CALIFORNIA – Joe Francis is not a name that most Americans are familiar with, but the name of the video series that has funded his multi-million dollar softcore empire is well known. “Girls Gone Wild” is Francis’ wildly popular public exhibition series, famous for showing bawdy barely legal coeds cavorting in wet t-shirts and flashing their breasts during Spring Break and other high spirited occasions.His rise to financial success has not been without public complaint, professional criticism, or legal involvement. But previous concerns about Federal Trade Commission investigations, under age performers, and class action suits likely recede as a priority for Francis’ as he deals with the fact that exceptionally compromising footage of himself is circulating – without his permission.
The footage in question currently resides with the LAPD as part of an investigation in progress that is part of a suit against Darnell Riley, a nobody hustler with two murder raps from his youth whom Francis accuses of holding him at gunpoint while forcing him to endure humiliating treatment in front of a video camera, including confession of a penchant for receptive anal sex — and then attempting to blackmail him with its contents.
A slightly built but handsome man, the 28-year-old Riley’s number was among those in Paris Hilton’s stolen cell phone contacts. After serving nine years for double murders committed at the tender age of 15, he became known for his uniquely successful approach to making collections calls and dreamed of enjoying Hollywood glamour at any cost. A charming, social sort with a reputation for sexual prowess, Riley claims to have been intimate with one-time Hilton best buddy, Nicole Richie. Richie, unsurprisingly, denies the claim without reservation. “I have never met this person in my life,” she insists.
Richie is not the only person to deny association with the ambitious Riley. Although the collections enforcer claims to have attended a Halloween party at Francis’ home last year and to have been seen in public with Francis on multiple occasions, the porn professional denies having ever knowingly encountered the man prior to being “robbed at gunpoint” by him. Unsurprisingly, Riley’s attorney has an entirely different take on the situation, insisting that the tape was made with Francis’ consent.
According to Francis, Riley somehow made his way into Francis’ Bel Air mansion on the evening of January 22, 2004, pointed a gun at him while capturing him in a variety of humiliating positions, and then took his Rolex, a Sony video camera, a painting, a collection of Lous Vuitton luggage, and more than $1,000 in cash. The available tape runs four minutes in length and includes Francis, who looks drugged or drunk, repeatedly introducing himself by name and saying “I’m from ‘Boys Gone Wild’ and I like it up the ass” while a pink vibrator buzzes on top of his ass cheeks. Sources close to Francis claim that the victim was bound, gagged, and placed in the trunk of his Bentley, where he was found at the gates of his estate by security guards a few hours later.
Although Francis claims that he reported the crime immediately, Riley was not arrested for another 15 month during which time police observed Riley repeatedly attempt to extort large amounts of cash from Francis in exchange for the tape’s return. He was ultimately arrested on March 28, 2005, after Francis selected his image from a photo lineup. In addition to multiple handguns and a copy of the videotape in question, Riley’s finger prints have been matches as those on Francis’ Bentley.
Perhaps not coincidently, Riley is also associated with the infamous and stolen 12 hour Paris Hilton sex tapes, which the Globe reported he tried to use to in order to blackmail the heiress to the tune of $20,000 per month.
Riley is currently incarcerated in a Los Angeles County prison and faces felony charges of first-degree residential burglary, first-degree robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, and attempted extortion.
