The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday that his office had won a court order allowing it to seek the temporary locking of the domain name for a pornography website over alleged violations of the state’s age verification law.
The action involves Kick Online Entertainment, the owner and operator of the adult tube site Motherless.com. Paxton’s office filed suit against the company in 2024, alleging it failed to comply with the age verification requirements established under House Bill 1181. As the case has progressed, state officials have pursued a new legal remedy by seeking control over a privately owned domain that serves users both within Texas and beyond the state’s borders.
“This court order establishes a huge precedent that websites can be stripped of their domain if they ignore the law and harm children with pornographic content,” Paxton said. “This affirms that protecting children from pornographic content is not only about collecting a penalty but also shutting down websites that refuse to obey the law.”
“My office will continue to take action against any website that harms kids by allowing them access to pornographic content,” Paxton added.
Under the court’s writ of attachment, Kick Online Entertainment may regain control of its domain if it posts a $9.14 million bond and implements age verification measures for users accessing the site from Texas. The order also resulted in Verisign, the registry responsible for the domain, temporarily locking access until those conditions are met.
The ruling marks an unusual enforcement step following the decision in Free Speech Coalition et al. v. Paxton. While Motherless.com has faced significant controversy in recent years, including allegations highlighted in national reporting, the court’s decision is expected to draw attention because it permits state regulators to seek control over a website’s domain as part of enforcing age verification laws. Legal disputes involving domain names are not uncommon, but using that mechanism in this context represents a notable development in the ongoing enforcement of Texas’ online age verification requirements.
“The Office of the Attorney General will continue to use every available legal mechanism, including writs of attachment against domain names, to enforce Texas law and ensure that no company, regardless of where it is incorporated, can profit from exposing Texas children to harmful content,” Paxton’s office stated.
