Pornographer sentenced to nearly four years in prison

stalk · Oct 3, 2008

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/article838305.ece

TAMPA — The pornographer tried to apologize.

His voice shook. He sounded as if he'd cry.

"I didn't realize I'd made a mistake," Hollywood hardcore producer Paul Little told the judge Friday. "My entire life I've been trying to do the right thing by people and by the law."

Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew interrupted him.

"Mr. Little, I find this almost incredible," she said. "You seem to look at this whole thing as a big joke."

Bucklew sentenced the man known as Max Hardcore to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for selling and distributing his messy, sometimes violent videos in Tampa. She also made him forfeit three Web sites, fined him $7,500, ordered him to face three years of probation after his prison sentence and fined his company, Max World Entertainment, $75,000.

Tampa jurors convicted Little in June on 10 counts of selling obscene material on the Internet and 10 counts of shipping it to Tampa through the U.S. mail.

They reached that decision after watching 8 1/2 hours of extreme porn on a giant screen in court. At times, they winced as Little performed in sex scenes that included urinating and vomiting.

After nearly two weeks of trial and roughly 12 hours of deliberations, jurors decided that what they had seen went beyond the Tampa Bay region's community standards.

Little's attorneys, who argued his films were protected by the First Amendment, said they plan to appeal.

Little, whose net worth was determined by the government to be near $1.4-million, said his business has suffered since his conviction in June.

"It's cost me just about everything I've made," he said. "All of my money is gone. I've suffered a great deal here."

"Are you saying you're not in business?" Bucklew asked.

"I'm barely in business," he said. "It's on life support."

Little apologized for offending the people of Florida.

"This is completely brand new," he said. "For many years we've made our movies thinking they were completely legal."

Bucklew's sentence was on the low end of the federal guidelines used in such cases. Little faced up to 57 months in prison, and the recommended range for fines was between $1.2- and $2.4-million.

"That would appear to be relatively reasonable under the circumstances if you assume that there is any crime for which he should have been sentenced at all," said Eric M. Freedman, professor of First Amendment law at Hofstra University, who wasn't involved with the trial.

Freedman said it's rare that obscenity cases make it to trial, and sentences vary.

A Colorado porn magnate convicted of federal obscenity charges was sentenced in 2006 to 13 months in prison and ordered to close his adult stores in Texas. A federal judge in 2005 sentenced a Florida man to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute obscene videotapes. An Arkansas man this year was sentenced to 14 months and fined $2,000 after he pleaded guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to someone younger than 16.

Federal prosecutors wished to send a message to the purveyors of this type of pornography, at a time many small producers are pioneering new material with new technology.

"It becomes a race to the bottom, fueled by the vastness, the speed and the anonymity of the Internet," said Edward J. McAndrew, an assistant U.S. attorney.
Click to expand...

stalk · Oct 3, 2008

has anyone seen this guys videos?

they are pretty sick and intense...

but um, there goes the first amendment, ahem....

Aristartle · Oct 3, 2008

I'm amused he didn't keep his birth name to star in his films.

I don't really care what he says. It's kind of filthy to conduct business like that.

stalk · Oct 3, 2008

but...3 years jail?

I'm wondering who paid who to get this guy in Jail

whose idea was it?

Florida is weird.

Aristartle · Oct 3, 2008

What was he convicted for all together?

stalk · Oct 3, 2008

Aristartle said:

What was he convicted for all together?
Click to expand...

I don't even really know.

Aristartle · Oct 3, 2008

......

stalk · Oct 3, 2008

Tampa jurors convicted Little in June on 10 counts of selling obscene material on the Internet and 10 counts of shipping it to Tampa through the U.S. mail.

They reached that decision after watching 8 1/2 hours of extreme porn on a giant screen in court. At times, they winced as Little performed in sex scenes that included urinating and vomiting.

After nearly two weeks of trial and roughly 12 hours of deliberations, jurors decided that what they had seen went beyond the Tampa Bay region's community standards.
Click to expand...

apparently the city of tampa just wanted him gone.
I find it funny they watched his porn for 8 hours....

jrnyman · Oct 4, 2008

this is horrible and obscene... let's watch it some more....

Aristartle · Oct 4, 2008

It's convenient that the article left that part out, you know, what he was actually convicted for. Don't you think?

stalk · Oct 4, 2008

Aristartle said:

It's convenient that the article left that part out, you know, what he was actually convicted for. Don't you think?
Click to expand...

well, it didn't
it stated they charged him for "selling obscene material"

Aristartle · Oct 4, 2008

Oh, so he was convicted - not for selling pornography - but for selling filth deemed as being obscene?

def zeppelin · Oct 4, 2008

Don't these women agree to do this before videotaping? I am sure they know about what goes on in his videos.

There are tons of fetish sites that are far worse than his. There are BDSM sites where the women are whipped until they become all cut up and badly bruised, yet they go after a guy that uses bodily fluids?

Also, I want to say that his videos were pretty nuts, and you definitely get the impression that he can go a little overboard. But anyone signing up to be a part of his videos should know what they're getting themselves into...

Everyday people undergo these same sex practices everyday. Don't kid yourselves. The only differences is that these activities are solicited.

The important question: Where do we draw the line of what is considered obscene? Isn't that pretty subjective? Aside from rape, murder, minors, I think it should be allowed, as long as it is consensual.

stalk · Oct 4, 2008

even if it is considered obscene
because of this
his videos are now more popular...

funny world.

def zeppelin · Oct 4, 2008

lol, they just made it more taboo

stalk · Oct 4, 2008

what's blowing my mind is the fact that the true criminals of our time are getting 0 years in prison.

def zeppelin · Oct 4, 2008

Don't worry, we got O.J. simpson

cadcruzer · Oct 4, 2008

They reached that decision after watching 8 1/2 hours of extreme porn on a giant screen in court. At times, they winced as Little performed in sex scenes that included urinating and vomiting.
Click to expand...

LOL, this seems to be the real crime here.

Aristartle · Oct 4, 2008

Um, how and why are you people watching his material?

stalk · Oct 4, 2008

What if we made all courts watch 8.5 hours of true footage from Iraq?

Distractions...

Log in or Sign up

Pornographer sentenced to nearly four years in prison

stalk Banned

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

jrnyman kermit

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

def zeppelin All connected

stalk Banned

def zeppelin All connected

stalk Banned

def zeppelin All connected

cadcruzer Sailing the 8 seas

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Pornographer sentenced to nearly four years in prison

stalk Banned

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

jrnyman kermit

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

def zeppelin All connected

stalk Banned

def zeppelin All connected

stalk Banned

def zeppelin All connected

cadcruzer Sailing the 8 seas

Aristartle Snow Falling on Cedars Lifetime Supporter

stalk Banned

Share This Page

Useful Searches