Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Kyle White, operator of the online pornography marketplace known as “The Ho Zone,” has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for advertising and distributing child pornography. The announcement was made by Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. White pleaded guilty on October 21, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed the sentence.
“Kyle White’s operation of the large-scale online pornography marketplace he callously dubbed ‘The Ho Zone’ caused immeasurable harm to his over one thousand child and adult victims whose sexual abuse materials he distributed to thousands of paying customers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “White’s high-volume, illegal pornography enterprise earned him a staggering profit at the expense of innocent children and young women whose sexual trauma he broadcast to the world. There is a clear message from today's 20-year sentence: anyone who seeks to profit from the sexual exploitation of children will face justice for their heinous crimes. Every New York family wants Kyle White's 'Ho Zone' operation shut down and Mr. White off the streets.”
Court documents reveal that White ran “The Ho Zone” through Telegram, earning more than $387,000 by selling access to sexually explicit material categorized into dozens of groups and channels with thousands of members. These groups included names such as “Other Teen (18+) Leaks,” “THZ Black Market,” “MOST POPULAR GIRLS LISTS,” and others. Content was further organized by the name of each woman or minor girl featured in it.
Users could preview free content before purchasing full access for amounts ranging from $15 to $75 per group or channel. Once paid, users received permanent access to photographs and videos that White had compiled and edited.
White sold child pornography depicting minors as young as 11 years old, including material involving siblings engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also sold illegally obtained adult pornography, some hacked from personal devices or obtained through blackmail and extortion; most adult victims were between 18 and 23 years old. In total, over one thousand adults and minors were victimized through this operation.
Despite knowing his actions were illegal, White continued operating because it was profitable. In messages cited by prosecutors, he claimed earnings exceeding $300,000 in his first year running "The Ho Zone" and expressed reluctance to stop due to ongoing financial gain.
After an FBI search resulted in seizure of his electronic devices, White obstructed justice by pretending to cooperate while continuing operations using a backup account on a new phone.
Victims are encouraged to visit https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/THZVictims for information about available resources.
In addition to his prison term, White—age 27 from Louisville, Kentucky—was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release.
Jay Clayton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s work on this case, especially highlighting efforts by victim specialists within its New York Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea L. Scism led the prosecution under supervision from the Office’s General Crimes Unit.
