LOS ANGELES — Jurors will start deliberating today after closing arguments are made in the government’s case against gay porn star Jarec Wentworth.
Yesterday’s testimony from gay porn star Justin Matthews made eyes pop in U.S. District Judge John F. Walter’s courtroom yesterday.
Matthews, a witness for the prosecution, revealed his friendship with Donald Burns — the multimillionaire MagicJack exec who is said to be the victim of an extortion plot involving Wentworth — as well as with David Geffen, the openly gay billionaire media magnate.
According to his testimony upon cross examination by Wentworth’s counsel, Matthews recently had dental work paid for by a “friend” — but not by Burns.
“You mentioned you didn’t want to give details about an individual because he was very powerful and you feared for your safety if you disclose information,” Wentworth’s attorney said. “Who were you talking about there?”
“David Geffen,” Matthews answered after several objections were made by prosecutors.
Matthews described in his testimony his trip to Burns’ Palm Beach, Fla., house where numerous gay porn performers and models would hang around the house, surf, grill and go out to dinner.
“And then we would have sex, group sex,” he said.
In the morning, envelopes were handed out and everyone got paid by Burns, he said.
Wentworth is charged with extortion and making criminal threats after the FBI arrested him in a sting operation involving Burns. He's accused of extorting $500,000 and an Audi R8 worth $180,000 from Burns by threatening to expose his sexual liaisons on Twitter.
Burns, described in court as a man who had the wherewithal and "taste for young men," flew out performers to and from the sexual trysts and offered referral fees to Wentworth, who he had a relationship with.
Burns suggested to Wentworth that he could earn about $200,000 if he delivered the referrals from a list of 11 Sean Cody performers, Wentworth’s attorneys said.
But the relationship soured when Wentworth failed to deliver a performer who took the cash but never performed for Burns.
When Burns broke off the relationship, Wentworth threatened to expose on Twitter Burns' predilection for hiring porn stars for sex.
Wentworth allegedly text messaged Burns saying he could "bring your house down," prosecutors said.
Wentworth’s attorney said in opening statments that Burns had given Wentworth an Audi and $500,000 because he "owed" him after their two-year relationship and that his reputation was never threatened.
His attorney claimed that Wentworth only asked for the money that was promised to him and was deserved.
