A DC woman says her photos were stolen to make a Facebook page for a phony porn recruiter allegedly invented by a Seattle writer and photographer who used the account to lure women into having sex with him. The fake recruiter, named “Deja Stwalley,” was first reported by the alt-weekly Stranger as the alleged online alter-ego of journalist Matt Hickey.
According to the Stranger, Deja Stwalley was the maiden name of a real person not involved in the porn industry, but the Facebook page’s photos feature DC resident Lauren McGrath. McGrath, 24, says her Facebook photos—depicting her wearing a blue romper, building a campfire, hugging someone, and playing with a cat—were taken from her account and used as the face of the fake porn recruiter who reportedly solicited sex with six Seattle-area women.
Multiple women have come forward saying they were offered successful careers in porn by Hickey, according to the Stranger. Three women allege Hickey coerced them into having sex auditions with him after he contacted them through Facebook Messenger claiming to be a recruiter for porn studios. According to one of the women, Hickey told the girls they needed to prove to the production company that they could handle having sex with a stranger.
McGrath found out her photos were tangled up in this scam when a family friend sent her a link to the Stranger‘s original story.
“I feel really upset for [the women who say they were ‘auditioned’ by Hickey], and I feel gross that they now associate my face with being used and hurt and exploited,” she told The Stranger.
McGrath is considering taking legal action.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
