FBI Visits Shane?s World for 2257 Inspection

[Paul Markham]

Did you ever wonder why they are picking such obvious targets for inspection, companies that are more than likely to have their records in good order?

If they wanted to nail someone there are a lot more easier targets to go after. So why go after people like Shane's World?

Maybe they don't want to find anything, prosecuting someone on a filing slip up might bring them in for ridicule. But ignoring the law could lead to the DA being asked embarrassing questions.

FBI Visits Shane?s World for 2257 Inspection

CHATSWORTH, Calif. ? A team of FBI agents visited the offices of Shane?s World Studios at approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning to conduct a routine inspection of the company?s 2257 records, XBIZ has learned exclusively.
After a quiet start to the year with no 2257 inspections reported until the FBI visited the defunct Moonlight Entertainment on May 3, it seems that the FBI is ramping up inspections.

?Approximately six agents came by this morning and were interested in 10 titles,? Shane?s World owner Jennie Grant said. ?After we regained consciousness, we promptly gave them all the records and they got to work. They were here for a few hours and then let us know our records were perfect.

?Once the initial shock of having the FBI at your office wore off, we got to work. I relaxed because I realized we are prepared for this and we have a great staff that pays attention to detail.?

Grant said that one of the FBI agents told her directly, ?It?s really rare for us to find zero violations.?

Shane?s World employs a full-time staffer to maintain the company?s 2257 records.

Megan Stokes, Shane?s World vice president of sales, told XBIZ that the agents were interested in the 2257 records for a few of the older titles in the ?Shane?s World? series as well as new releases in the line. Also inspected were records from the studio?s popular ?College Invasion? series, ?Girls Night Out? and ?Shane?s World Slumber Party 20.?

Stokes said the agents stayed for a couple of hours at the company?s offices before leaving with their own copying equipment.

The other companies that have been subject to 2257records inspections are Diabolic (July 24, 2006), Sebastian Sloane Productions (July 28, 2006), Robert Hill Releasing (Aug. 1, 2006), Sunshine Films (Aug. 16, 2006), Darkside Entertainment (Sept. 12, 2006), Evasive Angles (Sept. 27, 2006), Legend (Oct. 10, 2006), Pure Play Media (Nov. 16, 2006), K-Beech (Dec. 14, 2006) and Moonlight Entertainment (May 3, 2007).

The FBI?s inspection of Bethlehem, Pa.-based Sebastian Sloane Productions was prompted by an unrelated search warrant.

[Jakke PNG]

Nice, and congrats for shanes world for being up to par with requirements.

[Webby]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

If they wanted to nail someone there are a lot more easier targets to go after. So why go after people like Shane's World?

Sure.. there are *far* more easier targets and with a better result than crappy 2257 record-keeping offenses attached.

Strange that they also know about a good number of these targets, but never managed to act yet.....

PS In fairness, there can be good reason for not acting on some at this time, but that does not apply to all.

[Webby]

Better add to the last post....

There is also a severe degree of lack of resources which may be the reason for not acting. Can think of a couple of states where the PD have only around 3 people to deal with this area.

That, in turn, suggests someone in the FBI wants to be able to say they have inspected some 2257 records....

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Webby

Better add to the last post....

There is also a severe degree of lack of resources which may be the reason for not acting. Can think of a couple of states where the PD have only around 3 people to deal with this area.

That, in turn, suggests someone in the FBI wants to be able to say they have inspected some 2257 records....

I think you got it in one.

Couple of officers to inspect and it's a done deal. They stand up and say they inspected and found nothing.

Find something and lawyers are tied up for years fighting a filing/admin charge.

"Yes your Honor the model is 28, done 150 adult movies and still doing them. However Bang-Me-Senseless-Cash had the wrong piece of paperwork in the wrong drawer and we are doing this to protect children."

How stupid would that look?

Should look good in the media, in the present climate of terrorism

[ayne468]

I bet they breathed a sigh of relief as they left!

[Webby]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

I think you got it in one.

Couple of officers to inspect and it's a done deal. They stand up and say they inspected and found nothing.

Find something and lawyers are tied up for years fighting a filing/admin charge.

"Yes your Honor the model is 28, done 150 adult movies and still doing them. However Bang-Me-Senseless-Cash had the wrong piece of paperwork in the wrong drawer and we are doing this to protect children."

How stupid would that look?

Should look good in the media, in the present climate of terrorism

True

The flip side to that irony is also that "actual" CP sites are fairly well known in some instances, but they just don't have the time to spend recording this stuff and tracking IP's etc.

Short while back I mentioned one "name" and, least at that time, of the only site I knew was attached to it. The agent knew immediately what I was talking about - including the background name, but already had a massive backlog of stuff to look into. This was far more serious than silly 2257 stuff!

Another operation has been going on for.. hell.. must be 3 years now, but still ongoing, tho more complex since it involves around five countries. Not had an update on that for almost a year now, but was a matter of waiting for a few "bodies" to "associate". Sometimes there is a reason for delay, but that's prob the exception - the rest is just down to lack of resources.

Seriously - there is far more relevant and pressing stuff than 2257 offenses and involving actual physical assaults on children. Suppose they are diverting attention (rightfully) to those than bothering with "2257 inspections".

[Paul Markham]

Originally Posted by Webby

True

The flip side to that irony is also that "actual" CP sites are fairly well known in some instances, but they just don't have the time to spend recording this stuff and tracking IP's etc.

Short while back I mentioned one "name" and, least at that time, of the only site I knew was attached to it. The agent knew immediately what I was talking about - including the background name, but already had a massive backlog of stuff to look into. This was far more serious than silly 2257 stuff!

Another operation has been going on for.. hell.. must be 3 years now, but still ongoing, tho more complex since it involves around five countries. Not had an update on that for almost a year now, but was a matter of waiting for a few "bodies" to "associate". Sometimes there is a reason for delay, but that's prob the exception - the rest is just down to lack of resources.

Seriously - there is far more relevant and pressing stuff than 2257 offenses and involving actual physical assaults on children. Suppose they are diverting attention (rightfully) to those than bothering with "2257 inspections".

The original 2257 was about the government looking good and seeing to be doing something after the Traci Lords scandal. She had one ID, forged, and the law states one ID is enough. What fucking rocket scientist figured that one out?

Then the law is pretty well unused for a decade and the DA is asked on a committee what his department have done to enforce 2257. His reply was it was a bad law and needed amending. So after a review and amending, all costing money, they have the new version.

And the FBI target the least likely to be in violation of the law.

Good to see the US government hard at work.

And I support 2257.

[mattz]

wow interesting, nice job Shanes World

[Webby]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Then the law is pretty well unused for a decade and the DA is asked on a committee what his department have done to enforce 2257. His reply was it was a bad law and needed amending. So after a review and amending, all costing money, they have the new version.

And the FBI target the least likely to be in violation of the law.

Good to see the US government hard at work.

And I support 2257.

Exactly Paul - Suspect it's generally a pain in the ass for LE as well as the adult industry.

I used to pay attention to the old version of 2257, but sure as hell not going to be an an unpaid record keeper for US domestic law - life is too short

Sure.. 2257 in the content biz is more an "obligation" to cover the US market.

There will be Civil Code from breathing next - followed by the introduction of fresh air tax (that's kinda short in supply)