WEST HULL, U.K. — Four men were found guilty of producing illegal porn DVDs after customers complained about the “poor quality” of the videos to Trading Standards.
Consumers wrote to the regulatory board, saying that the DVDs were, in addition to being recorded badly, too short.
Sixty-nine-year-old Fred Thompson, who formerly ran a sex shop, helmed the operation aided by Shaun Langley, Nigel Maw and his son David Maw, the DailyMail reported. They distributed their products under the name Fantasy Dome.
The crew used industrial machines to rip adult DVDs and sell the illict copies by mail order and through the Internet. According to the court report, the machines could make four copies of a DVD simultaneously.
Trading Standards officers raided the defendant’s factory and found two large storage bins full of unlawfully copied DVDs.
“This is not a case about the morality of porn or adult entertainment. Whether you like it or not, there is a market for legitimate porn and thousands of customers use it every day,” Prosecutor Charlene Sumnall said.
“Those customers, like any others, deserve protection from being defrauded,” she continued. “Just like any other release, it has to go before the film board to see if it is lawful and OK to be sold.”
A jury unanimously convicted the four men after a three-week trial.
Judge Murk Bury of Hull Crown Court said that sentencing will be forthcoming and may very well include jail time.
Thompson, for his part, was not repentant.
“I like to be Jack The Lad in Hessle Road,” He said. ”I am not ashamed of my offending. I have never hurt anybody.”
Thompson formerly served six months in prison for counterfeiting currency.
