Federal Jury Convicts California Producer and His Adult Entertainment Company
of Obscenity Crimes
WASHINGTON, June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal jury in Tampa, Fla.,
convicted Paul F. Little and his adult entertainment company, MaxWorld
Entertainment Inc. (MaxWorld), of obscenity crimes, Acting Assistant Attorney
General for the Criminal Division Matthew Friedrich and Chief Postal Inspector
Alexander Lazaroff announced today.
Following a seven-day trial, the Tampa jury found Little, 50, of Altadena,
Calif., and MaxWorld guilty of all charged counts of transporting obscene
matter by use of an interactive computer service and mailing obscene matter.
At sentencing on Sept. 5, 2008, Little faces a maximum statutory penalty of up
to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conviction as well
as forfeiture of all domain names. MaxWorld faces a separate $250,000 fine.
Little, a/k/a "Max Hardcore" or "Max Steiner," is a nationally-known producer,
director and star of pornographic DVDs and video clips. In his films, he is
shown engaging in violent and extreme sexual acts with female performers,
including urination, "fisting" and vomiting. Little markets his products
through his websites and MaxWorld.
Little and MaxWorld were indicted in May 2007 on five counts of transporting
obscene matter by use of an interactive computer service and five counts of
mailing obscene matter. The charges stemmed from materials the defendants
offered via the MaxHardcore.com Web site. The indictment alleged that Little,
through MaxWorld, used this Web site and the U.S. mail service to distribute
films that meet the U.S. Supreme Court's standards for obscenity.
At trial, the jury heard evidence and testimony about specific transactions in
which Little and MaxWorld distributed obscene materials online and by mail in
Tampa. The jury learned that on Jan. 18, 2006, investigators purchased an
online membership to the MaxHardcore.com Web site and downloaded five trailers
-- promotional video clips of full-length feature films -- that were available
through MaxWorld. The jury also heard that on March 13, 2007, an undercover
postal inspector bought five DVDs from the Web site, all of which depicted
violent and extreme sexual acts, and which Little also produced. The DVDs
were delivered to a post office box in Tampa on March 28 and March 30, 2007.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys LisaMarie Freitas and Edward
J. McAndrew of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity
Section (CEOS), with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the
Middle District of Florida. The case was investigated the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service and the FBI. Computer forensic analysis and trial
testimony was provided by the CEOS' High Tech Investigative Unit.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD,
+1-202-514-1888
