READING, ENGLAND – The primary figures in a mail-order pornographic video distribution company have been sentenced to 21 months jail time in a case involving both “R-18” material – videos that would be legal to sell at a licensed sex shop – and illegal “unclassified” videos.Russell Tyler of West Reading and John Wilkins of Pangbourne were jailed for money laundering and distribution of illegal films, as well as other charges to which the two men had already admitted guilt.
Police raids conducted in December of 2004 resulted in the seizure of approximately 12,000 videos, of which approximately 9-percent were “unclassified,” a term with a legal meaning roughly the same as the word “obscene” in the language of U.S. law.
In addition to the videos, police uncovered a “sophisticated” operation for copying, packaging, and distributing the films, prosecutor John Price told the Court last Friday.
According to Price, Tyler, who also owns a licensed sex shop called “XTC,” started the illegal mail-order company known as “Vulcan,” using the XTC customer database as the foundation for the illegal company’s mailing list.
Wilkins had previously admitted to nine charges of possessing “an obscene article for publication for gain,” three charges of possessing an “unclassified work for the purposes of supply,” and five charges of “transferring criminal property;” charges which stemmed from money transfers of profits to Tyler.
Tyler pled guilty to five charges of “converting criminal property,” but denied possession of any of the films. Tyler’s attorney claimed that his client was unaware of Wilkins’ activities and that all his client had done was to sell Wilkins the XTC mailing list and provide some “IT support.”
Price contradicted the assertion that Tyler was uninvolved in Vulcan, however, telling the Court that Tyler was “well aware” of what Wilkins was doing and noting that Tyler received most of the company’s ill-gotten gains.
Price said that the videos, while obscene, did not contain children or animals and there was no evidence to suggest the videos were ever sold to anyone underage.
“The people taking part are volunteers and there is no suggestion that they were sold to anyone other than enthusiastic connoisseurs of pornographic films,” said Price.
Judge Christopher Critchlow rejected the suggestion of Wilkins’ attorneys that the men be issued a fine, saying that the unclassified videos were “obscene, degrading, and corrupting,” but noted that all the videos featured consenting adults.
