Girls Gone Wild Ordered to Pay $1.6 Million

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 12:21 am

By MELISSA NELSON, Associated Press Writer Wed Dec 13, 5:49 PM ET

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The "Girls Gone Wild" video empire agreed to pay $1.6 million and its founder was sentenced to community service Wednesday for filming drunken, underage girls in the raunchy videos.

Mantra Films Inc. pleaded guilty in a case that stemmed from its use of two 17-year-olds in its DVDs and videos, which feature young women baring their breasts in public. The videos at issue were filmed on Panama City Beach during spring break in 2003.

U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak ordered Mantra's multimillionaire founder, Joe Francis, to read aloud in court a victim impact statement from one of the women, who said she was emotionally tormented by her appearance on a "Girls Gone Wild" video and that the video damaged her relationship with her family.

Smoak told Francis he added the community service because it did not appear a fine would be a meaningful punishment.

The fine represents less than 3 percent of Mantra's profits since 2002 and only 12 percent of Mantra's 2005 profits, Smoak said.

"It does not take a very brave man to go out and corner a girl in the middle of spring break who had four drinks," Smoak told Francis.

Francis, 33, said his policy has always been not to film girls under 18 and that the two filmed in Panama City lied about their ages. He later left court without speaking to reporters.

According to court papers, Mantra Films, based in Santa Monica, Calif., admitted violating record-keeping and labeling laws while distributing videos during all of 2002 and part of 2003.

The judge ordered Francis, his company president, general counsel and chief financial officer to each perform eight hours of community service monthly for the next 30 months. But Smoak said the corporate officers could avoid the obligation, giving Francis the option of "stepping up" and serving 16 hours a month of community service by himself in their place.

Attorney Aaron Dyer, representing Francis and the company, said he did not know if Francis would take on the entire sentence himself.

Smoak ordered the company to issue a press release about its federal offenses and to publish the release in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and The News Herald of Panama City.

Francis also faces a Jan. 22 sentencing hearing in federal court in Los Angeles on similar charges in which he has agreed to pay $500,000 in fines.

Also pending against Francis are state felony charges in which he is accused of using children in sexual performances. Those counts stem from the same 2003 filming at the heart of Wednesday's pleas.

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:12 am

Its about time....

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:39 am

"1.6 mil" was not enough, they should have taken it all!!! :wah:

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:09 am

Why arent these drunken underage girls being supervised. I wasnt allowed to go to Panama City for Spring Break until I was 18.

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:04 am

I heard Alice Cooper say on his radio show one night....something to the effect of "the girls that are in those vidoes might as well have Dad I hate you on the inside of their shirts."

I hope that the creep loses it ALL! So horribly to see that advertised, let alone buying it...really sad when it comes on TV late at night and my son is sitting in front of the TV, he gets up and walks away...and brings it to my attention! (I know he's seen it before...but would be nice not to see just because you are up late.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:05 am

I don't know DG but even the 18 and overs act like morons. I'm not sure which is worse- the girls degrading themselves...the jerks filming them...or the people who watch the stuff. :wah:

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:07 am

WonderWendy3;486065 wrote: I heard Alice Cooper say on his radio show one night....something to the effect of "the girls that are in those vidoes might as well have Dad I hate you on the inside of their shirts."

I hope that the creep loses it ALL! So horribly to see that advertised, let alone buying it...really sad when it comes on TV late at night and my son is sitting in front of the TV, he gets up and walks away...and brings it to my attention! (I know he's seen it before...but would be nice not to see just because you are up late.

Wendy I'd go so far as to replace "Dad I hate you" with "I Hate Myself and Like to Degrade Women."

Good on your son for leaving. I've seen porn with more intelligence than those late night commercials.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:14 am

Thats why I bought a onesie that says

"FEMINIST"

for the baby girl I might have one day.

I'll start her off right at a young age.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:25 am

DesignerGal;486080 wrote: Thats why I bought a onesie that says

"FEMINIST"

for the baby girl I might have one day.

I'll start her off right at a young age.

Thank you for not buying one that says "PRINCESS!" (Uh, you don't have one of those, do you?) I haven't seen a feminist onesie but it sounds like a good idea.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:28 am

I have these two. You can buy anything at cafepress.com

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DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:29 am

I dont know why the pics wont work. I cant see them.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:30 am

Oh well. You can see a bunch here: http://www.cafepress.com/buy/Feminist/- ... /pg_2/go_1

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:36 am

They're cute.

Shweet tatersalad · Post by **Shweet tatersalad** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:41 am

Ah I see,These two seventeen year old girls go too spring break too drink too drink herbal tea and read bible verses with there study groups and BAM! all of a sudden they end up half neked and 18 in a video.

Translation:

Two little bimbos go too spring break too party,they got real drunk and lied about there age so they can be a "Girls gone wild" tape.

Then they sober up realize that they will be seen by the world and change there mind and cry foul.

Tough crap.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:46 am

Well put, TaterSalad.

I learned a while ago that what they get for their "efforts" is a GGW t shirt.

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:00 am

You know when you really come down to think about it, if girls, & or even guys exposed themselves in public "anywhere else" they most likely would be arrested for indecent exposure! How/why the he*l are "they" (Both photographer's & Subjects) allowed to get away with it there?:-2 :wah:

And like Tater said, "anyone" going to SB, "knows" first hand, from watching the GGW commercials on TV what to expect!! :rolleyes:

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:09 am

I must be in the minority. I like looking at breasts. I think they are very nice. I do have a suggestion on how to de-sexualize them if thats what all women want. SHOW THEM MORE!!! See that was easy. Now back in my hole.

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:19 am

YZGI;486113 wrote: I must be in the minority. I like looking at breasts. I think they are very nice. I do have a suggestion on how to de-sexualize them if thats what all women want. SHOW THEM MORE!!! See that was easy. Now back in my hole.

No I like looking at breasts too, but it just seems wrong for grown men to "take" videos of "drunk" girls acting wildly! Sure they may have signed "consent forms', but when they're in a drunken frenzy stuper they have no idea what they're doing!!! :wah:

Shweet tatersalad · Post by **Shweet tatersalad** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:18 pm

Taters Gone Wild

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weeder · Post by **weeder** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 1:43 am

I dont know who I loathe more... the moron males exploiting the females, or the ignorant females in the films reducing women to the level of sex objects.