Originally Posted by Sands

You continue to misinterpret the wording of 2257 regulations. Publishers, and I repreat, publishers must maintain records. If you run a website that publishes a sexually explicit image, as defined by 2257 records, you must maintain records for inspection. It doesn't matter if the images are hotlinked, or if you are the content producer or not.

The best advice, though, is to talk to a lawyer.