PANAMA CITY, FL — Joseph Francis is hoping that his attorneys can keep more than 700 photos and other items out of the hands of the prosecutors trying to convict him of using under age girls in his Girls Gone Wild video series.The 33-year-old multi millionaire softcore porn producer is facing a federal trial on charges related to videotaping two 17-year-old girls in sexual situations while at a Panama City Beach motel on Mach 31, 2003. The girls reported their involvement to the Bay County Sheriffs Department and a day later investigators filled Francis’ condos, vehicles, and aircraft searching for clues. Francis was arrested in April and charged with more than 40 criminal offenses.
Although the officers who raided Francis various properties had signed warrants, defense attorney Larry Simpson claims that that “Most officers were never even shown the search warrant and didn’t know what they were looking for, so they literally took everything they found.”
Francis possesses dual degrees in business and film and television productions from University of Southern California and admits that employment was difficult for him, leading to unemployment even at his father’s hands. When he released Banned From Television, a compilation tape featuring unorthodox and violent deaths including shark attacks, train impacts, and public executions, his future began to brighten.
After watching footage of drunken coeds during New Orleans and Mardi Gras that had been submitted for Banned, he decided to release a tape dedicated exclusively to the subject, which fascinated him for its realism and accessibility and copious coverage of girls aged 18 to 25, ages when he believes women are at their most attractive.
A hearing on the under age performer issue is scheduled for July 21.
