Ex-Guard Settles Over BurningAngel.com Photos

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Marcie Betts, the former prison guard who was fired for appearing nude on BurningAngel.com, has settled a wrongful-termination claim with the state of Maryland.

Betts, who wears a large tattoo of birds, cherries, a dagger and a skull across her chest, acknowledged selling 81 photos for $300 to goth site BurningAngel and testified that she and her husband took the pictures after she had applied for a prison job but before she was hired at Roxbury Correctional Institution.

She was fired after only eight days on the job for "conduct unbecoming a corrections officer" stemming directly from the website pictures that were also distributed to Tabu Tattoo magazine.

Betts, who maintained that the pictures were a constitutionally protected form of self-expression, settled with Maryland for $10,000.

Maryland officials argued that Betts was fired for her own safety after some of the photos circulated among the prison staff. They contended that inmates eventually would have seen the photos, raising the risk of sexual assault or blackmail.

Administrative law Judge D. Harrison Pratt later sided with Betts and ordered her reinstatement, as well as back pay.

"Why an inmate would be more prone to attack because he has the employee's photographs rather than any other photographs has not been demonstrated," Pratt said in the decision.

Maryland prison inmates are allowed sexually explicit material but cannot use computers connected to the Internet.

The settlement does not include reinstatement.

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

Australian eSafety Commissioner Demands Stricter Child Protection Codes

Australia’s online safety regulator, eSafety, is once again reviewing a “final” draft of industry codes to protect children from pornography and other age-inappropriate content, after eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant rejected the previously announced “final” codes as insufficiently stringent.

Liz Flynt Debuts 'Hustler: 50 Years of Freedom' Book

Liz Flynt has released her new retrospective book, “Hustler: 50 Years of Freedom.”

Nerdgasm: A Look at the Naughty Side of Pop Culture Geekdom

From “Call of Duty” to cosplay, from tabletop dice rolls to dungeon-inspired dirty talk, the worlds of geek fandom and fantasy are no longer confined to the basement. They’ve kicked down the door, shed the “Firefly” tee and gone full frontal.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Moves to Outlaw Internet Pornography

A parliamentary committee of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday approved a measure to outlaw online adult content in the country.

Sweden Bans Purchase of 'Remote' Sexual Services

The Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament, has approved a proposal to criminalize purchasing sexual services performed remotely by streamers and custom content creators.

Asa Akira to Deliver XBIZ Talk at Miami Conference

XBIZ is pleased to announce that decorated performer, Pornhub brand ambassador, and author Asa Akira is set to deliver an exclusive talk at XBIZ Miami.

JustFor.fans Launches 'Fentanyl Test Strip' Initiative

JustFor.fans (JFF) has launched a test strip initiative to combat the nationwide fentanyl crisis.

2025 XBIZ Miami Speaker Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Miami, the latest edition of the adult industry’s premier summer conference, set to take place May 19-22 at the Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach hotel in South Beach.

AV Bulletin: Arizona's About-Face, What New Laws Mean for Adult

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the United States. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, the U.K. and the EU are moving ahead with their own AV mandates and strategies, and legal challenges continue to play out in U.S. courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Million Billion Media Launches New Website

Management and PR agency Million Billion Media (MBM) has launched a new website.

Show More