Marc Collins-Rector

Marc J. Collins-Rector

Marc Collins-Rector's mug shot, taken in 2007
Born Mark Rector
October 16, 1959
Residence Dominican Republic[1]
Occupation Businessman
Known for Founder, Digital Entertainment Network

Marc John Collins-Rector (born October 16, 1959) is an American businessman best known for founding Digital Entertainment Network, an online streaming video broadcaster and notable dot-com failure.

Early life

He changed his name from Mark Rector to Marc Collins-Rector in 1998.[2]

In the early 1980s Rector founded Telequest, a Florida-based telecommunications company. In 1984, Rector founded World TravelNet, a company that electronically coordinated cruises and tours; its affiliate, World ComNet, was floated on the Vancouver Stock Exchange in 1987. Its valuation briefly peaked at $100 million before increasing competition led to bankruptcy.[2] Rector later founded an early ISP, Concentric Network,[3] in 1991[4] along with colleague and lover Chad Shackley.[5]

Career

DEN

Rector and Shackley sold Concentric in 1995 and, using money raised here and close to $100m of investor and venture capital, formed an early Internet video pioneer, Digital Entertainment Network. Collins-Rector was the co-founder and chairman of DEN, which exhausted its funding following a failed IPO bid and collapsed amid allegations that Collins-Rector had sexually abused children, coercing them with drugs and guns.[6]

Later career

Media reports claim that Collins-Rector was a silent partner in the MMORPG service company IGE, which was founded by ex-DEN VP Brock Pierce.[6] IGE initially used an address in the city of Marbella, Spain, where Collins-Rector, Shackley and Pierce shared a villa until it was raided by Interpol in 2002.[7][8]

Legal issues

Child enticement conviction

Collins-Rector, living in Spain, fought extradition proceedings for two years before returning to the United States, where he pleaded guilty to eight charges of child enticement and registered as a sex offender.[9] Collins-Rector admitted luring five minors across state lines for sexual purposes.[10] He received credit for time that he had served in a Spanish jail.[10][11] Some additional purported victims sued in civil court, winning a $4.5 million under a summary judgement.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "More entertainment figures accused of sex abuse". USA Today (Gannett Company). Associated Press. 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Menn, Joseph; Miller, Gregg (2000-05-07). "How a Visionary Venture on the Web Unraveled". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  3. ↑ "Concentric Network Corp, SEC filings". SEC Info. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  4. ↑ Grover, Ronald; Siklos, Richard (1999-11-14). "Digital Entertainment Network: Startup or Non-Starter?". BusinessWeek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  5. ↑ Dibbell, Julian (2008-11-24). "The Decline and Fall of an Ultra-Rich Online Gaming Empire". Wired. Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Gorenfeld, John; Runkle, Patrick (2007-11-05). "Fast Company". Radar Online. American Media. Archived from the original on 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  7. ↑ Farrell, Nick (2002-10-10). "Dotcom founders still in Spanish jail". VNU Business Press. Archived from the original on 2005-12-17. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  8. ↑ Lynch, Stephen (2003-11-11). "A DEN OF INIQUITY ; AFTER 3-YEAR EXILE, WEB EXEC FACES PERV CHARGES". New York Post (News Corporation). Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  9. ↑ "Florida Sex Offender Registry". Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Ex-DEN executive admits transporting minors for sex". USA Today (Gannett Company). Associated Press. 2004-06-14. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  11. ↑ Frauenfelder, Mark (2007-11-15). "Gold-farming empire linked to dot-com child abuse scandal". Boing Boing. Retrieved 2014-04-24.
  12. ↑ Menn, Joseph; Liu, Caitlin (2001-02-21). "Ex-DEN Employees Win Judgment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-04-24.