Sex.com cyber squatter a 'slave'

The cyber squatter who once controlled the Sex.com domain name filed a motion in a federal court this week claiming that he was too poor to eat or buy toilet paper.

Steven Cohen, who was found guilty of illegally obtaining the Sex.com domain name from Gary Kremen in April last year, has this week appealed against the $65m damages bill set by a judge.

Cohen is arguing that the outcome of the five-year court battle violates his constitutional rights and effectively places him in the status of a slave to Kremen.

In a self-penned appeal Cohen wrote: "Just how is the defendant expected to live? How is the defendant expected to purchase the necessities of life, such as toilet paper, food, clothes etc.?"

Cohen claims that the ruling is in violation of the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution abolishing slavery because, for the rest of his life, everything he owns must go to Kremen.

Kremen, however, is still awaiting payment following last year's court resolution which found that Cohen had illegally obtained the Sex.com domain by forging documents.

In May of last year, Kremen put a bounty on Cohen's head after he failed to turn up in court to pay damages.

Cohen maintains that he had every intention of going to court but had been arrested in Mexico and was not allowed to leave the country.