Seventeen people were formally arrested today over allegations of laundering income earned from the adult content platform OnlyFans, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced.
The suspects were detained during coordinated raids across seven provinces on Feb 13.
Authorities claim the suspect earned income by sharing sexually explicit material on OnlyFans, which has been blocked in Turkey since 2023 on grounds of "obscenity."
According to the investigation, the suspects directed followers from other social media platforms to their OnlyFans accounts and invested the revenue in assets such as property, vehicles, cryptocurrencies, gold, and time deposit accounts.
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According to Turkish Penal Code, the production and distribution of "obscene" content through the press and media is prohibited under Article 226. However, the law does not define "obscenity" in clear terms, nor does it specifically regulate online platforms like OnlyFans.
This investigation marks the first time authorities have classified income from adult content as illicit and treated investments made with that income as money laundering.
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Nine suspects abroad
Following police questioning, the 17 detainees were taken to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan after undergoing medical checks. A criminal judgeship of peace later ordered their formal arrest.
Two companies, 10 real estate properties, and 14 vehicles belonging to the suspects were seized. Authorities estimate the total value of the confiscated assets at approximately 300 million liras, or around 6.8 million US dollars. This figure includes the market value of the companies and their capital market assets.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office previously stated that nine additional individuals are also wanted in connection with the case, some of whom are reportedly abroad.
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(VK)
