'Girls Gone Wild' Guilty of 2257 Violations

[HellHouse]

Suprised no one is talking about this yet...

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'Girls Gone Wild' Creators Plead Guilty to Violating Child Exploitation Laws
The Santa Monica-based company failed to maintain age and identity documents for performers in sexually explicit films.
By Michael Muskal, Times Staff Writer
11:17 AM PDT, September 12, 2006

The California company responsible for the successful "Girls Gone Wild" series of videos has pleaded guilty to violating a federal law designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children, the Justice Department announced today.

Mantra Films Inc. of Santa Monica pleaded guilty to charges that it failed to create and maintain age and identity documents for performers in sexually explicit films that it produced and distributed. The company also failed to label its DVDs and videotapes as required by federal law, the Justice Department said.

Mantra Films entered its plea agreement today before U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak in Panama City, Fla. A second related company, MRA Holdings LLC, also entered into an agreement.

The companies, founded and owned by Joseph Francis, agreed to pay $2.1 million in fines and restitution. Of that, $1.6 million is to be paid by Mantra and MRA, and $500,000 by Francis.

Representatives of Francis could not be immediately reached for comment.

The case is believed to be the first to be filed under a federal law designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children, the Justice Department said.

"This case sends an important message about the Justice Department's commitment to protecting children from all forms of sexual exploitation," Assistant Atty. Gen. Alice S. Fisher said in a statement. "Today's agreements ensure that "Girls Gone Wild" will comply with an important law designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors and puts other producers on notice that they must be in compliance as well."

"This prosecution makes clear that those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our children's innocence in violation of the laws intended to protect them will be held to answer in federal court," U.S. Atty. Gregory R. Miller of the Northern District of Florida said.

The "Girls Gone Wild" series is based on young women exposing themselves during the frenzy of spring break and at other times in hot locales. There is binge drinking, hookups and frantic exhibitionism.

By packaging and dispersing the videos, people close to Francis told the Los Angeles Times recently that the company does as much as $40 million a year in sales.

In the court papers distributed by the Justice Department, " 'Girls Gone Wild' admitted filming performers and producing and distributing sexually explicit video materials during all of 2002 and part of 2003 while violating the record keeping and labeling laws."

Specifically, Mantra Films pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to keep the required records and seven labeling violations.

MRA Holding entered into deferred prosecution agreement concerning the information filed in court charging the company with 10 labeling violations. As part of that agreement, the government will dismiss the charges at the end of three years if MRA Holding abides by all of its obligations, the Justice Department said.

MRA Holding also agreed to employ an independent outside monitor selected by the government and provide the monitor complete access to the books and records, production facilities and other locations required to ensure the company's compliance with federal law, the federal agency said.

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Does anyone else find it ironic that it's people like the band Buckcherry and the highly-visible GGW producers who are turning up in trouble? I bet no one expected that.

[Hammer]

Yeah and thanks to these fuckers, our industry will continue to look bad and be scrutinized.

[JoesHO]

Well not to sound like my ole good buddy Nickatyilnx

But lets get in the real world here fellas.

2.1 million dollar fine and settlement .

$40 million a year in sales ( for how long now?)


damn they sure hurt him LOL I bet he is afraid and gonna run right out and quit doing business today ! oh SNAP he can and still be worth more than most of the country makes in a lifetime with two wage earners in the house .

yeah he sure was stupid that Joe francis . hahaahahah

[Hammer]

Who gives a fuck whether the fine bothers him or not? The point is that we're all fighting the perception that we're all a bunch of child pornographers and then this dick pulls this shit. This will make the mainstream news and all the ordinary people watching the news will be saying "Damnit Martha, I told you all of those guys were alike."

It's one thing when the guys that produce the extreme shit that most of us don't support anyway get busted, but when a company that advertises on late night TV and is as well known as GGW gets caught it just give the religious right and the conservative politicians more fuel to burn us with.

[JoesHO]

Welcome to Election year , Hammer .

[HellHouse]

Well, on the plus side, isn't this all good news for us?

I mean, if buckcherry can make a video with 16yr old lesbian action and only face a civil lawsuit, with no criminal charges...

and

GGW seems to have spent a year or two ignoring 2257 requirements, yet only recieved a minimal fine....


Doesn't that set a precedence that keeps legitimate producers who takes efforts to follow the law fairly safe from prosecution of any sort?

I mean I know I spent a few grand making sure I had 100% 2257 compliance within my company and we analyzed it down to making sure there was no clerical errors or anything. I know alot of lawyers going around telling people that clerical errors could cost them prison time when it comes to 2257 laws.. but something tells me these recent cases kindof dispell that opinion.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anyone should slack when it comes to 2257 documents, but I'm sure some people are losing sleep with worry when they really shouldn't be.

[bluemoney]

Originally Posted by Hammer

Who gives a fuck whether the fine bothers him or not? The point is that we're all fighting the perception that we're all a bunch of child pornographers and then this dick pulls this shit.

I agree, this makes the road for the rest of us just that much longer and harder.

[Hammer]

HellHouse brings up a good point. It sucks that this happened for the rest of us, but it does seem to be a good sign that a 2257 violation won't absolutely result in 5 years and a fine like most of the attorneys want us to believe. I'm sure each case will be taken on an individual basis and I'm sure that if you have at least attempted to comply that you'll end up with a fine. I would like to know exactly what the violations were though because if they indeed did not have docs on the girls in question, I think it's huge that someone didn't land in jail.