While directing for Devils Film under the name Clayton Blacquemoor, Salaff said police raided his shoot and apprehended him on a variety of charges. Salaff languished in jail for more than seven months before being released on parole.
Officials charged Salaff, his corporate entity, Rio Bueno Ltd. SA, and an associate with pressuring prostitutes to perform in the production, neglecting to file the proper paperwork to film an adult movie and failing to take adequate measures to prevent minors from being exposed to sexual activity after children climbed a 10-foot wall to peek in Salaff’s property during filming.
“Our preliminary trial is now fast-approaching, and our lawyer, Eugenio Morice, is doing extensive legal maneuvering,” Salaff said. “He has submitted appeals to the judge for ‘amplification’ of the investigation to show that the government’s case is based on lies.
“The false arrest, the forged search warrant, prejudice against foreigners, the fact that no female models were called to testify, the fact that no evidence has ever been found to involve minors, that children were encouraged to ‘peep’ by an adult who has never been called for a statement … the list [of lies] goes on and on. No one in Panama outside of the corrupt government thinks there is any case against us at all.”
Salaff currently is on countrywide house arrest and is barred from seeking employment until his case is settled.
Since his arrest, Salaff has denied all of the charges, claiming that a corrupt prosecutor targeted him. In an interesting twist, the prosecutor was, in fact, arrested on corruption charges the day after Salaff’s release and sent to the same prison where Salaff had been confined.
Salaff owes tens of thousands in legal fees and says he has lingering health problems due to the prison’s unsanitary conditions and his inability to receive medications on a regular basis while incarcerated. His friends have set up a website for his legal defense, which links to a special PayPal account.