Joe Francis Freed From House Arrest

LOS ANGELES — Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis was released from a weeklong period of house arrest and electronic monitoring at his court hearing on Wednesday.

After Francis’s doctor presented a letter to the court verifying that Francis was ill, as Francis had alleged, Federal District Judge S. James Otero ordered that the conditions be dropped.

"I look forward to being vindicated when the case goes to trial and putting these absurd allegations permanently to rest," Francis said. "I am tired of being singled out and criminalized by the government because of what I do for a living. This is not a case about tax evasion; it’s simply another attempt to prosecute Joe Francis for being the creator of Girls Gone Wild."

Francis, who is facing charges of tax evasion, was placed under house arrest following his release from custody last Tuesday. According to his new attorney, John Vandevelde of the Crowell & Moring Law Firm, a trial date has been set.

"We now have a trial date," Vandevelde said, "and we look forward to winning in the courtroom for Mr. Francis."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ofcom Fines AVS Group $1.3 Million for AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Wednesday imposed a penalty of one million pounds, or approximately $1.3 million, on AVS Group Ltd. after an investigation concluded that the company had failed to implement robust age checks on 18 adult websites.

Report: Aylo to Implement Age Verification in EU

Pornhub parent company Aylo plans to participate in the European Commission’s pilot program for its “white label” age verification app, according to a report by German tech news site Netzpolitik.

Missouri Lawmaker Attempts to Revive 'Health Warnings' for Adult Sites

A Missouri state representative has introduced a bill that would require adult sites to post notices warning users of alleged physical, mental, and social harms associated with pornography, despite a previous federal court ruling against such requirements.

Ruling: Italy's 'Porn Tax' Applies to All Content Creators

Italy’s tax revenue agency has ruled that the nation’s 25% “ethical tax” on income generated from adult content applies even to smaller independent online content creators.

Proposed New Hampshire AV Bill Appears to Violate Constitution

A bill in the New Hampshire state legislature, aimed at requiring adult sites to age-verify users in that state, contains a provision that seemingly contradicts the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.

Online Child Protection Hearing to Include Federal AV Bill

A House subcommittee will hold a hearing next week on a slate of bills aimed at protecting minors online, including the SCREEN Act, which would make site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content federal law.

FSC Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Nominees

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced the nominees for its 2025 Board of Directors election.

Canada Exempts Online Adult Content From 'CanCon' Quotas

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has updated its broadcasting regulatory policies, exempting streaming adult content from “made in Canada” requirements that apply to other online material.

Creator Law Firm 'OnlyFirm' Launches

Entertainment attorney Alex Lonstein has officially launched OnlyFirm.com for creators.

German Court Puts Pornhub, YouPorn 'Network Ban' on Hold

The Administrative Court of Düsseldorf has temporarily blocked the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LfM) from forcing telecom providers to cut off access to Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn.

Show More