Attorney claims website spotlights variety of human sexual experience, not hate crimes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The operator of a St. Petersburg-based website featuring scantily-clad women beating up men fought hate-crime accusations against the homeless in a hearing Thursday.

A civil suit was filed against the site's operator, Jeffrey Williams, claiming the business takes advantage of the less fortunate, baiting homeless men into getting beaten by women wearing skimpy outfits including tank tops and tiny shorts or bikinis.

If the men make it through 12 minutes of beating, they get paid $50.

George Grayson, a homeless man who claims he sustained injuries after being featured in a video, is a part of the civil suit.

"He had whippings on his back that went back to the days of slavery," Grayson's attorney Neil Chonin said.

Williams’ lawyer, Luke Lirot, told Judge Pamela Campbell that the beatdowns don’t violate Florida’s hate-crime statute because people from all walks of life appear in the videos.

He also claimed they are less about beatings and more about bondage.

"It's not really the beating of a homeless man. It's the bondage, the sadomasochism part of this whole sexual activity that's being videotaped by Mr. Williams," Lirot said. "Some people may not understand it, but it certainly is a component of human sexuality as recognized by psychologists for many, many years."

Lirot also cited the use of waivers, which Grayson's attorneys admit he signed.

However, Chonin argues many of the men have mental disabilities which call into question their ability to know what they're signing, plus, a waiver doesn't make battery a legal activity.

"I do not know of any case law in Florida where someone can consent to have a crime committed on them such as a battery," Chonin said.

Judge Campbell decided to allow the case to continue, which means it will go to civil trial unless the two parties settle.