." Steel said he posted those comments in anger.He said he registered for the KCN site before becoming alienated by it. "To silence me, KCN Infosys ... has now decided to file a frivolous lawsuit against me," he said.Steel said he was involved in what is euphemistically called the "hobbyist" lifestyle of hiring escorts from November 2006 to March 2007."There is no getting around it," he said. "I hired the services of a few escorts during that period."He said in a phone interview that he does not have a criminal record, though verifying that assertion without his real name is impossible.'Rooted in dishonesty'Steel said he no longer owns or operates an escort review site because he doesn't "feel comfortable promoting" such activity. "The hobby is based and rooted in dishonesty and lies, of course. I have since repudiated my decision to have done what I did," he said.Steel and Hutcherson said they have had settlement talks.Hutcherson told Steel that his clients want the comments taken down rather than to get a "big monetary judgment," he said.Hutcherson said a later attempt to settle was derailed by the requirement for Steel to reveal his identity, though a settlement would keep it confidential.Steel said he was "considering the idea of settling with them." But he said his beliefs about how the site operates prevent that.KCN has filed legal actions against websites and bloggers. In federal court, the exchange sought to identify those who had published its reviews, which include graphic written descriptions of escorts' anatomy and performance. KCN dropped its request, according to court documents.In Tarrant County, the company has sued to reveal the identity of others who attack the website. Hutcherson said he has gotten information that will likely identify them.A hearing on the Steel case is set for July 11, Hutcherson said.Darren Barbee, 817-390-7126Twitter: @DarrenBarbeeHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
