The Latest: Prison for ex-CEO of male escort service website

NEW YORK – The Latest on the sentencing of a former CEO of a popular male escort service website (all times local):

Noon

A former CEO of a popular male escort service website who pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Jeffrey Hurant, who ran the Rentboy.com site, was sentenced Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court.

Some Democratic politicians had asked the judge to go easy on Hurant. They cautioned that a tough sentence could send the wrong message to the gay community.

Prosecutors called the site an online brothel and said they wanted Hurant to serve at least a short prison term.

His lawyers said he deserved no more than probation.

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12:15 a.m.

Some Democratic politicians are asking a federal judge to go easy on a former CEO of a popular male escort service website who pleaded guilty last year to promoting prostitution.

Jeffrey Hurant, who ran the Rentboy.com site, is facing sentencing on Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors have called the site an online brothel and want Hurant to serve at least a short prison term. His lawyers say he deserves no more than probation.

In letters to the court, the politicians and other supporters cautioned that a tough sentence could send the wrong message to the gay community.

Before authorities arrested Hurant and seized the Rentboy site, it had thousands of advertisers paying up to $300 a month and 500,000 visitors a day.