'Girls Gone Wild' Makers Fined
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WENN.com
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Friday, December 15, 2006
HOLLYWOOD - The company behind the raunchy Girls Gone Wild franchise has been fined $1.6 million after releasing DVDs featuring underage girls.
Mantra Films Inc., who offer T-shirts in exchange for breast-bearing on film, was found guilty of preying on two drunken 17-year-olds during spring break in 2003.
According to the New York Daily News, founder Joe Francis was forced by judge Richard Smoak to read aloud one of the plaintiffs’ statements in the Panama City, Florida, court. In the testimony she detailed her "emotional torment" after appearing in the video.
Francis was sentenced to community service because Smoak did not believe the fine was significant enough, as it represents only 12 percent of Mantra's 2005 profits.
Smoak said, "It does not take a very brave man to go out and corner a girl in the middle of spring break who had four drinks."
Francis claimed the two girls had lied about their ages.
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