Donny Pauling

Pauling was born the son of a Pentecostal pastor. He has stated that his strong Christian upbringing is what began to turn him away from Christianity. When he was a senior in high school he moved into his aunt's home in another city to take an advanced math class. It was here he met his future wife, Wendy, who was a devout Christian. He would eventually reconvert to Christianity. They dated for many years before finally marrying. Pauling has stated that it was during this time, when he lived with his young wife, that they purchased a computer and he began his fascination with pornography. Eventually he decided he somehow wanted a career making pornography and founded Pauling Technology Consulting.[1]

Pauling Technology Consulting was founded in 1997 to create pornographic content to be licensed by other larger companies. He funded this side business all through his own money he had saved up. For the first three years of his career, it was a side business of his that earned him extra income. When he eventually told his wife about his activities, the marriage fell apart and he moved into his office. When he began doing his porn career full-time, the first month he brought in over $50,000.[1][2]

He began at first taking photos of young women, ultimately filming scenes of both "hardcore" and "softcore" pornography. He created content with pornographic models and actresses that he then published under contract for larger porn sites. One of his largest and most lucrative contracts was with Playboy, with whom he worked for many years.[1][2]

For several years he was averaging an income of around half a million dollars. Pauling stated that he was deeply immersed in the lifestyle, wealth, and affluence that came with his career. He claims it further pushed him away from his family and Christianity.[1][2] He again fell out of Christianity at this time, developing a hatred for it. Part of this hatred, he has stated, stemmed from Christian groups protesting against his work or outside porn conventions telling him he was "going to hell".[2]

Pauling routinely advertised his content on Christian web pages and forums, since he saw them as 'hypocrites' and 'sexually repressed'. He has claimed that it was on these databases and forums that he received some of his greatest number of clients.[1][2]

Despite his continuing and successful career he began to despise the man he had become. He has stated that late in his career, many of the women he had recruited into the industry had contacted him in the hopes of having their Internet content taken down, although he lacked the authority to do so. He has also stated that several of these women had careers and relationships ruined due to their involvement in pornography.[1][2]

Pauling soon after began taking seminary classes to become a Pastor. He viewed his previous life in porn production and use as an addiction and began speaking about it. With the help of Craig Gross and XXXChurch, he started an outreach that spoke about the dangers of pornography from multiple points of view.[2] Pauling said that pornography was addictive and that the industry was harmful to women.[1] As a Christian, he believed it to be sinful.[1][2] Pauling has expressed the view that pornography use can lead to other more serious vices including sex trafficking.[2][3]

Pauling was arrested December 1, 2014 on three felony sex charges, including unlawful intercourse (statutory rape), after a 16-year-old female told law enforcement that Pauling had ongoing sexual contact with her for the past three years.[6] The teen informed detectives that Pauling had told her that if she were to ever tell officers about the relationship, she should tell him first so he could kill himself. She also said Pauling told her he wasn't like other child molesters because he loved her.[7]

On October 15, 2015, Pauling admitted to engaging in oral and vaginal sex with that victim from when she was age 14 in 2012, continuing into 2014. He also admitted to lewd or lascivious behavior with a 16-year-old female, “motivated by an unnatural or abnormal interest in children,” according to the plea.[8] Pauling also admitted massaging a third teen victim's genitals in early 2014.[8] He pleaded no contest and agreed to a 6-year prison sentence.[8]