Key Points
- Two OnlyFans creators had planned to attend Schoolies to make adult content with 18-year-olds.
- The creators have been criticised for “exploiting” teenagers, with some labelling them “predators”.
- One of the creators has now had her tourist visa revoked, as her plan to make money would breach visa conditions.
A British adult content creator has had her Australian visa cancelled after advertising plans to make OnlyFans content on the Gold Coast.
Every year, graduates from across the country flock to ‘Schoolies’, a week-long celebration to mark the end of their high school years.
This year, OnlyFans creators Bonnie Blue and Annie Knight announced they would also be attending the event, and planned to film explicit videos with “barely legal” 18-year-old men.
The videos would then be uploaded to the subscriber-based adult content platform OnlyFans by the two women, who are both in their 20s and are among the site’s highest-earning creators.
SBS News understands Blue’s visa was revoked on Thursday, as she had held a tourist visa which does not permit working or earning money while in the country.
Blue’s publicist said they could not yet comment on the matter. Schoolies is due to start next weekend.
Creators accused of exploiting teenagers
Participants in Blue and Knight’s Schoolies content would not pay to have sex with the women, but they would also not receive any payment for their videos being sold.
After announcing their plans, the women were accused of “predatory behaviour” and “exploiting” young men for their own financial gain.
Before news of Blues’ visa cancellation came through, Knight described the criticism as “ridiculous”, and said they were creating a safe environment for inexperienced young men to have positive sexual experiences.
“They are willingly coming to us … they can stay at home if they want, they don’t have to come, it’s their decision,” she said.
“At the end of the day, Bonnie and I are creating a safe environment for the 18-year-olds to have a sexual experience because they’re probably going to go out to Schoolies and have that anyway, and it’s probably going to be in a lot worse of a situation.”
Knight said all participants would have to provide identification showing they were over 18, undertake a sobriety test, and sign consent forms.
She said if a participant changes their mind during or after an encounter, they can withdraw their consent and the video would not be shared.
Harrison James, a child sexual abuse described the situation as “deeply alarming”.
He said he is concerned that teenagers — many of whom he believes are vulnerable and naive — could be manipulated or taken advantage of in this scenario, and could regret their content being shared online.
“These teenagers are fairly new adults and still navigating their sense of self and their boundaries,” James said.
“What’s occurring is just not appropriate … it’s a blatant exploitation of the vulnerability of young people who may not have the maturity, the awareness, or even the agency to recognise manipulation. And it’s really troubling.”
‘Exploitation disguised as opportunity’
James believes many young men and boys have been conditioned to believe “sexual encounters equate to validation”, which he says “primes them for exploitation”.
He said while he recognises 18-year-olds are considered adults and can legally consent, he is concerned about the power dynamic in this situation.
“They see this attention as a badge of honour, not realising the price they’re paying, which is exploitation disguised as opportunity,” he said.
Annie Knight is in the top 0.02 per cent of earners on OnlyFans. Source: Supplied / Annie Knight
“These boys’ fleeting five minutes of naivety is a lifetime of monetisation for these two very wealthy OnlyFans creators, so the power dynamic is just not equal at all.
“And true consent can’t be given when that power dynamic is so glaring.”
James said he does not have a problem with sex workers or adult content creators but believes certain aspects of the industry can be harmful.
“This has never been about shaming anyone who creates or consumes pornography,” he said.
“It’s about shining a light on the exploitation and manipulation of vulnerable young people, and particularly boys who are conditioned from adolescence by these harmful cultural narratives.”
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate weighed in on the situation when questioned by reporters, saying he had “limited knowledge” of OnlyFans, but advised teenagers against participating.
He said many Schoolies attendees could be vulnerable and make “mistakes that live on the internet forever” without considering potential ramifications.
“I say to the young guys, if it looks too good to be true, don’t touch it.”
But Knight said she believes majority of concerns come back to around sex workers and the sex industry.
She points out that at the age of 18, Australians can vote, join the army, and drink alcohol, but says there is a “double standard” when it comes to engaging with sex workers.
“I think at the end of the day, this is just discrimination against sex work,” she said.
“I find it really interesting that people are coming after us saying that we’re predators and insinuating that what we’re doing is illegal, but then they go and send us death threats.
“So I’m confused how that’s fine, but then what I’m doing — which is having sex with legal men — apparently is not okay.”
Mish Pony, CEO of the Australian Sex Workers Association Scarlett Alliance, said the peak national body was concerned with the vilification the women were experiencing.
“The media has whipped this into a moral panic despite the stringent verification processes undertaken to ensure that all participants are of legal age and providing informed consent,” they said.
“It is high time that sex workers are recognised as experts in sexual consent.”
