BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis spoke about his release from jail and his upcoming plans at a news conference Thursday morning at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Alongside prominent news stations, AVN Online was the only adult news source in attendance.
"I, after 11 months of incarceration, pleaded ‘no contest' to several charges in Florida," Francis said. "I am 100 percent innocent of these charges, and the only reason that I took this plea offer was to get out of jail. I was being held illegally without bail in the U.S. for over 11 months. It was time to get out. I had this plea offer on the table for quite some time before that, and I chose to take it simply to get out of jail, not because I committed any crime whatsoever.
"A number of things happened that ultimately led to this plea deal in Florida. I will back up a bit and explain to what I plead to. I plead ‘no contest' to a count of child abuse. Here are the circumstances surrounding the events that took place in Panama City, Fla., in 2003 that led to that allegation where two 17-year-old girls lied about their age, falsified written release forms and showed false identification to a cameraman who was not directly employed by me. The video was never used on Girls Gone Wild, it was never purchased for use on Girls Gone Wild, and Panama City officials, because of a vendetta, chose to pursue me and harass me for five years, which led to the incarceration.
"I was in a civil lawsuit ... not [a] criminal lawsuit. The civil lawsuit stemmed from the same situation. These two 17-year-old girls sued me in civil court. I was ordered by the judge to settle or go to jail in a civil claim.
"Upon entering the jail - I chose jail over paying $70 million dollars - I was charged with having my own cash and my own prescription medication in my pocket. They gave me a ‘no bail' hold for the past 11 months, and that's why I was incarcerated.
"I did a media campaign with my attorney. We finally caught the state attorney Steve Meadows. He had committed multiple felonies in persecuting and prosecuting me. And, finally, he showed child pornography to ‘ABC News Nightline.' We caught him on tape doing that, which is what ultimately led to the resolution of this case.
"It is a victory! There is no probation. There is no time. There is absolutely no ramifications whatsoever in this plea. It is a total victory on our part."
Francis noted that he will not have to register as a sex offender, as he took the plea of child abuse because is it a felony that doesn't require him to register.
Francis answered questions from the audience for a half-hour and said Girls Gone Wild magazine would debut on Apr. 15. Each magazine will feature a free full length Girls Gone Wild DVD.
He said he plans to release a new Girls Gone Wild Tequila in June, adding that the company will continue producing pay-per-view movies and will launch its Blu-ray DVD on television.
"Girls Gone Wild is alive and well," he said. "Our office in Los Angeles has 400 people who have been producing videos all along and working on other projects."
Francis said Girls Gone Wild has always followed the rules and procedures regarding model identification.
"The whole incident in Panama City, Fla., was really started with a vendetta that was against me," he said. "I shot there, and all of a sudden, I am scum of the earth. The officials of that city told me I was not welcome. We would not have been there shooting if they didn't hold their spring break there with girls who were getting naked. After sitting there asserting my First Amendment right, these people came after me with a vengeance."
Francis said Panama City officials came for him two weeks after a federal lawsuit was filed, charging him with 71 felonies in 2003.
"They seized my aircraft and my Ferrari," he said. "They sent out a press release stating that a quantity of cocaine had been found aboard my plane. All of these statements, including the 71 felonies, turned out to be false."
Francis said his legal issues have not been completely resolved. He said he and his attorney have a deal in a tax case, but he has not accepted it because it involves him pleading guilty. The deal is for time served and a fine. Francis said this legal issue should be cleared up very soon and he will not plead guilty.
Francis thanked his supporters and said his legal problems will have no negative effects on Girls Gone Wild. He said he spent his time in jail handling the day-to-day operations of his business, using a pay phone to make 14-minute, three-way calls to his office in Los Angeles.
"While I was in jail, I encountered a certain hyper-focus from being locked in a cage," he said. "I had legal pads that I filled up within a matter of hours, full of my new ideas. That is what you are going to see. You will see what I have come up with ... [in] all of the great things we are coming out with. I am going to make everything better now in all aspects of my life."
