Pornhub has been the target of online threats before Montreal fatal shooting

After Monday’s fatal shooting that left an officer, a civilian and an alleged shooter dead and another officer with critical injuries, investigations found that threats were made online to Pornhub and its parent company, Aylo.

Aylo’s headquarters is metres from where the suspected shooter was killed. Several windows in the office were shattered, and Aylo was quickly placed in isolation.

In his 105-page manifesto, the suspect clearly expressed his anger towards the pornography industry. He claims that those who produce porn are worse than “drug dealers” because they both produce and distribute their material.

The manifesto doesn’t just target the porn industry, as it calls for violence against banks, insurance companies, and investment funds as well.

However, pornography emerges as a recurring theme throughout the document. The suspect discusses the difficulties some men have in building romantic relationships and specifically accuses pornographic websites of contributing to this situation.

Dave Poitras is the strategic and scientific director of Ville Sans Violence, an organization seeking to prevent violence and cultivate harmonious and inclusive coexistence.

He read the manifesto and said it included masculinist, misogynistic elements.

“For example, anything that has to do with biological hierarchy regarding society between men and women,” he said.

“Whereas some men have all the valued characteristic traits for women, and a majority of men lack those characteristics, such as being tall, being rich, being smart, which is detained, the incel would say, by a minority of men, whereas the majority of men lack those traits that are for women, according to them, very attractive.”

Aylo owns free pornographic websites (Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube) where it distributes films that it has produced itself with other subsidiaries (Brazzers, Reality Kings, Digital Playground, Men.com, etc.).

Noovo Info confirmed through sources that the company receives numerous online threats.

The company has been in the spotlight due to restrictive laws around the world, and then with the consideration of a bill to regulate minors’ access to its sites, even in Canada.

‘First responders bravely protected us’

The platform has been the target of such messages for years.

Aylo’s management released a brief statement Tuesday, addressing a very real threat to its teams.

“Though our city was struck by tragedy, we want to express gratitude to the first responders who bravely protected us and ensured that none of our employees were physically harmed by yesterday’s events,” the statement read.

The short statement was not signed, a decision explained by the current threats.

On Monday, gunfire broke out in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges, which ended in SPVM officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, and civilian Michel Mizrahi, 68, being killed along with the alleged shooter, Seth Scott Hatfield, 25.

Aylo company executives refused to allow media access to the offices, citing security concerns.

Noovo Info confirmed that the company’s premises will remain closed for the rest of the week.

Pornhub has long been a highly polarizing organization in the public sphere: it symbolizes both the success of a small Montreal company that became a giant and the excesses of an industry that has experienced numerous scandals.

• WATCH: Noovo Info’s investigation into the war on Pornhub

Some of the manifesto’s statements have caused alarm among Aylo’s supporters, who refuse to speak publicly for security reasons.

Investigation ongoing

According to information obtained by CTV News, the late suspect planned his attack at length, and possibly analyzed the area prior to Monday morning.

The threats contained in the manifesto are causing fear within the adult industry. While many know that working in porn remains taboo and controversial, no one could have imagined the possibility that someone would want to physically attack them and wish for their death, several sources indicated on condition of anonymity.

“We are aware of recent media reports about yesterday’s shooting, including reports discussing a possible connection to Aylo and Pornhub. The investigation remains ongoing, and we will not speculate on motive or share unconfirmed information,” Aylo said in his brief statement.

With reporting from Noovo Info