‘Girls Gone Wild’ - Joe Francis is out just in time for spring break
Unsettling thought for the day: Joe Francis, founder of the “Girls Gone Wild” video empire, has been released from custody in Panama City Beach, Fla. — just in time for spring break.
The Associated Press reports that Francis, 34, a USC alumnus, pleaded no contest to child abuse and prostitution charges today under an agreement that allowed him to walk free after nearly a year in jail.
Francis had returned to Florida after posting a $1.5-million bond this week in Nevada, where he is accused of tax fraud. The hearing resolved a 2003 criminal case involving the filming of underage girls during spring break on Panama City Beach.
See our recent spring break package for more on Panama City Beach, Francis and the growing yet risky business of spring-break tourism.
— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
[Photo: Joe Francis being released from jail March 12, 2008 / Associated Press]
10 Comments on “‘Girls Gone Wild’ - Joe Francis is out just in time for spring break”
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March 12th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I hope the law can destroy this “Psycho Gone Wild”. He’s a classic sweet talking Anti-social personality. He’s the reason that we build jails.
March 13th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Hey Martuni… If the man is a “Pscycho” like you say, then he shouldn’t go to jail, he should go to a shrink or a psych ward. That’s the problem with our jail system in America, we treat it as an insane asylum. Instead of treating people, we through them together and expect them to rot for eternity. The reason we build jails is to house severe criminals, not guys who got busted for taping a naked girl who was more than willing to take off her clothes for a camera and get a tank top in return. Society has a lot more problems than this guy.
March 13th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Let’s relax a little bit. Face it, this was a guy out to make money in the sex industry. No one made these women take off their clothes in front of a camera. Some of them may have been underaged, but then do you know how easy it is to get an authenic false I.D. Greg is correct, we build jails for the criminals that are a danger to society, not filming naked girls on video.
March 13th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
This article says nothing about the deputy who obtained — illegally — the search warrant that resulted in the seizure of videotapes. Nor does it portray the “good ol’ boy” system of law enforcement that runs rampant in the Panhandle of Florida. There is much, much more to this than meets the eye.
March 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey Martuni… If the man is a “Pscycho” like you say, then he shouldn’t go to jail, he should go to a shrink or a psych ward.
Hey Greg… You can’t treat a true “Pscycho”, they have no conscience, they don’t want and won’t accept help, they are defiant.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Joe Francis rules.
I love GGW
Long live Joe
March 19th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Let’s face it, the guy probably got shafted by some teenie boppers with fake ID’s, no big deal.
As far as “exploitation of women”, come on! I think GGW is disgusting, but I recognize that it’s a whore parade. There’s no “exploitation” going on here. Just a guy making money off girls eager to prove they are the biggest “hootchie”.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
oh believe joe francis is telling the truth about what happened to him these corrupt people are existing and there crimes they commit are much more then america knows.I do not like what joe francis does for a living but it has nothing to do with the crimes that have been committed against him by the very people who are to protect and serve america
August 20th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Send this guy back to jail!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
He should have gotten ten years,
he’s gonna do the same thing again.
But we all know that money buys freedom