Stephen Cohen Apprehended by Mexican Federal Police

TIJUANA — Stephen Cohen, who dodged a $65 million court judgment by fleeing the U.S., has been arrested by Mexican federal police in Tijuana on an immigration violation and was handed over Thursday to U.S. agents.

Cohen had been on the run since before 2001, when a judge ordered him to pay Gary Kremen for usurping the URL Sex.com. Cohen in 1995 forged a letter to gain control of the Internet address.

The Los Angeles Times in Friday's editions said Cohen was living in a Tijuana mansion for years.

Cohen presented a forged letter to Network Solutions from Kremen's company that said Kremen had been fired and that Cohen should get control of Sex.com. Network Solutions handed over the site.

Cohen, in the meantime, made tens of millions of dollars by selling ads on Sex.com. But later, after his attorneys contended the site was his, a federal judge on the case ordered Cohen arrested for contempt of court but he never resurfaced.

During the years of litigation, he moved his millions overseas and left the country, occasionally calling Kremen to taunt him. Kremen got Sex.com back in late 2000 and the next year was awarded $65 million.

Despite a dismissal of an appeal he filed to a $65 million ruling against him this year, Cohen said in May that he felt he would ultimately clear his name in the long-running Sex.com case.

“I believe this is all going to go back to square one,” Cohen told XBiz, “and if it does, I will prevail.”

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his appeal.

Cohen on Thursday was turned over to agents of the U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Marshals Service.

He is being held without bail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

JustFor.fans Launches Curated 'Tom of Finland' Section

JustFor.fans (JFF) has launched a curated section based on artist Tom of Finland's work, featuring creators inspired by it.

Dutch Police Raid Servers Hosting 'Motherless' Website

A Dutch National Police Corps cybercrime team on Tuesday conducted raids on hosting companies in three cities, seizing servers owned or used by controversial adult website Motherless, as part of an investigation into possible illegal content.

MyMember.site Rolls Out 'TantumPay' Solution

MyMember.site has debuted its TantumPay payment processing solution.

StreamPayments Joins ASACP as Corporate Sponsor

Payment service provider and consultancy firm StreamPayments has signed on as the latest corporate sponsor for Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

AdultHTML Introduces Custom AI Projects Development Service

AdultHTML has introduced its customizable AI projects development service.

Eporner Must Face Copyright Suit After Judge Affirms Jurisdiction

A U.S. district court has ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by adult website operators against tube site Eporner, even though Eporner is based outside the United States.

BranditScan Launches Public API, Affiliate Program

BranditScan has launched a public API and a new affiliate program enabling creator platforms to integrate the company’s anti-piracy services and earn recurring commissions.

Kenna James, Derek Kage Cap AEBN's Top Stars for 2nd Quarter of 2026

AEBN has revealed its most popular performers in straight and gay theaters for the second quarter of 2026.

Segpay Partners With Corey Silverstein for Legal Services

Segpay has partnered with adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein for specialized legal compliance and policy support for its merchant network.

AEBN Reveals Kasey Kei as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2026

AEBN has named its top trans stars for the second quarter of 2026, with Kasey Kei landing atop the leaderboard.

Show More