Emotional Impact Statements from Adult Performers

LOS ANGELES: Derek Hay of LA Direct Models entered a guilty plea in May to a charge of conspiracy to conduct pandering and a charge of perjury. On Wednesday, the sentencing hearing for Hay began in Los Angeles.

Hay and the California attorney general reached a plea deal as part of the criminal case against Hay and two co-defendants. He is currently on probation and could spend up to 270 days in county jail, in addition to two years on probation.

In September 2022, a grand jury indicted Hay and his co-defendants. In March 2023, the ex-agent was charged.

In March 2020, Hay was initially charged with criminal pandering in California due to allegations made in a labor lawsuit known as "Jane Does." Five models, who were once Hay's clients, filed a petition against Hay and his firm with the California Labor Commission. The case is being resolved with him pleading guilty.

Following their initial 2018 civil filings and their 2019 testimony before the Labor Board, the five Jane Doe models are linked to the 2020 criminal accusations and the September 2022 grand jury indictment. Afterwards, Hadley Viscara, Sofi Ryan, Andi Rye, Charlotte Cross, and Shay Evans identified themselves as the performers.

Before Hay and the court, the five performers had the opportunity to read impact statements. Bobbi Dylan, a sixth former client of LA Direct, sent a written statement to be read aloud.

"I was led to believe that I could trust Derek and his agency to manage my career with my best interests in mind. I wanted to be an adult film performer. But through a pipeline, I became a prostitute.”

Rye and other women testified in court that Hay "would pressure his clients into performing sex work." "He would occasionally threaten to blacklist them from the adult entertainment industry if they refused."

Ryan said in court that her life completely changed the day she met Hay.

According to Ryan's and the agent's testimony during a 2019 Labor Board hearing, Ryan dated Hay during a period of their professional association. “Soon, I would be sexually assaulted, manipulated into escorting, and lied to," Ryan said. “I was promised I would be a star with this massive career." In the end, it was all lies because Hay could not control her.

In light of the criminal case's conclusion, Hay said before the judge, “I got myself into this. I got my feet too close to the flame.”

State prosecutor Jeff Segal called Hay “a malignant narcissist who didn’t express remorse or empathy,” 

Criminal defense attorney Mark Nicholson, who was not involved in the case, said, "I don't have all the details of the case. However, sentencing hearings are very difficult and emotional. This case is an example."

According to XBIZ, the court moved the next day of the sentencing hearing to August 2, 2024.