'Girls Gone Wild' CEO Pleads Guilty

(AP)  The founder of the company that produces the "Girls Gone Wild" videos of women appearing in sexual situations pleaded guilty Monday to charges of failing to document the ages of young women engaging in sexual acts in the videos.

As part of the plea deal, Joe Francis, 33, agreed to pay a $500,000 fine.

A judge will decide whether to accept or reject the deal at a sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 18.

Outside court, Francis told reporters he thought the chances are "pretty slim" that the judge would reject the deal.

"We are thrilled to have this stuff behind us," Francis said.

Francis' attorney, Aaron Dyer, said underage girls who had appeared in the videos had lied about their age to the company.

Francis' Santa Monica-based company, Mantra Films Inc., pleaded guilty earlier this month in U.S. District Court in Florida on similar charges. According to court papers, Mantra Films admitted to violating record keeping and labeling laws while producing and distributing the videos during all of 2002 and part of 2003.

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Read the "Girls Gone Wild" court documents:

Mantra Films criminal information

MRA Holdings criminal information

MRA Deferred prosecution agreement

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A second company owned by Mantra's founder, MRA Holdings LLC, entered into a deferred agreement on charges of improper labeling.

Under that agreement with prosecutors, the charges would be dismissed after three years if MRA Holdings cooperates with future government prosecutions, admits wrongdoing and pays fines. It must also hire an outside company to monitor its records and production facilities to ensure compliance with federal law.

Separate state charges in Florida alleging that two 17-year-old girls were videotaped by a "Girls Gone Wild" cameraman in sexual situations remain pending against Francis and Mantra Films.

[sherron1234]

I am having trouble understanding what seperates this man from a child molester who endorses or thrives on kiddie porn and an average Joe who is required to register as a *** offender and is prosecuted. Are there different laws for people who are financially well off? Or for different races. If this was ...hmmm..lets say.., Al Sharpton, he would be under mass scrutiny and labled a pervert, people would be intent on throwing him behind bars. So is it money or race?

[nterstdparty]

Now that the republicans have called for all ISP records and *** they say they are looking for child pornographers well, I think this person qualifies as one. Why in the world is he only being fined instead of tossed under a prison? Is it because he's white and a millionaire? of course it is! All related DVD's should be taken off the shelves that is what they do in regular straight/*** porn cases.