Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis has been sentenced to 35 days in jail after pleading guilty to contempt of court yesterday.
During a hearing in Panama City, Florida, the 34-year-old apologized to a judge for shouting abuse at seven women during recent settlement talks.
The women had taken legal action against Francis for allegedly filming them in sexual situations while underage at Panama City Beach in 2003.
Francis told the court, “I am sorry for my behavior. It was wrong. I had heard about appeals and things and I was confused. I am sorry, I really am.”
He was arrested at Panama City airport two weeks ago as he was on his way to turn himself into authorities on the contempt charge.
Francis is also due to appear in court in Nevada on May 22, after a federal grand jury earlier this month returned an indictment charging him with deducting more than $20 million in false business expenses on his companies’ 2002 and 2003 corporate income tax returns.
According to the indictment, Francis used offshore bank accounts and entities purportedly owned by others to conceal income he earned during 2002 and 2003.
If convicted, Francis faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.
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