Racy video maker is charged in sex crime
“Girls Gone Wild” video empire owner Joe Francis was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor sexual battery for allegedly touching an 18-year-old woman’s breast, buttocks and inner thigh repeatedly during a party at a Hollywood eatery in January.
Francis, who on Monday in a separate case was sentenced to 35 days in prison by a federal judge for criminal contempt, is slated to be arraigned May 22, said Frank Mateljan, a Los Angeles city attorney’s office spokesman.
Francis, 34, faces up to six months in jail if convicted.
Mateljan said the incident occurred during a Jan. 20 birthday bash at the Geisha House, an upscale Japanese restaurant, while Francis was seated next to the woman.
“Over the course of the evening, he touched her breast, buttocks and inner thigh inappropriately about 10 times despite being repeatedly told by the victim not to touch her,” Mateljan said. “Another guest overheard her complain.”
Mateljan said that the woman filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department within days of the alleged incident.
Francis, a Santa Monica-based multimillionaire who has made a fortune selling risque videos of scantily clad women, was arrested recently by federal marshals when he failed to meet a deadline to appear in a federal case in Florida.
Separately, he was recently indicted on two counts of tax evasion by a federal grand jury in Reno.
Jan Handzlik, an attorney for Francis, criticized the announcement of the new charges. “When it rains it pours,” he said. “The timing of this isn’t coincidental. The incident upon which this is based is over 3 months old.”
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