Goldman Attorneys Call DOJ’s Conduct ‘Outrageous’

NEWARK, N.J. — Pre-trial motions have delayed the obscenity trial of Torture Portal operator Barry Goldman, who was indicted by a federal grand jury in New Jersey after a previous indictment was dropped in Montana.

In a brief to the court on Thursday, Goldman’s attorneys said for a second time that they want his eight-count indictment on obscenity charges dropped.

Goldman’s attorneys, federal defenders Lisa M. Mack and Louise Arkel, said that the case has been all about forum shopping and that the Justice Department handled the investigation in “heavy-handed and inexplicable” pattern.

“The serpentine road that the government took to indict Mr. Goldman in New Jersey was the result of a deliberate and intentional search for the most favorable forum possible,” Goldman’s counsel said. “It was a search that required a sting operation to be set up, because the government had not a shred of proof that Mr. Goldman had ever done any business whatsoever in Montana."

The government said the DVDs were shipped from New Jersey to Montana.

Goldman’s attorneys said that the probe was done “in contravention of DOJ policy, both with respect to venue and to prosecutorial targets.”

“It meant dragging a retired man in poor health and with extremely limited resources halfway across the country to answer for having allegedly mailed three movies, placing him under strict court supervision and placing him under media and community scrutiny, until a federal judge refused to play the government’s game and transferred the case to New Jersey,” Goldman’s counsel said. “The government’s conduct has been outrageous.”

His attorneys said that if the case isn’t dismissed, they want the New Jersey grand jury transcripts be made available to the judge because that jury could have been given improper instructions, as well as the possibility of omission to jurors that the government initially opted for a Montana jury to apply its community standards.

“Mr. Goldman seeks a very limited portion of those transcripts which, importantly, does not contain any testimony, witness names, or other information that the grand jury secrecy rules are intended to protect,” they said.

The Justice Department first learned of Goldman when he promoted his companies' movies at AEE in Las Vegas in January 2006. The movies were sold through the web at TorturePortal.com.

Goldman, 59, later was indicted by a federal grand jury for violating 18 U.S.C. § 1461 and § 1467 for the distribution of “Torture of a Porn Store Girl,” “Defiant Crista Submits” and “Pregnant and Willing” through the mail. The videos all were mailed in 2006 and 2007.

If convicted, Goldman faces forfeitures and a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each of the eight counts charged in the indictment.

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

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Nadia Jay Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Nadia Jay stars with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Fucking the Bath Voyeur."

Tommy Gunn Reflects on His Legendary Past as He Looks to the Future

Tommy Gunn is wearing an eyepatch. It’s not an homage to the classic "Pirates" porn parody franchise, in which Gunn takes on the Johnny Depp role. The eyepatch is a temporary measure to help him deal with a nerve palsy that came out of nowhere several years ago and affects his vision from time to time. Gunn needs his vision. As one of the adult industry’s longest-serving male stars, he still has plenty to look forward to.

Rocco Siffredi Directs New Rebel Rhyder Showcase

Evil Angel has released Rocco Siffredi’s Rebel Rhyder showcase title, "Rebel Meets Rebel."

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Shalina Devine Toplines 'Thr3e #7' From Dorcel

Shalina Devine headlines the latest release from Dorcel, titled "Thr3e #7."

Chloe Amour Headlines 'Unfaithful Betrayal 3' From Bellesa Films

Chloe Amour toplines the third volume of “Unfaithful Betrayal” from Bellesa Films.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

Misty Addams Makes Her WIFEY Debut

Misty Addams stars with husband Island Boy Brandon and 2024 XMA Europas Male Performer of the Year Christian Clay in the latest release from Vixen Media Group studio imprint WIFEY.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

Show More