Kremen on Sex.com: ‘Wait and See What Happens’

SAN FRANCISCO — As both mainstream and trade press scramble to cover the arrest of Stephen Cohen today, Sex.com owner Gary Kremen told XBiz he is calm, maintaining a wait-and-see attitude despite his outstanding $65 million judgment against Cohen for the theft of the famed Sex.com web address.

As Cohen sits in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego, where he is being held without bail, Kremen can’t help but wonder what Cohen might do to avoid a potentially lengthy prison term.

Ratting out fellow industry players tops Kremen’s list of possibilities.

“[Cohen] knows a lot of early industry players in the adult world,” Kremen told XBiz. “Maybe he is going to do some rolling over on them with some of the stuff he knows. You know, tell the authorities which big players didn’t pay taxes and stuff like that. When you are in jail, you probably would do anything not to stay there.”

Cohen currently is ordered to remain in jail until he returns $25 million to the government, which a federal judge ruled in 2001 was illegally transferred outside the country. He could also face a host of other charges, from tax evasion to perjury, not even counting Kremen’s judgment, which has ballooned to $82 million with interest.

“There’s 10 percent statutory interest in the case,” Kremen said. “Which, you know, is good for me.”

Despite the arrest, Kremen admits there isn’t much he can do aside from waiting things out. Whether or not there will be any money left in Cohen’s pot once the government is through with him remains to be seen.

“I think I am ahead of some of [the people Cohen owes] but not everyone,” Cohen said. “I don’t know. It is going to be really interesting to see what happens. Maybe the judge will change his mind; maybe Cohen is going to do some rolling over. Who knows?

“All I can do is play it by ear and just sit tight and hang out for a little while,” he said.

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

AV Bulletin: West Virginia Enacts AV Law, Wisconsin Bill Vetoed

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Woodhull Survey Reveals Concern Among Sex Educators Over AV Laws' Impact on Access

A national survey of sex educators by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation found that a majority of sex educators and sexual health professionals are concerned that age verification (AV) laws will negatively impact access to information and resources.

Clips4Sale Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of content platform Clips4Sale in a case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the site.

Pineapple Support, SextPanther to Host Stress Management Support Group

Pineapple Support and SextPanther are hosting a free online support group focused on stress management for performers.

Goddess Tangent Launches New Site Through Grooby's Blue.xxx

Goddess Tangent has launched her new membership site, TangentOD.com, through Grooby's website management company Blue.xxx.

Keiran Lee Guests on Chaturbate's 'Sex Tales' Podcast

Keiran Lee is the latest guest on Chaturbate’s “Sex Tales” podcast, hosted by Melissa Stratton and Vanniall, and streaming on the company’s “Camming Life” YouTube channel.

FSC Talks Age Verification on Capitol Hill

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a blog post detailing the organization's talks on age verification on Capitol Hill in Washington.

FTC Warns PayPal, Stripe, Visa, Mastercard Against Debanking

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent letters on Thursday to the CEOs of PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard, warning them against debanking practices — including denying customers access to services based on lawful business activities perceived as high-risk.

AEBN Publishes Report on Ejaculate Trends

AEBN has published a report on ejaculate categories from its straight and gay theaters.

Show More